30 June 2009

Sri Lanka monk party threatens to withdraw from government if 13th amendment implemented

The JHU yesterday announced that it would resign from the Government if it fully implements the 13th Amendment to the Constitution or attempts to bring in any other solution for the national crisis granting any more powers to provinces. Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, announcing his party’s decision at a press conference held at the Public Library Auditorium said that some sections of the polity now advocate that the Government go for full implementation of the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment was something enforced on Sri Lanka by outsiders and the full implementation of it would grant the powers of controlling lands and police forces to the provincial councils, he said. If such powers are given to the provincial councils the sovereignty reinstated by the soldiers sacrificing life and limb would be of no avail. Thus, he said, the JHU opposes any further granting powers to the provinces. The JHU does not oppose the provincial council system but granting further powers to them could not be allowed and if the government attempts to do so the party would resign from the Government and lead the public to defeat such efforts, he said. He challenged those who promote and advocate the Government for a full implementation of the Amendment to an open debate with the JHU on the issue.

Tiger leader, deputy arrested

An LTTE leader and his deputy were arrested by the anti-terrorist unit of the Vavuniya Police, while they were in the company of a young pregnant girl, according to reports from Vavuniya Police.Identified as Keenan and Kannawan, they were arrested at Pesalai in Mannar. When Police arrested them they were in possession of two claymore mines, two T-56 weapons, five magazines and 142 rounds of ammunition.One of them was a LTTE leader of Pammpaimadu and when he was arrested he was in the company of a 13-year-old girl who Police said was pregnant. The other LTTE cadre was in the company of an 18-year-old girl. Both girls in their statement to Police had said that they were abducted and forcibly kept by the two LTTE cadres.All four have been detained by the Vavuniya anti-terrorist unit and are being interrogated.

Sri Lanka not doing enough to rehabilitate displaced Tamils: Chidambaram

India on Monday said Sri Lanka has not done enough to rehabilitate displaced Tamils and asked Colombo to allow the Red Cross to take up relief and give media access to refugee camps in the strife-torn areas. India had allocated Rs 500 crore for rehabilitating Lankan Tamils, but the rehabilitation plan was not ready in Sri Lanka, Union Home Minister P Mr. Chidambaram said. "We regret this," he told reporters at Karaikudi in his constituency, Sivaganga. He said Sri Lankan Tamil refugees would not be forced to go back. "The government will however make all arrangements for them to return if they voluntarily want to go back." Denying that India had not done enough to safeguard Lankan Tamils, he said, "We spoke both to LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. But they did not listen." Sri Lankan officials had told him recently that steps were being taken to hold elections in Tamil areas under the 13th Amendment of the Constitution on devolution provisions under the Indo-Lanka accord. Referring to reports that China was helping Lanka build a Naval base at Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to Lanka, he said, "It is only an unconfirmed report. It is not so." He also said Government was taking steps to prevent Indian fishermen from being attacked by Lankan Navalmen in mid-sea. Noting that there was a request for more patrolling vessels, he said, "They (Tamil Nadu's Coast Security Group and Coast Guard) had asked for 10 boats. Each boat costs some crores. The government will give them the facility one by one."

Nine indicted with funding LTTE

The Attorney General has filed indictment against nine persons for granting Rs. 35 million to the LTTE from the funds of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation in 2006. The Attorney General filed indictment against Velupillai Sivanadiar, Murugesu Shanmugarajah, Kanthilingam Prem Raj, Kathirakesu Ganeshalingam, Sinnaiyah Shanthilingam, Eliyathambi Nadarajah, Krishna Kutti Sukumaran alias Udayan, Balasubramunium Sri Scandarajah, and Kamalias Prabakaran before the Colombo High Court. They were charged with conspiring between October 10, 2005 to March 27, 2006 to grant Rs. 35 million to the LTTE through the seventh accused, an LTTE cadre. They have conspired in Vavuniya and Colombo with another person Arumugam Senthinadan who is dead. Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara issued notice on the suspects returnable on July 07, 2009.

Captain Ali to unload in Chennai

The ship, Captain Ali carrying humanitarian aid for the war-affected civilians in the North has now decided to unload its goods in Chennai from where the supplies will be transferred to Sri Lanka through the Indian Red Cross. Mercy Mission spokesman Arjunan Ethirveerasingham yesterday  confirmed that the relief items would be unloaded in Chennai and distributed through the Indian Red Cross. When asked why the items were not unloaded in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ehtirveerasingham that this was due to the lack of assurances by the Indian and Sri Lankan governments about the acceptance of the goods. “No assurances were given either by the Indian government or the Sri Lankan government that if the ship returns to Sri Lanka it will be allowed to enter Sri Lankan waters or unload its cargo.” Mr. Ethirveerasingham said. He said the organizers of the Mercy Mission were willing to comply with the demands of both governments to ensure the relief items were distributed to those in refugee camps. “We are powerless and at the mercy of the Sri Lankan and Indian Governments and as such will do what these governments tell us” he stated. A joint statement was issued on the Captain Ali controversy after a meeting between the Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna and a Lankan delegation comprising senior presidential adviser Basil Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga.

'Tamil regiment' for the SL Army 
   
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) is to establish a Tamil regiment for the first time in Sri Lankan history, according to a Tamil government minister.Mr. Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan, widely known as Karuna Amman, told BBC's Sandeshaya that he was informed of the new unit by SLA commander General Sarath Fonseka a few days ago.  The minister, who formed the paramilitary group Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) after defecting from the Tamil Tigers in 2004, said hundreds of his former followers were already integrated into the SLA. Mr. Muralitharan, who became the vice president of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), was appointed Minister of National Integration by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.  "600 cadres out of 900 have already joined the army. The rest of my cadres are currently staying in military camps. I hope all of them will join the army once their paperwork is completed," he said.  The minister, who was regarded as the second most senior military leader while he was with the LTTE, said most of the former members had been recruited as soldiers. "Some of them might soon be appointed as officers," he said. Most of the Tamil soldiers are currently positioned in the eastern province, he said, and it was possible that they would be stationed there permanently since the government had announced that the war against the LTTE was over.  However, the current TMVP leader, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, the chief minister of the Eastern Province, told BBC's Sinhala service that his cadres were not interested in joining the military. "We recently dissolved our armed unit and handed over our arms. We then pledged to provide training for self-employment and offer them loans if required. There was an option for them to join the army or police, but less than ten people came forward, "Mr. Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan, told the BBC.

Sri Lanka-China pact on power project

 Sri Lanka and China on Monday signed an agreement on the second and third stages of the $891-million Norochcholai Coal Power 600 MW Project. Meanwhile, local media reported that the Jathika Hela Urmaya (JHU), a constituent of the ruling combine, had threatened to withdraw from the government if it implemented the 13th Amendment and gave police powers to provinces.The Information Department said phase two and three of the Norochcholai project would be completed by 2013. The 300-MW first stage commenced in 2006 and is to be completed next year. The Chinese government facilitated long-term loans at a low interest rate for implementation of the project.Power and Energy Minister John Senevirathna said the government was keen on importing sophisticated coal power infrastructure to minimise environmental hazards and that the project would be 98.8 per cent environmentally efficient, reducing the risk of pollution to mere 1.2%.Separately, in its latest travel warning, the U.S. warned American citizens travelling to or living in Sri Lanka about the potential for continued instability, including possible terrorist attacks.“On May 19, 2009, the Sri Lankan government announced that it had achieved victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Despite the conclusion of hostilities, remnants of the insurgency group remain. The government of Sri Lanka’s security posture remains heightened,” the travel advisory said.It said American citizens of Sri Lankan-origin may be subject to additional scrutiny upon arrival and while in the country and in some cases foreigners of Sri Lankan origin may be detained without their embassy being notified.“The activities of journalists, researchers, aid workers, and volunteers receive particular attention. The government of Sri Lanka encourages Sri Lankan citizens to report foreigners who are suspected of carrying out activities not consistent with the national interest and/or their visa category,” it said.Responding to the warning, Colombo expressed disappointment and said it is was part of U.S. strategy to undermine the country.“The advisory, issued by the U.S. State Department on Friday, demonstrates the sheer lack of understanding of the ground situation by the authors as the LTTE has been comprehensively defeated,” said Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona. In another development, TamilNet reported: “A group calling itself ‘Tamil Front Protecting the Country’, allegedly linked to a paramilitary group operating with Colombo, issued Saturday a notice titled ‘Final Warning’ to Uthayan Tamil daily office in Jaffna warning that Uthayan staffers will be killed if they do not officially relinquish their posts with effect from 30 June 2009. Thursday, all the local newspapers of Jaffna that defied publishing an anonymous and defiling notice against Liberation Tigers came under attack by an armed group in which thousands of copies of the local newspapers, Valampuri, Uthayan and Thinakkural were burnt.”

Tamil MP further detained
 
The judiciary in Sri Lanka has granted a request by police to further detain a Tamil parliamentarian arrested on suspicion of helping the LTTE.Colombo chief magistrate who visited the police headquarters in Colombo has ordered to detain Vanni MP Sathasivam Kanagaratnam for a further 90 days. The magistrate has made the order upon considering an appeal by police Criminal Investigation Department (CID).Mr. Kanagaratnam, MP, was detained by the security forces on 21 May at a camp for displaced in Vavuniya, the CID has told the court. While questioning the MP it was revealed that he has committed offences under emergency regulations, police added. The Police who accused Mr. Kanagaratnam of supporting the activities of the LTTE told courts that investigations are yet to be concluded. The MP, who has stayed in the government designated 'no fire zone' until the last stages of the war, has arrived in Vavuniya camp together with the fleeing civilians.

India-Lanka undersea power cable pact soon
 
NEW DELHI: India and Sri Lanka are set to energise their relations. Literally. The two neighbours will soon sign an MoU to study the feasibility of  laying an undersea cable — which will be one-of-its-kind in Asia when completed — to connect their power networks. Sources said the MEA has approved the draft agreement which is to be signed shortly. An interlink between India and Sri Lanka will also firm up the idea of establishing a South Asian energy grid being discussed by the Saarc grouping. India already has a heavy-duty power link with Bhutan and connecting Bangladesh and Pakistan will not pose much of a technical problem. Final touches are being given to a study on the South Asian grid. An undersea link will allow both countries to manage peak demand or at times when hydel capacities in their respective areas run low just as it is doing now in India. The link will help Sri Lanka reduce use of expensive fuels and import cheaper power from India's surplus. For India, the link will open up a new market for its projected surplus. An initial report prepared by the state-owned transmission utility PowerGrid, which will be the implementing agency from India for the subsea link, has pegged the cost at Rs 2,292 crore and said it could be completed within 42 months of getting investment approvals. The report said the power supply scenario between India and Sri Lanka will allow them to exchange about 500 mw of electricity in the short term. Once the two sides settle down with this quantity, power flow can be ramped up to 1,000 mw, roughly one-fourth of Delhi's peak consumption, by 2015-16. These are the time frames when the generation capacities in both countries are projected to improve, with surplus in the Indian southern grid. PowerGrid and Ceylon Electricity Board will be looking at laying a cable under the Gulf of Mannar between Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar on the left flank of the Mannar islands in Sri Lanka. On the Indian side, the cable will be connected to the southern grid at Madurai through an overhead transmission line. On the Sri Lankan side, the underwater cable will be linked to that country's network at Anuradhapura through an overhead line. The undersea link will be laid on the seabed just as telecom and Internet cables run across ocean beds around the world. It will have safeguards on both sides against electrocution in case of damage from ship anchors or sharks. An optic-fibre cable will also run alongside the main power cable to keep an eye on the link and also provide extra telecom capacity between the two countries. At present, India is facing a 16% electricity shortage, with a peak demand of 107,000 mw. The government plans to add 78,500 mw capacity by 2012, with more envisaged in the captive and merchant segments by private investors. Many other proposals are in the pipeline, which, after taking into account the projected growth in load, suggests that there will be surplus of 6,000 mw during peak hours and 12,300 mw during lean periods.    

29 June 2009

Tamil dailies' staff threatened in Sri Lanka

The two leading Tamil dailies in Jaffna, Udayan and Sudar Oli are forced to stop publication from tomorrow as an obscure group has threatened the staff. Sources at the two newspapers said that a group described itself as ‘Tamil Front Protecting the Country’ has threatened them to stop selling the newspapers in Jaffna from tomorrow. The group has told the staff of the two newspapers to resign with effect from tomorrow or face death. The officials of the newspapers have already lodged a complaint at the Jaffna police over the issue. This was the second time within a week that these two newspapers were threatened by the ‘Tamil Front Protecting the Country’.

Vavuniyaa Tamil Christian teacher reported missing in Colombo

A Christian teacher, Rasalingam Naguleswaran, father of two children, has been reported missing since 6 June afternoon after he boarded a bus bound for Vavuniyaa from Gunasinghapura bus halt in Colombo, according to complaints made by his wife Geethanjali with the Vavuniyaa police, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). Geethanjali Naguleswaran is also a teacher in a private sector school in Vavuniyaa.Naguleswaran came to Colombo from Vavuniyaa on June 4th to attend a seminar in Colombo.After attending the conference he came to Gunasinghapura bus halt on June 6th afternoon to return to Vavuniyaa. He boarded a bus around 1:45 p.m and he had told his wife from the bus that he was leaving for Vavuniyaa. Thereafter his hand phone was disconnected when his wife tried to contact him around 4:00 p.m., according to the complaint.

UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay makes it difficult for Sri Lanka to talk with UN body

Sri Lanka said that United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay was making it difficult for Sri Lanka to engage in talks with the UN Human Rights body, a news report said."Her statements have not made it easier for us to gather the support of the people of this country to work closely with her office, which I want to do, or facilitate a visit to Sri Lanka," Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told a local newspaper. "I said you are not helping us to facilitate a programme by your office where you could compliment the efforts of the government to promote and protect the Human Rights of its people," the report said quoting the Minister."I made it clear to her that an Office of the High Commission of Human Rights was not warranted in Sri Lanka at the moment. There is a senior advisor representing the High Commissioner's Office working within the ambit of the UN country team and sending regular reports to the High Commissioner's Office," the Minister added.Ms. Pillay came under criticism from India also when she called for an inquiry into abuses in Sri Lanka's civil war after such a move backed by the western countries failed to garner support at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last month.India rapped the UN human rights commissioner saying that she should not abuse her position to pursue hidden agendas against Sri Lanka.Indian Ambassador to the UN, Gopinath Achamkulangare said that the Commissioner should accept the outcome of the special session on Sri Lanka without taking a position on contested proposals and controversial issues which were not accepted by a majority of members.

13th amenedment nothing more than ‘legal arrangement’: PDK

CHENNAI: The 13th Constitutional amendment that is being proposed as the panacea for the woes of Tamils in Sri Lanka could be nothing more than a ‘legal arrangement’ to crush the legitimate aspirations of the minority Tamils, general secretary, Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK), Viduthalai Rajendran said on Sunday. He was Speaking at a conference on the current situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka organized by a collective of Information Technology professionals here.Rajendran said a section of people had been saying that a solution to the problems faced by Tamils in Srilanka could be the 13th amendment to the Lankan constitution. But, the amendment did not even accept that there were two different national races, the Tamils and the Sinhalese. The proposal consolidates unitary rule and seeks to set up provincial councils. Even ministers in such councils are not given any powers. The ministers could be nothing more than stooges to the governor of the province who would be a nominee of the Srilankan president.  The amendment did not give powers to the council of ministers but only to the governor on all key subjects including public administration, finance and land. “In the name of devolution of powers, sharing of mere administrative functions was done,” he said adding that the police department too would come only under the control of the central authority, which is the Lankan president.  Also, the councils did not enjoy powers to have their own annual budgets and also could not halt demographic alterations as the authority on land matters was vested with the president.

Action against Prabha’s parents considered

LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s parents who were taken into custody from an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Vavuniya have been transferred to Colombo, a senior, military officer said. He said that legal action against them was being contemplated. He said that the two of them were being held at a secure location. They had been taken into custody by the army about three weeks ago. 

Kokavil TV relay station being renovated
   
Coinciding with other parallel development work in the north, renovation of the TV relay station at Kokavil is now underway, with the blessings of the Ministry of Defence, the Army said. A new tower about 170 feet in height is to be erected close to the old one which was damaged by the LTTE when the location was under their control, a few months ago.Basic preparatory work, such as clearing the site of landmines and leveling the ground for construction work, is being carried out by the troops of the Task Force-3.The Kokavil relay station of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation used to transmit television programmes to the entire north before it fell into LTTE hands in 1990.The Army recaptured the area in December 2008, during the Wanni Humanitarian operations.

Elections will be held on time - President

 “As long as I have the co-operation of the people of this country, we will work with the people,” said President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday.Addressing a ceremony in Hambantota, the President said the there were some who were of the opinion that he was attempting to extend his term of office and others who say that the tenure would be extended through parliament. “For those I say I will act according to the Constitution. Elections will be held on time. I'm not scared of elections,” the President said. “I say very clearly that as long as our people are there, I'm not scared of any election. Today, it's not the blue flags, but National Flags that are being raised. Today the entire nation has united under one flag,” the President said

'March for peace' in London

Thousands of Sri Lankans representing all major nationalities and religions took part in a peace march in London, say organisers.The organisers handed over a petition to British PM Gordon Brown at Downing Street after marching in London on Saturday. “We wanted to express our gratitude to British people for their support in defeating terrorism and urge UK to take concrete steps to prevent terrorism re-emerging in Sri Lanka,” Dhammika Ekanayake, an organiser told BBC Sandeshaya. The Sri Lankan government declared a military victory over the Tamil Tigers after 26 years of bloody civil war, last month. Although the LTTE is militarily defeated, say organisers, there is still a considerable sympathy towards the LTTE among Tamil diaspora and some sections of the international community. “Therefore, we felt it is our duty to appeal to the international community to help rebuild the country than supporting the LTTE,” Mr. Ekanayake said. The protest was organised by Sri Lankans Against Terrorism (SLAT) UK.

Sri Lanka's expanding peacetime army 

It is just over a month since Asia's longest civil war in modern times came to an end, with the Sri Lankan government's declaration that it had finally defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE) on the battlefield and killed nearly all their leaders.Yet the army chief says he wants the army, already 200,000, to increase in size by 50%. To see what the military means to many Sri Lankans, I visited the peaceful bungalow home of Leelawathi Mahagamaralalage, set among banana trees in a village. Taking pride of place in her front room are shelves with pictures of her family, but mostly of her second son, Nandana.

Plastic surgery

When we get out the album, she weeps. It shows his funeral. A Sri Lankan army soldier, he was killed in battle 12 years ago, aged just 20. She still mourns him and treasures every memento including his final letter. She has two other sons. Nandana's elder brother, Chandana, was 14 years in the navy. But a year ago, in a Tamil Tiger grenade attack, he lost much of his hearing, and needed plastic surgery. With her third son in the police, Leelawathi, despite her pain cherishes all her sons' achievements - and cherishes the armed forces. "I feel so sad - but proud, too," she says. "I have only the memory of one son. But I am happy because I have two more sons. Even if a family has 10 people, very often, every one of them will join the military, the same as in my family." The wounded brother Chandana, now retired, lives next door with his family. He fully supports the government's plan to expand the armed forces even now the war is over.

'Searching for heroes'

"The LTTE have no leader now. So the small number of LTTE cadres who are left will try to form another organisation and will try to become leaders, as a matter of pride, and will tell the world that they are the LTTE," he believes. "So the army must be on alert and observe everything these people are doing, and take any action needed to prevent them forming again." Boosted by that pride, which is strongest in Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority population, the forces are recruiting. The capital, Colombo, has many posters praising the military. Sinhala-language television stations still carry advertisements to entice applicants, telling them their nation is "searching for heroes". And many are joining up. The military says the ambitious plan for the massive 50%increase in size is grounded in the need to quash possible militancy and also to help with development work. It will also step up its presence in Sri Lanka's north, where hundreds of thousands of Tamil refugees are currently interned in camps by the government with no freedom of movement. The authorities say they are concerned about their possible LTTE links and are therefore screening them. They say that many of the refugees are still "with the LTTE… at least mentally". But they add that 10,000 "LTTE cadres" have been separated, under tight security, within the camps. When the people eventually return home - which the government says most will do by the end of this year - they will be accompanied by the military for an uncertain period of time. The military spokesman, Brig Udaya Nanayakkara, told the BBC there are plans to build more military bases in the north. "Presently two security force headquarters are established in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi," he said. "Under these headquarters camps will be established to see that no terrorist activities take place in those areas in the near future. "That doesn't mean people can't go and settle down. People will be able to settle down. But we will have to see that the whole area activities are being monitored by some organised establishment." That means normality in northern Sri Lanka is still a very long way away. For many Sri Lankans, the stepping-up of military activity is too much.

'Progressive forces'

A Colombo Tamil MP and leader of a small non-ethnic party, Mano Ganesan, worries that the military is becoming too influential in everything the government does. He fears this will mean less attention is given to political measures to secure the ethnic reconciliation which President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he wants. "If we're going to expand the army more and more, what does it mean?" he says. "It'll not only be bad for Tamils but also bad for the democratic, peace-loving Sinhalese progressive forces who want a united Sri Lanka where all the people can live equally with each other, who are against a Sinhala Buddhist hegemonic state. "This expansion of the Sri Lankan army in such large numbers gives us wrong signals." The root cause for Tamil extremism - he says - is "the national ethnic question. Which needs, will demand, a political solution." The government, however, says it is necessary to bolster the military, even now. Much of Colombo, especially the downtown business area, is still guarded by checkpoints - what some would call a ring of steel. Filming or photographing them is strictly banned. To date, the end of the war has seen no change in this. The Sri Lankan state is attached to its military. Slogans on the wall of the defence media centre say "It's the Soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press; It's the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech." After decades of war, demilitarisation and a relaxation of security measures are not going to happen soon.

28 June 2009

US backs India-inspired 13th Amendment for Tamils

The US would back the India-inspired 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution as the solution for the Tamil issue in the island nation, said Robert Blake, the new Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia at a congressional hearing in Washington.Blake, who was till recently US Ambassador in Sri Lanka, said on Thursday that to end terrorism and secure lasting peace in Lanka, the 13th Amendment could be fully implemented. It devolved a modicum of power to the Sri Lankan provinces, including the Tamil-speaking Northern and Eastern Provinces.It has been two decades since the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the Amendment by two-thirds majority and the approval of the Supreme Court obtained. But implementation has only been partial. While the Sinhalese majority parties insisted giving less than what the 13th Amendment envisaged,the Tamil parties wanted more.Blake also spoke about the importance of having a second chamber in the Sri Lankan Parliament, namely, an upper house to represent the provinces.These steps, he argued, “Would help achieve political reconciliation” between the various communities, principally, the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims.IMF DRAGS FEET ON LOAN TO LANKA: United States, United Kingdom and other countries of the West have been allegedly preventing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from taking a decision on Sri Lanka’s request for a US$ 1.9 billion bailout.The denial is an apparent effort to put pressure on Sri Lanka to work out a political solution to the ethnic question after the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May, and also to accept an international inquiry into alleged war crimes.The US did back the Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government’s military campaign to defeat the LTTE, and Blake had told a Congressional committee that Sri Lanka had secured an “important victory” in the troubled Tamil-speaking northern part of the island.But Washington has also unfailingly ticked off Colombo for alleged human rights violations and its failure to come up with a lasting political solution to the ethnic conflict.Sri Lanka had made the request for a bailout in March, to make up for an acute foreign exchange deficit. On May 15 the IMF had said that the request was in an “advanced stage” of discussions with the Sri Lankan authorities, and that it looked forward to having a program brought to the board for approval “in the coming weeks.” But till date, there has been no movement in this matter. This made the Sri Lankan Trade Minister G L Peiris tell a news agency in Washington on Friday, that never before had the IMF taken political factors into account, as it had done in the present case.

Rebuilding Jaffna - TNA’s priority

Tamil National Alliance Jaffna District Parliamentarian Mavai Senathiraja said his party’s priority would be to resettle the displaced Jaffna civilians once it is elected to the Jaffna Municipal Council.Senathiraja told the Sunday Observer that his party launched its campaign by holding meetings with its candidates. “Our intention is to rebuild Jaffna to its pristine glory with the resettlement of displaced civilians from Jaffna. The Jaffna Municipal Council areas are the worst hit in the Jaffna district. Thousands of people have been displaced from Jaffna Municipal Council limits with their houses and business establishments coming under severe attacks. Therefore, the TNA’s priority would be in re-building the Jaffna Municipal Council to its old glory with all modern facilities”, he said.Commenting on their political agenda for the future, the TNA MP said that the party would meet the Government leadership shortly with a report on a political framework that could address the political aspirations of the Tamils”. Elaborating on the Jaffna MC polls, he said that the TNA has called upon the DIG Jaffna to provide adequate security for its candidates in the fray.

US warns its citizens traveling to Sri Lanka over possible terrorist attacks

The United States warned American citizens traveling to or living in Sri Lanka about the potential for continued instability, including possible terrorist attacks, although the Sri Lankan government has defeated the terrorist group Tamil Tigers.The Department of State warns that "despite the conclusion of hostilities, remnants of the insurgency group remain. The Government of Sri Lanka's security posture remains heightened."In the June 26th travel warning, the US Department of State urges American citizens to evaluate carefully the risks of travel to Sri Lanka and specifically warns Americans against travel to the Northern and North Central Provinces including Anuradhapura and most of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka due to the presence of uncleared land mines and the possibility of renewed insurgency.Warning that armed paramilitaries remain active in the Eastern Province and Consular assistance to American citizens detained in the north and east may be significantly delayed, the advisory said travel to all of the Northern Province remains potentially unsafe. The areas in particular included "Anuradhapura District of the North Central Province; the areas north of Medawachchiya; the A14 road; and the road from Medawachchiya and Horowupatna."Non-official travel by U.S. Government personnel to the Eastern Province, other than the A6 road corridor and Trincomalee Town in Trincomalee District and areas in Ampara District south of the A4 road and west of Maha Oya, is prohibited, the alert said. "Travel in some parts of the country remains highly restricted by the Sri Lankan government, with particular sensitivity concerning the large number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps," it further added.The travel advisory also urged the Americans to comply with all instructions from security forces and police when traveling in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan Rail to reconstruct 250km track in Sri Lanka

LAHORE: Pakistan Railways (PR) will rehabilitate 250 km long rail track damaged in civil war in Sri Lanka besides carrying out a project for improving Sri Lankan Railways’ rolling stock.Presiding a meeting of Pakistan Railways Advisory and Consultancy Services (PRACS) board here Friday, Pakistan Railways Chairman Samiul Haq Khilji said agreement in this regard was reached during his visit to Sri Lanka from June 14 to 21.Pakistan Railways would also carry out reconstruction and rehabilitation of 600 passenger coaches of Sri Lankan Railways. The meeting was attended by GM Operations Saeed Akhtar, Member Finance Jehangir Aziz and Managing Director, PRACS, Mehmood Rashid.Giving details of agreements made during his visit to Sri Lanka he said, five hundred 4-wheeler freight coaches would be converted into eight-wheelers besides upgrading 60 diamond style coaches to new standard.He said Pakistan Railways would also provide spare parts to Sri Lankan Railways besides providing facility of training to its officials at Walton Academy. Earlier, the chairman presiding meeting of RAILCOP’s board directed for continuing work apace on the project for construction of housing flats to be provided to Railways employees on easy instalments.

18 armed extremist Muslim groups at Kanthankudy       

The Police have rceived information that 18 extremist armed groups are active basing its activities in Kanthankudi area in Batticaloa. A senior police officer said the Police have received information regarding the names of these groups and weapons they possess. According to Police sources the groups have 400 T-56 rifles, between 40 to 50 AK- 47 rifles, 50 pistols, 30 SLR weapons, 30 x 3.03 weapons and 300 hand grenades. It is expected to investigate whether arms left by Karuna’s faction when they had to abandon their camps after they split from the LTTE had fallen ino the hands of these extremist groups.  The LTTE carried out attacks on camps esablished by Karuna’s faction and many of these camps had to be abandoned in a hurry leaving behind weapons and other paraphenalia. DIG Edison Gunatilleke, in charge of the Eastern Province,  has announced an amenesty period for the extremist Muslim groups to hand over weapons in their possession until 2nd of next month.  

Now the bloodshed is over can the Tigers’ children ever find peace?

AT THE Jeeva Jothy girls' home in Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka, 21-year old Thurka Devi is helping with the younger girls. An enthusiastic cricket player, she has also represented Batticaloa in karate tournaments and says she would like to become a social worker. The Jeeva Jothy charity offers shelter and education for orphaned and indigent girls and young women, but there are also a few ex-child soldiers, girls like Devi.She was just 13 when she was kidnapped on her way to school one morning by members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or Tamil Tigers. The once fearsome guerilla group suffered a devastating defeat in May when their leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan military along with most of his deputies.It remains to be seen if remnants of the LTTE, now almost entirely confined to segments of the international diaspora, can reorganise and carry on the campaign for "Eelam," a homeland for the island's Tamil Hindu minority.But the 26-year war has left a devastating legacy. In addition to at least 80,000 dead, some 300,000 civilians are confined to government-run "welfare villages" across the erstwhile war zone in the northern province. A generation of Tamil children has been scarred by war.In addition to the notorious Baby Brigades, comprising recruits under 16, the LTTE press-ganged children and adolescents into their ranks in the last weeks of the war. Many of these are now undergoing rehabilitation. When Thurka Devi was abducted, the LTTE still controlled large swathes of the eastern province."I was given no education," she says. "I was put in a fighting team of about 300 girls - 100 of us were under 20 years old."Devi spent 2001-2004 in a training camp in the eastern jungle, learning about guns and landmines. Amnesty International estimated that one-third of the LTTE's child soldiers were female.Devi was returned to her home village in April 2004 when a powerful LTTE commander known as Karuna defected from the rebel group, taking several thousand fighters with him.By then, the LTTE was two years into a ceasefire signed with Norwegian mediation. Karuna had become disenchanted with the northern leadership and a brief factional war erupted in Batticaloa district.Later that year, the Boxing Day tsunami damaged much of the LTTE's coastal infrastructure. As a result, when fighting resumed in July 2006, it was considerably weakened.Karuna, who now goes by the name of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, is now Minister of National Integration, having joined the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party in March."For over 22 years I was with Prabhakaran," he says. "We won several battles but I knew we'd never win our final goal through armed struggle."The LTTE took up arms in the early 1980s and won support largely because moderate reformist Tamils were seen as ineffectual in the face of the intransigent nationalism of the Buddhist Sinhalese majority.Moreover, there has been a long tradition in Tamil politics of former militant groups switching allegiance to the government, only to be viewed by the Tamil community as supplicants of the security forces.After splitting from the LTTE, a number of Karuna's supporters reorganised themselves into a pro-government party known by its Tamil acronym of TMVP. Although the TMVP publicly handed over their weapons in Batticaloa town in March, allegations persist about their human rights record."Still people have doubts," says Nadesapillai Vidyatharan, a Tamil journalist. "There are abductions and other things going on." He fears that the TMVP, with its government links, is involved in paramilitary-style activity.Vidyatharan himself was abducted in February by three men in police uniform and held in custody for two months on suspicion of LTTE links. According to Amnesty International, at least 14 journalists have died violently in Sri Lanka since 2006, while 20 have fled the country.Although the LTTE appears to have been largely destroyed within Sri Lanka, parts of its international network remain intact. In the last months of the war, expatriate Tamils organised massive demonstrations in Toronto, Melbourne, London, Oslo and other cities. Many have donated to Tiger front organisations over the years. Jane's Intelligence Review has estimated that the LTTE could raise $300 million per year through legal and illegal activities.The LTTE is now believed to be led by Kumaran Pathmanathan, known as KP. who heads the weapons-procurement and fundraising wings of the movement and is thought to reside in Thailand. Under his leadership, it is speculated the Tigers may change direction.However, the Sri Lankan government reacted dismissively to the LTTE's announcement last month that it was setting up a "transnational government" to campaign for Tamil rights."What KP should do is surrender because there is an Interpol red notice' relating to him," says Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Dr Palitha Kohona. "He can be arrested wherever he's hiding."At a rehabilitation centre in Ambepussa, 17-year-old Ranjendran reflects on his short career as a child soldier. As the LTTE's defences were collapsing, his family was forced to give him up to help maintain control of their shrinking territory."Bhanu a senior LTTE commander told us we must fight to the death," says Ranjendran. He pulls up his sleeve to reveal a scar arching down his forearm. In March he was shot while escaping . "I still have problems. I can't do any heavy work," he says. "The doctor is very sure I will recover though."The unanswered question, though, is: can his country recover as well?

Gen. Sarath Fonseka will be appointed new CDS       
 
The Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka is to be appointed Chief of Defense Staff from next week say sources in the higher echlons of the government. The  Chief of Defense Staff will chair the defense committee comprising commanders of the three armed forces, and take charge of relations between the armed forces and Defence Ministry. He is assigned to provide strategic directions of armed forces, develop a doctrine for the joint employment of the armed forces, and facilitate the preparation of strategic plans. He will also coordinate matters in respect of functions relating to intelligence, as well as prepare operational and contingency plans and advice on military recruitment and procurement tenders.The new draft bill for the Chief of Defence Staff post with greater powers was presented to the Parliament by Prime Minister  Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka and was passed. 

Former LTTE members of Karuna and Pillayan join Sri Lanka Army

Members of the party formed by the Former Eastern LTTE commander and current Sri Lankan government Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna and Eastern Province Chief Minister S. Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, have applied for job opportunities in the Sri Lanka Army.Minister Muralitharan said that so far 540 members of his faction have applied and 140 of them have already been recruited by the Army for the active force. He said that the remaining applicants were being checked by the Army.Chief Minister Chandrakanthan said that some 100 of his members have also applied for the Army and 40 of them had been recruited so far. Both factions claim that they don't have any military wings but only having political wings.

SLMC to seek court assistance against rejection of its Jaffna nominations

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), the main Muslim political party in the country has decided to seek the High Court's assistance against the rejection of its nominations for Jaffna Municipal Council election. Nisham Kariyappar, a SLMC senior member told the media that they have already consulted legal advice on the issue. According to the SLMC, the Jaffna Retaining Officer has over extended his powers to reject the party's nominations list. The SLMC nomination list for Jaffna polls had been rejected due to a discrepancy in a signature of a nominee.

Tamil Tigers won't be allowed to regroup: Army

The Sri Lankan Army's spokesman, Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, has said that the government and the defence brass is determined not to allow the rebel Tamil Tigers to regroup. Brigadier Nanayakkara was quoted by the Sri FM radio station that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would not be left any room by the authorities to regroup in order to revert to their campaign for a separate state."People like KP (Kumaran Pathmanathan) can make statements but we will not be bothered by them," Brigadier Nanayakkara said. KP, the arms procurer for the rebels has claimed leadership of the organization with another claiming to be the international intelligence wing member of the group contradicting KP. President Mahinda Rajapakse's government has launched a development drive in the north since the rebel defeat while pledging to implement political power sharing with the Tamil dominated areas.

‘Final Warning’ issued to Jaffna Tamil daily Uthayan staffers

A group calling itself ‘Tamil Front Protecting the Country’ allegedly linked to a paramilitary group operating with Colombo issued Saturday a notice titled ‘Final Warning’ to Uthayan Tamil daily office in Jaffna warning that Uthayan staffers will be killed if they do not officially relinquish their posts with effect from 30 June 2009, sources in Jaffna said. Thursday, all the local newspapers of Jaffna that defied publishing an anonymous and defiling notice against Liberation Tigers came under attack by an armed group in which thousands of copies of the local newspapers, Valampuri, Uthayan and Thinakkural (Jaffna edition) were burnt. Consequently, the three Tamil dailies had published the said notice against Liberation Tigers with a note saying that they are publishing the notice in order to safeguard the lives of their staffers.The ‘Final Warning’ addressed to the employees, agents and reporters of Uthayan was issued Saturday in person by the ‘Tamil Front Protecting the Country’ to all Tamil dailies in Jaffna.

The gist of the warning notice in Tamil is as follows:

‘It is known that Uthayan, since its inception and up to now, has been publishing news disarraying the freedom of the Tamils. Uthayan is causing confusion among them by publishing reports aimed at making them align with the ‘terrorists’ besides inciting racial hatred in order to destroy the Tamils and the basis for a permanent freedom now achieved. Besides, Uthayan daily publishes fabricated stories and functions as a propaganda newspaper for the ‘terrorists’.

You have ignored many of our earlier warnings.

We have been forced to take the decision of not allowing dailies in Jaffna peninsula which continue to publish news misleading the people.Therefore we demand the reporters, employees, agents and guards of Uthayan to officially resign from 30 June. Persons not complying with will be subjected to death penalty.’‘Tamil Front Protecting the Country’

27 June 2009

K. Pathmanathan, MP a very humble politician - Leader of the House

Leader of the House and Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday told Parliament that late TNA MP K. Pathmanathan can be identified as a very humble politician who rendered a yeoman service for the benefit of the people of this country. Moving the condolence motion on late TNA MP K. Pathmanathan, the Minister said that MP Pathmanathan who represented the Digamadulla district had served the people to the maximum until his death in Chennai on May 21, 2009. He served the people as a post master and a teacher and committed his lifetime to provide an immense service to the people of his constituency. He was later appointed as a Manager of the National Housing Development Authority. In 2004 he entered Parliament by contesting the General Election. The MP pioneered a number of economic and social programs for the benefit of the people of Digamadulla. However, he had a narrow escape in the tsunami. Thereafter, he was very instrumental in helping the people affected by the tsunami. When he fell sick he was very worried that he would not be able to serve the people in an effective manner. On May 21, 2009, he died in Chennai due to illness. "We convey our condolences to his family", he said. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that late TNA MP R. Pathmanathan was a good hearted and humble politician who has rendered a great service to the country. He helped a lot to the tsunami affected people with the assistance of the church in the area. He was the great person who worked for the betterment of the people. He also worked very closely with each community without any differences. We convey our condolences to his family.

SLRC woman volunteer killed in Point Pedro

Point Pedro police in Vadamaraadchi recovered Friday the body of a 33-year-old woman volunteer of Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) who had been killed Thursday in her house in Point Pedro. The woman had been living alone and neighbours who noticed her absence had notified the police. The police broke into the house and found her body. The victim was identified as Theiventhiram Abirami, 33, a resident of Kantha Udaiyaar lane in Point Pedro.Abirami had been living alone in the house after her parents died.The police handed over Abirami’s body to Point Pedro Base hospital mortuary and are conducting further inquiries.Earlier, the president of Point Pedro SLRC had been abducted and taken to Kaithadi and killed, head severed.

MAJ. GEN. DIAS GETS DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT
   
The 57-division’s Commanding officer Jagath Dias has been appointed as Sri Lanka’s Deputy Ambassador to Germany, informed sources said yesterday.A government official told the Daily Mirror that Major General Dias would leave the country to take over his duties soon.Major General Dias led his Division from the beginning of the Wanni operation three years ago and directed the capture of vital LTTE held areas such as Madhu Church, Kokavil town, Thunukkai and Mallavi and the strategically important LTTE capital Kilinochchi.The 57-division led by him was the main strike force of the army in its operations against the Tiger cadres.Some weeks ago, Major General Udaya Perera, who was the Director Operations of the Army was appointed Deputy Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia.

Vanni displaced can vote

All arrangements will be made for displaced persons to cast their votes at polling stations near welfare villages, an Election Department official told the Daily News yesterday. These arrangements will be made on the request of political parties and civil organizations, he added. “No decision has been taken yet to deploy election observers,” he said. Meanwhile PAFFEREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said they will consider any possibility of deploying foreign observers for the Jaffna and Vavuniya local government elections with permission from the Defence Ministry. There are 100,417 registered voters in local body area of Jaffna and 24,626 in Vavuniya . The Election Secretariat will set up 85 polling stations in Jaffna and Vavuniya, the official added. The Election Secretariat extended the date of receiving applications for postal voting in both local bodies and Uva Provincial Council. Applications for both elections will be received until June 30.

LTTE provisional govt. just a dream: Karuna

National Integration Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman said yesterday that efforts by the remaining LTTE leaders overseas to create a provisional transnational government would not succeed.“What Kumaran Pathmanadan and the other leaders are trying to do will only be a dream. We will not allow them to do so and neither will the international community,” LTTE’s former eastern commander Mr. Muralitheran told those who had gathered for the opening of a branch of the Foreign Employment Bureau in Batticaloa.He said the employment bureau office would help the eastern civilians, who wished to travel overseas for employment.Mr. Muralitharan expressed the hope that the Tamil Diaspora would help the Sri Lankan government to develop the country. “Then we can resettle the displaced people in their native places without much difficulty,” he said.When asked whether there was some misunderstanding between Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and himself, Mr. Muralitharan said politically they were on different sides.He said he hoped the TMVP would assist the officials’ of the employment bureau to conduct awareness programmes for people in the East.Chief Minister Chandrakanthan and several senior officials of the bureau attended the opening ceremony.

Large stock of LTTE ammo recovered by military 
   
A large stock of ammunition hidden by the LTTE was recovered on Thursday by troops continuing with search operations in the Wanni.Army headquarters said that troops conducting search and clear operations in Mahilankulam, Paranthan, Olumadu, Ampalawanpokkanai, Vellamullivaikkal, Karyalamullivaikkal, Puthukkudiyiruppu and Udayarkattu areas recovered the following items. Seven T-56 weapons, four T-56 magazines, six micro pistols, twelve pistol magazines, three Chinese pistols with magazines, thirty-eight rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition, forty-two rounds of micro pistol ammunition, eight explosive slabs, three thousand two hundred and thirty-one rounds of T-56 ammunition, fourteen anti personnel mines with fuses, sixty 81 mm mortar bombs, four 120 mm mortar bombs, sixty-two Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bombs,  one digital camera with battery, one hundred and fifteen 60 mm mortar bombs, twenty-four hand grenades, thirteen RPG chargers, one Multi Purpose Machine Gun (MPMG) link, two hundred and twenty-eight 82 mm mortar bombs, three 60 mm mortar fuses, five Out Board Motors (OBM), six hundred and forty-nine 81 mm mortar fuses, twenty-one claymore mines, three shotguns, three pistols, two 81 mm mortars, one Canon camera, seven thousand two hundred and forty-four electric detonators, two firing devices, one radio set, two laptop computers, seven Bangalore torpedoes, twelve booby traps fitted to 82 mm mortar bombs, two MPMG weapons, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), one .22 weapon, one mini Uzhi weapon with magazine, twelve I-com sets, fifty LTTE photographs, ten I-com set chargers, fifteen Yesu radio sets, one base station, one radio set,  six RPG weapons and sixty-eight 82 mm mortar chargers. Meanwhile, troops operating in the general area of Walatottam in Trincomalee also recovered thirteen RPG weapons, two 60 mm mortar weapons, two 12.7 mm weapons, three 12.7 mm barrels, one 82 mm mortar bipod, one 40 mm grenade launcher, one MG-5 weapon, five Light Machine Guns (LMG), five MPMG barrels, a large number of pouches packed in five gunny bags, one plastic barrel full of LTTE bags, LTTE hats, harness kits and packs, one T-81 LMG weapon, two M-16 AL weapons, three sniper guns, fifteen T-56 weapons and four T-81 weapons on the same day, the army added.

Army Commander reviews latest security situation in Vanni

Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka flew to Vavuniya last morning to review the security situation in the area and met Senior Officers. Commander Security Forces Headquarters-Vanni Major General Jagath Jayasuriya received the Commander at the airstrip before the Army Commander was guided to the SFHQ auditorium. A few important issues such as improvement of welfare facilities for the civilians at Relief Villages in Vavuniya and Army’s involvement in the ongoing development work in the north were discussed while special attention was drawn on ensuring security in the area. A full account on the security situation in Vanni area was presented to the Army Commander who instructed on the functioning of new Security Forces Headquarters in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi. Commanders of Security Forces Headquarters, Divisions and Task Forces attended the meeting. Several Senior Officers from the Army Headquarters were also present.

Sri Lanka accuses IMF of playing politics
          
Sri Lanka on Friday accused the International Monetary Fund of politicizing financial aid following the fund's delay in considering a 1.9 billion dollar bailout for the war-ravaged economy."Never ever has the IMF taken political factors into account. Now, it seems for the first time they are doing that -- indirectly," Sri Lanka tapped the IMF for aid in March in a bid to stave off its first balance of payment deficit in four years after the island's foreign currency reserves fell to around six weeks' worth of imports. The loan has been put off due to political pressure from the United States, Britain and other Western nations over Colombo's handling of the final stages of the battle against Tamil separatists and charges that thousands of civilians were killed.The Tamil Tigers were defeated last month.Peiris said the IMF and Sri Lankan authorities had completed what he called "tactical discussions" over the 1.9 billion dollar standby facility as early as April but that the fund's board had still not met to consider the issue."So we think that it is wrong and apart from the fact that it is unfair because Sri Lanka has to be helped in this situation, not obstructed, it is a very unsound and dangerous precedent for the future," he warned."The IMF is now going to be embroiled in controversial political issues as part of the criteria governing their judgment in respect of particular transactions. That is very much our view," Peiris said.The United States, the main shareholder in the IMF and whose approval is key to the release of the money, has welcomed the end to the fighting in Sri Lanka but urged Colombo to meet the needs of the displaced masses and engage with all communities to protect their rights.Washington has also supported calls for a probe into alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lankan government troops.The IMF said on May 15 that it was in "advanced stage" of discussions with the Sri Lankan authorities on the bailout prospects and that it looked forward to having a program brought to the board for approval "in the coming weeks."Peiris remained confident however that the bailout funds "will come through" to Sri Lanka eventually.Human rights organizations have reported that thousands of Tamils had been taken from the state-run camps for those displaced by fighting.The United Nations also has often been at odds with the Sri Lankan government over Colombo's handling of the treatment of 300,000 people displaced by the fighting and detained in temporary shelters.Peiris responded to allegations by some human rights campaigners who compared the plight of the displaced Tamil civilians in government camps to that under Nazi Germany."This connotation of a Nazi concentration camp is a figment of their imagination. It is not true," he said.

Eleven contracts to rehabilitate A32 receive cabinet approval

The Cabinet, has approved the award of eleven contracts, to rehabilitate the A32 Mannar-Pooneryn road, Non Cabinet Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, said.He told the cabinet press briefing in Colombo, that the contracts would be awarded to rehabilitate four kilometer sections of the A32, on a proposal submitted by Highways and Road Development Minister T.B.Ekanayake. "In addition NEM Construction Private Limited is engaged in road reconstruction in the North Central Province. Southern Group Civil Construction Private Limited, has commenced work in the Northern Province."The cabinet of ministers, Yapa said, also approved a proposal by Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma to examine the possibility of changing the mode of collecting luxury and semi luxury vehicle taxes.Accordingly, a committee headed by a senior Treasury representative, comprising officials from the Public Administration, Home Affairs Ministry and the Motor Traffic Department, will examine the possibility of collecting vehicle taxes through the Divisional Secretaries, instead of Private Sector Insurance Companies as at present, he said.

With press council, Sri Lanka revives a repressive tool

There should be no doubt that the government is continuing its offensive against the media following its military victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). On Wednesday, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena confirmed what had been rumored for more than a week: The defunct Press Council, which was put to rest in 2002, will be revived. A "press council" might sound innocuous enough, but it is the sort of tool we've seen in many countries where the government is intent on silencing critics. Search our site for "press council" and you'll see that it's a widespread tactic. In Sri Lanka, as the war with the LTTE was ramping up in 2006 and the government was starting its crackdown on domestic critics in the media, it had threatened to re-establish the council but never followed through. The threat of a revived council wasn't lost on eight Sri Lankan media rights groups when they wrote a letter this week to the government. Here's an excerpt sent to me by a colleague in Colombo:It is with a sense of deep concern and disappointment that the media organizations herein under-mentioned have learned of the re-activation of the Sri Lanka Press Council Law No. 5 of 1973, which has the powers to fine and/or sentence journalists and publishers to terms of imprisonment.A media culture cannot be based on slapping charges against journalists, fining them or sending them to jail. Instead the modern world has accepted a self-regulatory mechanism by media persons as the way forward.The groups were the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka, the Working Journalists Association of Sri Lanka, the Tamil Media Alliance, the Muslim Media Forum, the Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions, the South Asia Free Media Association (Sri Lanka Chapter) and the Free Media Movement.A press council? Not to worry, says Media Minister Abeywardena. The Associated Press reached Lakshman, who said the government didn't reactivate the law that organizes the press council with the intention to silence the media. He told the AP that a parliamentary committee investigating waste found that salaries were still being paid to council officials and that office space was still being rented--so it forced the government to reactivate the body.Don't buy that for a second. Journalists in Sri Lanka tell CPJ that the pressure remains as intense on them as it was during the height of the war with the LTTE. Many of them have stopped writing and, as we said in our Special Report: Journalists in Exile 2009, others have fled the country.

'LTTE to continue fight through political means'

The LTTE's new chief Selvaraja Padmanathan says the group is giving up violence and adopting a non-violent agenda to secure the political rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka.In an exclusive email interview to Headlines Today, Padmanathan said one of the priorities of the Tamil Tigers would be to push for revoking the international ban on it. Excerpts from the interview:

Q: What are the facts about Prabhakaran's death?
Padmanathan: According to the information I have, our leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran has attained martyrdom in the fight against the Sri Lankan armed forces on May 17, 2009.

Q: Were you in touch with Prabhakaran during the final hours? What were the final moments like?
Padmanathan: Yes, I had contact with our leader during the final hours until his communication link was active. My final contact was with Col Soosai, who was leading the defensive resistance of LTTE against the Sri Lankan armed forces during the final hours. He described to me in detail what was happening on the ground then. The final moments were full of horrific and brutal attacks by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Thousands of our people were killed and injured. There were no medical personnel or facilities to take care of the injured. People were dying due to lack of medical attention. Col Soosai confirmed to me that our leader was engaging the Sri Lankan armed forces and sacrificed his life for our cause of the Eelam Tamil nation.

Q: What remains of Prabhakaran's family?
Padmanathan: We have highly reliable information that our leader's elder son Charles Antony and daughter Duvaraka were part of LTTE fighting formations and that they also attained martyrdom in the fight against the Sri Lankan armed forces during the final moments. Until now, we do not have accurate information on the fate of our leader's wife Mathivathani and their younger son Balachandran.

Q: In an interview to Headlines Today, Eric Solhiem said the LTTE was in touch with him in the final hours of the last battle. Were you in touch with other world leaders?
Padmanathan: Yes. I had contacts with some world leaders. For diplomatic reasons, we are not in a position to reveal the information on such contacts at this particular point in time.

Q: Why did these efforts fail to bear fruit?
Padmanathan: The international community continued to insist on the LTTE laying down arms before they took any meaningful steps to stop the war. Our leadership held the view that any process of laying down arms should be linked to an acceptable political solution. Instead of laying down arms, we were seeking a ceasefire and a political negotiation for a political solution. Unfortunately, our position was not acceptable to the international community on the grounds that our position was not acceptable to the Sri Lankan government. So no effective measures were taken to stop the war. In the final moments, after seeing the intensity and brutality of the offensive by the Sri Lankan armed forces and the non-existence of any kind of medical facilities, our leadership decided to silence our guns for the purpose of saving the lives of the civilians and the remaining cadres. Our leadership was concerned that if our organisation did not silence the guns, the Sri Lankan government would use it as justification for completing the massacre of our people. The message about silencing the guns was conveyed to me in the evening of May 15. It was a Friday.We were working with the international community around the clock for the next 48 hours to implement an immediate ceasefire, and we got positive responses for our position. Though the days left for us were a Saturday and Sunday of the weekend, members of the international community were trying to convince the Sri Lankan government to implement a ceasefire. But the response of the Sri Lankan government remained negative. The Lankan government and the armed forces were adamant on carrying out the final assault and finishing the final phase of their brutal massacre.

Q: Many pro-LTTE leaders in India, including Vaiko and Nedumaran, have criticised you for announcing that Prabhakaran is dead. It is reported that individuals within the LTTE's structure do not accept that Prabhakaran is dead. How do you see this? Padmanathan: The message I brought to the Tamil people was very bad and a sad one. Of course, it also took me many hours to take the message in and accept the reality. Some cadres and a large section of Tamil people were in disbelief of the news that I brought out. I understand their state of mind and I am very sympathetic towards them. Their reactions were the result of their emotions. As a responsible liberation movement, we cannot hide the truth from our people. It is also politically wrong to hide the truth from our people.

Q: Does your assertion that the LTTE has shunned the path of violence have wide acceptability within the organisation? Is this permanent or does the LTTE retain its right to take up arms later?
Padmanathan: The decision of silencing our guns was taken by our leader before his death. We are now moving forward towards a new path. This position has attracted wider acceptance within the organisation. The LTTE's political position is that any political solution for the Tamil national question should be based on the recognition of the fundamental principles of political aspiration of the Tamil people i.e. recognition of Tamils as a nation, having the northeast as their historical homeland and that they are entitled to right to self-determination. We will continue our fight through political means until these aspirations of the Tamil people are realised. We will stick to this position. If you read the history of the evolution of armed struggles, you can clearly observe that fundamentally an armed struggle has its roots in oppression, occupation and denial of the political means of protest and denial of the democratic rights for fighting for the cause of an oppressed people. This also happened to us and the armed struggle of the LTTE was the historical product of injustice against the Tamil nation. The LTTE has now chosen to take the political path. I would leave the question of another armed struggle towards the rights of Tamil people for the pages of history.

Q: What do you have to say to people within the organisation and sympathisers outside who still believe that only an armed struggle is the means to achieve Tamil Eelam?
Padmanathan: Our leader had faced tremendous challenges during his more than three decades of armed struggle. He achieved the maximum that he could achieve within the prevailing conditions. He was very committed to the cause. Due to a world order that rotates on the axis of self-interest, our armed struggle could not attract sympathy among the world countries. Instead, we have seen that the Sri Lankan government has utilised the present world order and the geo-political structures to mobilise the entire world on its side. This was the fundamental reason for our military defeat in the recent war. The best option left for us is to be firm on the cause and the principles and fight through the political means in our next phase of the struggle. 

Q: How do you respond to reports that talk of a split in the LTTE and a power struggle within the organisation?
Padmanathan: I deny it. It is true that there were different views amongst us on the issue of announcing our leader's death. We were not successful in reaching an agreement on the issue. We are now working to resolve the differences through dialogue.

Q: What role will you play in the organisation going ahead?
Padmanathan: As the head of the department of international relations of LTTE, I will lead the political programme and the required international relations for winning international support for our course. We are planning a restructuring of our organisation and will inform the Tamil people and the world when we make it.

Q: What role will the new non-violent LTTE play in the future?
Padmanathan: The LTTE will continue to fight for the political aspirations of the Tamil people based on the principles of Tamil nationhood, homeland and right to self-determination. As we have decided to choose a new path, we are now transforming our organisation for the purpose of continuing our fight through political means. As one of our tasks, we need to work with the international community to remove the ban on our organisation with support of the Tamil Diaspora and fellow Tamils in Tamil Nadu and in other parts of the World. We hope that the international community, especially India and the West, would welcome our new path and reward it by removing the ban on our organisation to open the door for political engagement.

Q: Can you tell us about the provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam? How will it be different from other governments-in-exile, which have not been very effective?
Padmanathan: A committee has been formed to create a provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam under the leadership of our legal advisor Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran. There are some conceptual differences between a transnational government and an exile government. I think Rudrakumaran, the coordinator of the formation committee, would be the right person to answer this question further.

Q: Will the LTTE consider participating directly in elections in Sri Lanka? You have sought a link-up with the TNA. How will this relationship work?
Padmanathan: We do not see any rationale or space for participating in the elections in Sri Lanka.  Fighting the cause through political means does not necessarily mean participating in the elections. The LTTE would not participate in the elections until a political settlement is reached based on the principles of Tamil nationhood, homeland and right to self-determination. We do not seek a link-up between the LTTE and TNA, but realise the importance for a link-up in the political programmes in the Tamil homeland and among the Diaspora.  It is too early to comment on how this common understanding would emerge and function.

Q: What is your message to President Rajapakse?
Padmanathan: The Sri Lankan government may have defeated the LTTE militarily but not politically. The fundamental causes for the Tamils' struggle for self-determination remain unaddressed. Over the years since its independence, Sri Lankan democracy has become a strong Sinhala majoritarian dictatorship. Sri Lankan Parliament, government and judiciary have been functioning as instruments for establishing Sinhala hegemony over Tamils and Muslims. The recent claim by President Rajapakse that there was only one country and one people in Sri Lanka, without recognising the identity of Tamils and Muslims in that island would lead to dangerous consequences for ethnic harmony there in the future. It is also absurd to make a claim that the island has no majority and minority, but only patriots and non-patriots, and this while ruling the country under Sinhala hegemony. President Rajapakse must understand that Sri Lanka has miserably failed in nation-building. Tamils in Sri Lanka and in the Diaspora do not identify themselves as Sri Lankans but as Eelam Tamils. Tamils consider Sri Lankan rule as an alien rule. In this scenario, the only option left for true reconciliation is recognising the Tamils' political aspirations, Tamils as a nation, their historical homeland in the Northeast, and that they are entitled to the right to self-determination. Now President Rajapakse has very strong popular support among the Sinhala people. If he decides to recognise the political aspirations of Tamil people, chances for strong resistance from the Sinhala people are minimal. If he considers himself a true leader who treats all communities as equals, then he must prove himself by accepting the political aspirations of Tamil people.

Q: How do you view India's role during what is now being called "Eelam War IV"? Do you think India could have done more to save Tamil civilians?
Padmanathan: In the recent war, India took side with Sri Lanka firmly and provided full support to Sri Lanka. It is not a secret. Sri Lankan leaders, military commanders and Indian officials openly admitted it. Our organisation and the Tamil people have become victims of this Indian position. Even though we are fully aware how India has contributed to the military victory of Sri Lanka, we do not hate India. We consider Tamil people would be the true and reliable friends of India in its own geo-political struggle with other countries, especially with China. We firmly believe India would realise this one day in the future and support Eelam Tamils' struggle for self-determination.If India had decided to do something more to save the civilian lives, it would have stopped the war when the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi, and other political leaders called for a ceasefire back in November 2008.

Q: Will you initiate direct contact with India? Is there a role India can play in the formation of the proposed provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam?
Padmanathan: Yes. I would initiate direct contacts with India and request to remove the ban on the LTTE and seek support for Eelam Tamils' political aspirations.At conceptual level, support from other states is not a precondition for the formation of a transnational government. This is a people-based exercise to be carried out at a transnational level by the Tamil Diaspora. Of course, there is no doubt that support from friendly states will strengthen the transnational government and the cause it would be working for. The committee for formation of the provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam would seek support for the transnational government from many countries, importantly India.

Q: There are some LTTE fighters who are still active in Sri Lanka. They are said to be operating from the forests in the East. Col. Ram is said to be a prominent leader. What information do you have about this group? What will be your relation with these groups going ahead?
Padmanathan: We have contact with them. They are following our new path by silencing their guns and functioning under my guidance. I am very much concerned about their safety and security since we could not reach any kind of acceptable mechanism for ensuring their safety. I strongly feel that the international community must take more responsibility on this matter.

Q: The Sri Lankan government has launched an international campaign against you, seeking your capture. How do you see these efforts? How do you react to the Sri Lankan government's charges against you?
Padmanathan:  I have read this news in the newspapers. I have been a part of our liberation movement which took arms to fight for the legitimate rights of the Tamil nation. This struggle has its justification under international law. A military defeat cannot erase the justification of the struggle. I have not done any crime or harmed against humanity. Furthermore, I am now leading the process of transforming and developing our organisation as a political organisation. The decision of this transformation is taken in the interest of a Tamil nation, but it would also be beneficial for the Sinhalese and Muslims in the island. It is also important for the peace and stability in the island, and indeed the region. I hope that actors concerned on the issue would approach it in a pragmatic way. However, I am ready to take any kind of risk or even to sacrifice my life for the sake of the Tamil cause.

Q: What is the truth about Pottu Amman. The Sri Lanka government says he is dead but they have not been able to give any evidence?
Padmanathan: According to our information, Pottu Amman too attained martyrdom on May 17, 2009 in the fight against the Sri Lankan armed forces.

26 June 2009

US to press for political reconciliation in Lanka

Observing that a lot needs to be done in Sri Lanka, Obama Administration's point man for South Asia today said the US would continue to press for the "political reconciliation" with the ethnic Tamil community. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake said there has been an improvement in access to the internally displaced persons after the end of the war between the Tamil Tigers and Lankan security forces. "Overall access has improved since the immediate aftermath of the fighting, but more progress is needed," he said in his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. "We continue to press the Sri Lankan government to grant humanitarian relief organisations full and unfettered access to the internally displaced persons residing in camps in the north, and to engage in political reconciliation with Sri Lanka's Tamil minority," Blake said. "The actions the Sri Lankan government takes now, in the aftermath of the war, with respect to both humanitarian relief and political inclusions for minorities, will be important to securing an end to terrorism and a lasting peace," he added.

Top LTTE cadre shot dead
   
A senior LTTE cadre known as Salappan has been shot dead by the army at Iyattalai in Jaffna, the military said yesterday.It said that on receiving information from residents about the presence of a few suspicious people in Kodikamam, the troops of the Jaffna 522-brigade conducted search operations in the area on Wednesday.The military said the troops were passing Iyattalai when they observed a suspect hiding behind a bush and attempting to throw a hand grenade at them but the alert troops opened fire killing the suspect on the spot.The troops recovered a micro pistol, two hand grenades, one mobile phone and Rs.6,100.

Backup military gains with political package- India tells sri Lanka

Indian Defence Minister A K Antony, yesterday, said that for lasting peace within, Colombo needed to backup its military gains against the LTTE with a political devolution package that satisfies the aspiration of Tamils within a united Sri Lanka.The Indian Defence Minister said this while addressing the Unified Commanders' Conference in New Delhi, the Indian media reported.Meanwhile lamenting the "differences" among political parties in Tamil Nadu over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Thursday called for "unity at least henceforth" to work for the Tamils not only in the island nation but all over the world, the PTI reported. Mr. Karunanidhi was replying to a motion in the State Assembly calling attention to the fate of the European ship M V Captain Ali, carrying relief material sent by Tamil diaspora for displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka, whose Navy had refused entry to it on 'technical grounds.' "We have no common opinion among us (on the Tamils issue) which has led to what we are witnessing today. We were not unanimous on saving the Sri Lankan Tamils as our all-party meetings were not really all-party meetings as was the case with the human chain protest," Mr. Karunanidhi said, apparently taking potshots at the Opposition, which boycotted both. "Some parties did stay away," he added. He said "unity as Tamils at least henceforth," was imperative to work for Tamils all over the world. On the fate of Captain Ali, he said Union IT Minister A. Raja had met External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in New Delhi on Wednesday ahead of the latter's meeting with special envoys from Lanka, who had assured India that it will accept the relief items sent by the Tamil Diaspora. "If they (Lankan government) didn't do so, it would amount to betrayal," Mr. Karunanidhi said. The ship is currently anchored in international waters off the Chennai coast.

Female Tamil journo abducted and released

Former Veerakesari journalist Krishni Ifham who was abducted by an unidentified gang in a van in Wattala on Wednesday morning had been released the same evening in Kandy. The journalist’s brother had lodged a complaint at the Wattala Police Station about the disappearance of his sister who had been abducted when she had left home to go to work on Wednesday morning. Police Spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara told Daily Mirror that the journalist had come out of her house in Kurunduwatte Mawatha in Averiwatte, Wattala around 9 a.m. when she was forcibly put into a van and taken away. Three persons who were in the van had asked many questions about her job and had reportedly warned her to use the pen carefully and wisely before they dumped her near the Kandy Clock Tower in the evening.The abductors had reportedly given her Rs. 200 for bus fare and fled the scene.  Wattala Police was investigating, the SSP said. Attempts were made to contact her but she was not reachable at the time this edition went to press.

Vavuniya and Jaffna polls on August 8

Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday announced that the Vavuniya Urban Council and Jaffna Municipal Council election will be held on August 8 as the period granted for the political parties and independent groups to file their nominations ended at 12 noon yesterday. The Commissioner also extended the date to accept the applications from displaced voters and the postal voters in the Jaffna MC and Vavuniya UC limit from June 24 to June 30 . Dissanayake said this date will not be further extended under any circumstance. The UPFA, UNP, TULF, ITAK and two independent groups are vying for the Jaffna Municipal Council. The nomination lists filed by the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and an independent group were rejected by the Jaffna Returning Officer. TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree will lead the TULF list of candidates. Six political parties and three independent groups are in the fray to win 11 seats in the Vavuniya Urban Council. The UPFA, UNP, ITAK, DTNA, SLMC and the Sri Lanka Progressive Front handed nominations to the Vavuniya Returning Officer G. Charles and the TNA’s nomination list was rejected by the Vavuniya Returning Officer. All independent groups contesting the elections in Vavuniya and Jaffna received their symbols from the Returning Officer. UPFA General Secretary and Education Minister Susil Premajayanth told the Daily News that many parties including EROS and SRITELO are also contesting the election under the UPFA banner this time. “The UPFA election campaign in Jaffna is handled by Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda while Resettlement and Relief Services Minister Rishard Badiudeen and Vavuniya District Parliamentarian Sumathipala will lead the election campaign in the Vavuniya district,” the Minister said. Meanwhile, the Elections Commissioner also extended the period to accept the application to vote by post at the forthcoming Uva Provincial Council election from June 26 to June 30.

Green light for powerful military post
 
Sri Lanka parliament gave its approval to establish a top military post with wide ranging powers.Presenting the bill to appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) the prime minister told parliament on Thursday that the top commander shall be responsible for the coordination of activities between the armed forces and the Defence Ministry. "The aim is to formalise the coordination between heads of the armed forces and to implement decisions taken," Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake told the parliament. The CDS shall function under the direction, supervision and control of the defence ministry secretary.

Opposition support

Main opposition United National Party (UNP) said they too were supporting the idea of a Chief of Defence staff although the defence secretary is given "more powers than a minister". "This raises the question whether the move is in violation of the constitution," John Amaratunga of the UNP told parliament before voting in favour of a CDS.

'Undermining parliament'

Human rights activists warn that the appointment of a powerful CDS will undermine the parliament."This is the time to take steps for peace, not for war," Asian Human Rights Commission Executive Director Basil Fernando told BBC Sandeshaya.

TNA submits nomination list for local elections in North

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian, Mavai Senathirajah submitted Thursday the list of TNA nomination list of 29 candidates contesting Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) election with Mudiyappu Remedius, a leading lawyer and a human rights activist as its principal candidate, under ‘House’ symbol of Ilangkaith Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi. The list includes one Muslim and four women candidates. Besides Mavai Senathirajah, TNA MPs Suresh Premachandran, Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam and Solomon Cyril were also present at the event in Jaffna. Meanwhile, the TNA parliamentarians N. Sivasakthy Ananathan and S. Vino Noharathalingam fielded S.N.G Nathan as principal candidate for the list for Vavuniyaa Urban Council Wednesday. Mudiyappu Remeidus, Attorney-at-Law and Human Rights activistIn Jaffna, three-party coalition consisting of EPRLF Varathar front, PLOTE and Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) tendered its nomination list with Veerasingham Anandasangaree as its principal candidate.Earlier, ruling UPFA, United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and two independent group, one headed by Abimanasingham Manickasothy and the other formed by displaced Muslims of Jaffna have tendered their lists of nomination.Another independent group submitted its list of nomination with Arumugam Sellathurai as its principal candidate to the election officer in Jaffna Secretariat Thursday.The deadline for submitting nominations ended Thursday noon.

25 June 2009

Ready to amend statute, empower Tamils: Lanka

A High-Level Sri Lankan delegation has assured India that it intends to implement a proposal, which will be an advancement over the 13th Amendment to the Lankan Constitution and will provide for considerable devolution of power to Lankan Tamils. More immediately, it has assured New Delhi, the displaced Tamils will be able to return to their homes within six months after their camps are dismantled. The delegation, comprising Senior Adviser to Sri Lankan President Basil Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Secretary to President Lalith Weeratunga, met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here on Wednesday. The delegation also met National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh. The two sides exchanged information and briefed each other on developments on the Lankan situation and its fallout in Tamil Nadu. These informal groups on both sides had taken shape during the military operations against the LTTE by the Lankan Army. Interestingly, the meeting of the Lankan troika with Krishna took place soon after a representation was submitted to him by DMK leader and Union Minister A Raja on the the Lankan Tamil issue. “I was assured that it is the intention of the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the proposal which would be an advance on the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, which you would recall was designed to devolve considerable power to the Sri Lankan provinces,” Krishna told reporters after the meeting with the Lankan team. He added, “When I raised the question of rapid resettlement and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Sri Lanka, I was assured that the Sri Lankan Government will see to it that the IDPs return to their homes and the camps are dismantled in the timeframe of 180 days that they have indicated to us earlier.”

Grant Tamils, the status enjoyed before independence: William
 
Newly appointed TNA MP Thomas William in Parliament yesterday called on the government to grant the Tamils, the status they enjoyed before the country gained independence.Speaking during the debate on the Road Development Authority (Amendment Bill) in the House yesterday Mr. William said all communities in this country could co-exist peacefully as Sri Lankans if such status was granted to Tamils. He recalled that all communities in this country lived peacefully till 1958 when there were clashes between the communities.He said TNA would support any move from the government to grant Tamils their due rights.Mr. William explained that all communities could leave peacefully now as the world terrorism does not exist anymore in this country.He accepted the fact that there was peace in the country today after a long time.“Government should be flexible in granting Tamils their rights,” Mr. William pointed out.He also called on the government to expedite the development in the North and the East there is much to be down especially in the East.

Sri Lanka 'agree' to unload ship
 
The Indian government says Sri Lanka has agreed to accept a cargo of relief aid brought by Tamil expatriates in Europe and meant for people displaced by the now ended war in northern Sri Lanka. Earlier this month the Sri Lankan authorities had turned away the ship carrying the aid. The news that the vessel, the Captain Ali, will after all be allowed to offload nearly 900 tonnes of food and medicine, came after talks in Delhi between India’s foreign minister, S.M. Krishna, and a high-level Sri Lankan delegation.

Indian Red Cross

Mr Krishna said in a communique that he had asked the Sri Lankans, as a humanitarian gesture, to let the boat unload the aid and that the visitors had “kindly agreed to our suggestion”. He said the goods would be routed to Sri Lanka through the Indian Red Cross. A crew member told the BBC he believed they would unload the cargo in Chennai, the Indian port near which they are currently anchored, and that the Red Cross would then take it on to the island. A Tamil group called Mercy Mission to Vanni sent the aid on its journey from Britain and France two months ago and was accused by the Sri Lankan government of trying to help the now defeated Tamil Tiger rebels. But Mercy Mission says its aims are purely humanitarian. It has thanked India for its intervention and help.   

Sri Lanka Lifts Travel Alerts After Defeating Rebels

Sri Lanka is lifting travel alerts for the country after the defeat of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as it wants to attract tourists to the South Asian island, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. “We have ended the need for travel advisories that crippled tourism,” Rajapaksa said in the capital, Colombo. “With terrorism defeated after three decades, our people can now travel freely. Tourists should have no fear to visit our attractions.” Sri Lanka’s army defeated the last Tamil Tiger forces a month ago, ending their 26-year fight for a separate homeland in the country’s north and east. An estimated 280,000 people fled their homes to escape the fighting and are now in camps in the northern region. The U.S. and U.K. maintain their travel warnings for Sri Lanka, according to the State Department and Foreign Office Web sites. They advise against traveling in the north and caution there is a high threat of terrorism in the country. Rajapaksa’s government formally banned the LTTE in January this year after scraping a 2002 cease-fire with the group a year earlier. The LTTE is also designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and India.

Tourist Sites

Sri Lanka aims to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016, Rajapaksa said in an address to promote a new tourism program, published yesterday on the government’s Web site. The end of the war will allow tourist sites to be developed in the north and east, Rajapaksa said. The country aims to increase tourist numbers by at least 20 percent annually, Dileep Mudadeniya, managing director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, said in an interview in Colombo earlier this month. The war discouraged travelers from visiting the tropical island with the capital’s five-star hotels having 40 percent occupancy rates in the past two years, according to Jerome Auvity, general manager at Hilton Colombo. Rajapaksa’s government has pledged to resettle displaced people in the north and has appealed for international aid to rebuild the region. By June 9, 4,330 people had left transit camps in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mannar, the government said two days ago. The LTTE said on June 16 it is creating a committee to continue the campaign for self-rule. “It is time now for us to move forward with our political vision towards our freedom, bearing in mind the practical realities in our homeland,” Selvarasa Pathmanathan said in a recorded statement sent by e-mail.

Tamil People

The “provisional transnational government” will be “the voice and conscience” of the Tamil people internationally and “take forward the next phase of the struggle,” Pathmanathan said, without saying where the committee would be based. Sri Lanka’s government “will have absolutely nothing to do with this body,” Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said at the time. The rebels are defeated and Pathmanathan is wanted by Interpol, he added. A political settlement in Sri Lanka won’t include “space for racism and separatism,” Rajapaksa said at a parade last month marking the victory over the LTTE.

Wholesale attack on Jaffna newspapers

All the local newspapers of Jaffna that defied publishing an anonymous and defiling notice against the LTTE came under attack by an armed group in the early hours of Thursday. The notice was brought out in the name of 'Tamil Front Protecting the Country' allegedly linked to a paramilitary group operating with Colombo. Thousands of copies of the local newspapers, Valampuri, Uthayan and Thinakkural (Jaffna edition), were burnt down wholesale in huge flames by the armed group allegedly operated by the Sri Lankan military intelligence at Aanaippanthi and Kannathiddi junctions at 5:00 a.m. Thursday, while the newspapers were being taken for distribution. The distribution workers were also brutally attacked. A distribution worker of Thinakkural, 26-year-old Anojan, who was physically attacked was also robbed of his belongings by the armed men. Newspaper editors of Jaffna were intimidated to publish the notice and warned of dire consequences the previous day through anonymous telephone calls. However, the editors sceptical of the contents of the notice decided not to publish it. After the burning of the Eezhanaadu newspaper along with the public library in 1981 by the Sri Lankan forces .

Prices down in Jaffna

Vadikkal Vasantham or the Uthuru Vasanthaya (Northern Spring), the rehabilitation program of the north was gradually bringing the prices down in Jaffna peninsula with farmers sending their produce of red onions, tobacco, banana and other goods to Colombo. Goods were also moving to Jaffna from the south. Also the fishermen in the north had just started their normal lives by gradually coming back to their occupation after the government lifted the restrictions on hours of going to sea starting from the third week of this month, Senior Presidential Advisor Chandra Fernando told Daily News yesterday. Private traders' lorries were now carrying goods to and from Colombo and Jaffna and in the near future more trade would develop between the south and the north, he said. The 180 day short term plan to resettle the displaced persons was being implemented at a rapid pace and the de-mining process was going on in the North including the Madhu area. An accelerated program especially in the Yodha Weva area in the Mannar district was also being implemented so that the people in the 'rice bowl' area could start paddy cultivation during next Maha season once the de-mining and repairs to irrigation canals were completed, he said.. Under the Uthuru Vasanthaya the Yoda Weva bund also had been raised by five feet so that more water could be retained in the reservoir and other minor irrigation schemes too would be rehabilitated to encourage farmers to grow more in the rice, he said. With the installation of the new Chunnakam power generator the people in the Jaffna peninsula will now have electricity without power fluctuations. The road development activities too had reopened the closed roads to Vavuniya, Medawachchiya, Mannar and Pooneryn, he added.

9,247 Vanni elderly IDPs handed over to Social Welfare Ministry

The Ministry of Social Welfare Monday took over the maintenance and care of nine thousand two hundred and forty seven elderly internally displaced persons of over sixty years of age from Vanni from the internment camps in Vavuniyaa. The lists of names of these elderly IDPs are now exhibited in the offices of the Ministry of Social Offices located in Mannaar and Vavuniyaa, media reports said. About one thousand five hundred elderly IDPs are residents of Jaffna district and their names will be put on display at the office of the Social Welfare Ministry located in Jaffna.Relatives who wish to undertake the responsibility of maintaining these elderly IDPs have been asked to meet the Social Welfare Ministry officials stationed in Mannaar, Vavuniyaa and Jaffna, reports further said.  

IDPs living on Jaffna railway track area ordered to leave

The president of the Federation of Jaffna Non-government Organizations (NGOs), C. V. K. Sivagnanam, requested Jaffna Government Agent (GA) not to evict immediately the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), They are numbering around a hundred families, living in camps on the railway track area in Jaffna since the time they were thrown out of their residences in Valikaamam North which were declared High Security Zones (HSZ) by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in 1990, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Secretariat officials have instructed the IDPs to leave their shelters at once as the railway track from Vavuniyaa to Kaangeasanththurai is to be reconstructed with the aim to resume train service. The IDPs have lodged complaints with Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) office seeking help to resettle them in their original properties in Valikaamam North. Mr. Sivagnanam, while welcoming the move to resume the long suspended train service to Jaffna, requested the GA to consider the plight of the IDPs and grant them respite on humanitarian grounds until they are found alternative places to move in, in his letter to the GA. The IDPs had been helped by several NGOs living in their shelters erected on government property on and along the railway tracks. Meanwhile, the IDPs complain that SLA soldiers are forcing them to leave from their shelters.

24 June 2009

TNA(TELO,ITAK,EPRLF and ACTC) to hand over nominations today

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is to hand over nominations for the Jaffna and Vavuniya Local Government elections today,TNA and TELO MP for the Jaffna district N. Sri Kantha said that his party had almost finalized the lists, but they would be known to the public only today. He said that the party had decided to field three female candidates as well this time. He said that the TNA had nominated some professionals in their lists for this election.“We have not yet named the leading candidates,” he said.  Although the Party has decided to formally request Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayke to postpone elections. General Secretary- Ilangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) and Jaffna District TNA Parliamentarian, Mavai S. Senathirajah, speaking to The Bottom Line, said that the Party would hand over a formal request to the Election Commissioner, after closing of nominations. However, TNA National List MP, R.M. Imam, said that, as it is the Government’s decision to hold elections, it was highly unlikely that it would be postponed. “However, we are confident of winning the election, whatever obstacles come our way, as the pro-Government vote is split between UPFA’s Douglas Devananda and V. Anandasangaree’s Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA). Four or five of our members have already gone North, while the others await clearance from the Ministry of Defence.” Imam said. Senathirajah and Kumar Ponnambalam, at a meeting with the Elections Commissioner on June 15, explained that the situation in the North was not conducive to hold elections at this juncture. “Although we sent papers this week appointing our agents, we are not in a position to nominate persons or conduct canvassing in a proper manner. We have written to the Ministry of Defence, who, in turn, have informed us that although they were very much concerned of the security of TNA candidates, they are yet unable to ensure our safety in Vavuniya, as the area is ‘not yet been cleared.” Senathirajah claimed.

'Malnourished children' in IDP camps
 
Nearly 5000 Internally Displaced (IDP) children in Vavuniya camps are malnourished, a charity that works in Menik Farm IDP camp says.Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, Executive Director of Sarvodaya told BBC Sandeshaya that there are about 30,000 -35,000 children in Menk Farm. “Many of them are suffering from diseases and some still suffer from injuries,” he said.15-20 percent of these children are also suffering from chronic malnutrition and acute malnutrition, he said. The majority of those children are suffering from accute malnutrition as a result of fleeing place to place during the last stages of war without having proper meal, Dr. Ariyaratne added.

Toilet facilities

He further said that health ministry is working together with Sarvodaya, UNICEF and other organisers to eradicate malnutrition among IDP children in Vavuniya camps. “It can, however, take few weeks to few months for these children to recover,” Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne told BBC Sinhala service.The children are currently well fed, he said, but it will be difficult to cure these children within a short period of time.He further added that the authorities are working to resolve the shortage of toilets.“The international standard is for 20 people to use one toilet but in Menik Farm about 70 people are sharing one toilet,” he said. Nearly 250,000 to 300,000 IDPs are housed in Menik Farm camp in Vavuniya. The majority of these IDPs have fled final battles between the Sri Lanka military and the LTTE in May.

The guns still talks, says TULFleader

TULF leader V. Anandasangaree has written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa complaining that despite the defeat of the LTTE the ordinary citizens of the North and East still live in fear of the gun, the culture to which they have been used to for the last twenty five years."Contrary to your expectations that Spring will dawn in Jaffna, the people here are experiencing a silent cyclone. The abundance of facilities that were made available to certain individuals were being misused at random. The defeat of terrorism did not benefit Jaffna in anyway," he has stated.The gun culture that got deeply rooted in the North and East remains despite the several sacrifices the forces and the people of this country made to regain the lost freedom, he said and requested the President to first call for the surrender of weapons by all those who are not authorized to possess them. "Government security could be provided to those who need security," he said.Anandasangaree referred to a certain person who has been given top posts in certain sectors despite his proven bad past records since the formation of the Rehabilitation and Resettelement Authority for the North in 1998."The LTTE had their Jaffna office in one of the houses belonging to a close associate of his," the letter said. The TULF leader has brought to the notice of the President that this particular person, through a body he heads had made a donation of one million rupees to a Minister’s Fund and made 26 other similar bodies donate to that Fund Anandasangaree wants the President to investigate this man’s fraud and take stern action against him.

Wellaweli area leader killed in explosion

Police said that Nallathambi Yogendran alias Sinnathambi believed to be the former LTTE area leader for Wellawali, Batticaloa had been killed in an accidental explosion in the Wellaweli jungles.Police said that Sub Inspector Keerthi Jayaratne, Officer-in-Charge of Wellawali police had been wounded in the blast.Security sources said that the police had taken the LTTE cadre to the jungle after he promised to hand over some arms and ammunition hidden in the jungle.

President had requested to implement the 13th amendment act fully - Keheliya

Sri Lankan Government Defense Spokesman Keheliya Rambukelle stated, President had requested to fully implement the 13th amendment to the constitution.  He pointed out that it is the important  responsibility of the President to protect the constitution, hence it is essential to take action to the issues mentioned in  the political structure.  If any one says,  “War has concluded, and devolution of power is not necessary”  is a stupid saying was mentioned by him. He pointed out some are  voicing for some political gain, to instigate people against the government,   by saying they are patriotic. Minister Kehliya Rambukelle stated, what ever reason crop up, President Mahinda Rajapakse had given assurance to completely implement the 13th amendment.  The Jathika Hela Urumaya, National Independent Front and JVP parties, were strongly opposing against the 13th amendment act, is much noted.

Northern polls: Tamil parties want foreign monitors

A leading polls-monitoring group in Sri Lanka said yesterday it was looking at the possibility of bringing in foreign observers for the elections to the Jaffna Municipal Council and the Vavuniya Urban Council, an official of the group said.“We will have about 700 local observers for the Uva Provincial Council polls and about 100 for the Jaffna and Vavuniya polls. But Tamil political parties are calling for foreign observers to monitor the polls in Jaffna and Vavuniya,” PAFFREL Executive Director Rohan Hettiarachchi told Daily Mirror.The Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections said it would have to obtain the permission of the Elections Commissioner and the Defense Ministry if PAFFREL was to deploy foreign observers and added that this matter would be discussed with the EC and the Ministry soon after the closing date for receiving nominations.Handing in of nominations for the Uva PC polls ends at 12:00 noon today while for Jaffna and Vavuniya polls ends at 12:00 noon tomorrow. Meanwhile Moneragala Assistant Elections Commissioner K.J.S. Madawa said that by yesterday the Eksath Samajawadee Pakshaya and the Jathika Nidahas Peramuna had handed in their nominations while three Independent Groups paid their deposits for the Moneragala District. Badulla Assistant Elections Commissioner T.A.C.N. Talangama said one Independent Group had handed in nominations while another such group had paid its deposit for the Badulla District by yesterday.Jaffna Assistant Elections Commissioner said the UNP had handed in its nominations for the Jaffna MC polls on Monday, while three Independent Groups had paid their deposits for the Vavuniya UC polls by yesterday. A total of 875,456 voters are eligible to cast their votes at 814 polling stations in the two districts while Jaffna has 100,417 registered voters and Vavuniya 24,626 with voters of both areas voting in 85 polling stations. Uva PC consists of 32 members with Jaffna 23 and Vavuniya 11.

EU: Sri Lanka: European Commission provides €5 million for life-saving emergency humanitarian assistance

The European Commission has allocated €5 million to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people, mostly ethnic Tamils, placed in camps in Sri Lanka. All funds are channelled through the Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel. The projects are implemented by non-governmental relief organisations and specialised UN agencies.Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said: "Europe cares deeply about the welfare of Sri Lanka and its citizens and we have always stood ready to help. After the tsunami in 2004 the European Commission provided €42 million in humanitarian aid to those most affected. In the current humanitarian crisis with more than 280,000 people displaced from their homes and living in very difficult conditions in camps, we are demonstrating our willingness to complement the efforts of the Sri Lankan authorities in meeting the enormous humanitarian challenge. However, in order to properly implement assistance, European Commission relief experts and international aid agencies must have regular and consistent access to the displaced."The Commission’s humanitarian support covers water and sanitation, health and nutrition and non-food relief items ranging from clothes, hygiene kits and mosquito nets to infant kits.

EPDP joins UPFA for LG polls

The EPDP would contest both Jaffna and Vavuniya Town Council on the government ticket, political sources said. Sources said that though the EPDP wanted to contest on its own, the government had asked EPDP leader Douglas Devananda to drop his plan. Of the 29 candidates fielded by the UPFA in Jaffna, 20 would represent the EPDP and the rest the SLFP and its other coalition partners.Minister Dallas Alahapperuma told a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre that many of UPFA’s partners and SRITELO which hadn’t contested on the government ticket at any previous election, would contest the Jaffna poll on the side of the ruling coalition this time. The EPDP would field six candidates in Vavuniya.

TIGERS REMAIN TERRORISTS

The United States says it does not recognize the provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam announced by the LTTE head of international relations S. Pathmanathan and once again listed the Tigers as a terrorist outfit following its latest review.Speaking during a live web chat last night from the US State Department, senior U.S. State Department official Gregg Sullivan said that although the US welcomed reports that the LTTE has renounced violence and will now pursue its objectives through peaceful means there is a long way to go before the Tigers can be considered a reliable entity. “Towards the end of the conflict, their (LTTE) efforts to keep civilians in the war zone, block their departure from war-ravaged areas and their firing from civilian areas put civilians at risk.  They're going to have to demonstrate clearly that the tactics they've used for the last 30 years really are in the past.  Aside from the passage of time and a clear record of constructive engagement, I'm not sure I have any other advice for how the LTTE shows a different face to the world.  But, the case of Libya illustrates how a nation or organization can change its terrorist path and chart a new course.  All I can say is we'll be watching for clear signs of such a change,” he said in response to a question posed by Daily Mirror.The U.S has designated the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997 and that designation remains in effect because of their consistent use of methods that both deliberately and indirectly target civilians. Under that designation, the US has restricted LTTE funding operations, their travel, and their organization activities through various laws and seizure of assets. Mr. Sullivan said that following a five-year review the decision was taken to continue listing the LTTE as a terrorist entity with all the restrictions on their activities. “We have long condemned their use of terrorist tactics, including assassination, kidnappings, suicide bombings, and intimidation of the local population. Nor, do we recognize the Provisional Transnational Government Government of Tamil Eelam. We do not take issue with the Sri Lankan Government’s view of the LTTE as a terrorist entity or their efforts to counter their terrorist activity,” he said. The senior US official also said that despite the activities of the LTTE, there is an essential element that needs to be addressed if Sri Lanka is going to meet its aspirations as a stable, tolerant, unified, and democratic nation. “I want to underscore that our highest priorities in Sri Lanka right now are addressing the humanitarian needs of the displaced population, facilitating their prompt return to their homes, helping the Government of Sri Lanka heal the wounds of the conflict, and working toward building a democratic, prosperous, tolerant and united Sri Lanka. One of our paramount goals is to convince the Sri Lankan Government that it is in their own interest to reach out to Tamils and promote political reconciliation. Responsible Tamil leaders need to come forward to engage with the Sri Lankan Government constructively,” he said.On the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan the US official said that Sri Lanka and the IMF are currently in the process of negotiating a Stand-by Arrangement and the US is taking a fresh look at the agreement. He however insisted the US is not threatening to block the loan and we will carefully assess any program in light of the conditions in Sri Lanka at the time. “We are The Department of Treasury is in the lead for the U.S. Government on IMF issues and we will coordinate closely with them as the Sri Lankan Government-IMF negotiations proceed,” he said. He noted that right now Sri Lanka has an opportunity to get back to its status in the 1980s as one of the ''Asian Tigers'' with vigorous economic growth.  If the Sri Lankan Government moves forward with policies that embrace the civilian Tamil community, bring the Tamils into the reconstruction process, empower responsible Tamil leaders through implementation of the 13th Amendment, and foster a new political and economic integration of the Sinhala and minority communities, it can be an example for all other countries that have suffered ethnic conflict, he said.

23 June 2009

TNA not consulted on regrouping of LTTE overseas
   
Tamils in Sri Lanka were neither consulted nor included in the committee set up to go into the nitty-gritty of a Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (PTGTE)  when the overseas wing of the LTTE decided to form such a government, the TNA general secretary said.“We were not consulted. We learnt about this kind of government only through the media,” general secretary Mavai Senathirajah said yesterday.When asked if the forming of a PTGTE was possible and whether it would serve the Tamil cause, Mr. Senathirajah said it was too early to say anything as the overseas committee was working on the details and is yet to come out with a report. “When the committee’s report comes out, we may be able to comment on it,” he told Express Buzz on Sunday.The LTTE international wing, working under Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias KP, had appointed United States-based lawyer Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran as the committee’s chairman to go into the details of forming the PTGTE. An international advisory committee was also formed. Mr. Senathirajah said there were no Tamils in Sri Lankans present in either of these committees and that the issues which the PTGTE was reportedly tackling were of no immediate and direct concern to the TNA and other Tamil political leaders in ground zero -- the Tamil-speaking North and East of Sri Lanka.Meanwhile, a TNA MP Sivanathan Kishore decided to support the Mahinda Rajapaksa government’s efforts to look after and resettle the war refugees in the North. With the TNA threatening to take action against Mr. Kishore for taking an independent stand, he told Lakbimanews on Sunday that the alliance could not take any action against him because he was not a member of any of the constituent political parties.“I had fought the last elections as a member of the TNA and under its symbol,” he said

UNP hands over nominations for Jaffna       

The UNP handed over nominations to contest the Jaffna Municipal Council elections yesterday. UNP Parliamentarian Jayalath Jayawardena handed over the list at the Jaffna District Secretary's office. The UNP list is headed by A.A.S.Sathiyendran a leading businessman in export trade. There are four women in the UNP nomination list for Jaffna. However, the UNP has expressed its doubts whether they would be allowed to carry out an election campaign freely. Nominations for the Jaffna Municipal Council close on 25thJune.

JVP demands Govt reveal its stand on 13th Amendment

The JVP yesterday demanded that the Government reveal its stance on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, at a press conference in Colombo. The party insisted it wanted President Mahinda Rajapaksa to reveal the Government’s stand since several key ministers were issuing contradictory statements on the issue.Commenting on the 13th Amendment which deals with the devolution of power, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that coalition partners in the Government who cannot secure a single seat on their own were calling for the implementation of the 13th Amendment. He referred to All Party Representative Committee Chairman Professor Tissa Vitharana, who is from the LSSP and Constitutional Affairs Minister, D. E. W. Gunasekera, a Communist who were fully supportive of the 13th Amendment.Referring to Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene’s query as to what was wrong in adopting a resolution that was passed in Parliament with a two-thirds majority, Tilvin Silva recalled that it was passed during the tenure of late President J. R. Jayewardene who was armed with the resignation letters of all his MPs. "Only Minister Gamini Jayasuriya opposed the move and walked out of Parliament," Silva said.Referring to Government spokesman Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa’s recent statement that the Government had not changed its stance on the 13th Amendment, Silva said "Let us know the Government’s stand on it. Have they accepted it or not? Though this Government is led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, remember the present Government was elected in 2004. There was no provision in that election manifesto of 2004 to accept the 13th Amendment."The JVP General Secretary said that there was no provision in the Mahinda Chinthanaya of the 2005 Presidential elections about the 13th Amendment, that it refused devolution of power and promised a unitary state.Tilvin Silva recalled the President’s address to the nation after the war victory, in which he said the solution to the ethnic problem should be a home made one. Silva asserted that the Government cannot implement the 13th Amendment that was introduced by India.

TNA MP with Tiger links detained

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) conducting investigations into LTTE activities, yesterday produced Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni District MP Sathasivam Kanagaratnam before the Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Nisantha Hapuarachchi and said the MP is alleged to have violated the Emergency Regulations and assisted the LTTE. Kanagaratnam was arrested by the CID while he was with the people who came from the uncleared areas. He was trapped in Mullaitivu for several months. The CID has commenced an investigation against the MP who is alleged to have been involved with LTTE terrorist activities under the detention orders issued on May 21 by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Investigations revealed that Kanagaratnam is alleged to have violated the Emergency Regulations and committed several offences. On an application by the CID, Judge Hapuarachchi ordered the CID to detain the suspect and conduct investigations and submit a comprehensive report to Court on the next date, July 26.

UN CONCERNED OVER ARREST OF LOCAL STAFF

The United Nations said yesterday it was looking at the legal options available to ensure the protection of its staff as the Foreign Ministry sought information from the Defence Ministry and the Police on the reported arrest of two local UN staff members serving in Vavuniya. “On being informed by the UN office in Colombo, about the arrest of two local staffers – both Tamils serving in Vavuniya -- we have requested the Defence Ministry and the Police to let us know the circumstances surrounding their arrest,” a Foreign Ministry said. According to reports the UN was still to be provided with an official explanation on the charges faced by the two staffers. Sri Lanka is a signatory to the 1994 United Nations Convention on the Safety of UN and associated personnel. UN spokesman Gordon Weiss said the UN was currently looking at the legal options available to ensure the protection of the staffers concerned and he refused to comment whether an arrest without charges was a violation of the government’s obligations under this Charter. “We have issued a communiqué to the government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which deals directly with UN matters and the Justice Ministry among others. However, we have not received any response yet nor have received any information on whether any charges, if any, have been made, and we are not aware of the details of any accusations,” Mr. Weiss said. “We are concerned about the process by which these persons were arrested. We are not even saying that the staffers are under arrest. The UN is interested in seeing that due process is followed when dealing with this issue,” he added. Mr. Weiss refused to comment on when the UN officials in Colombo received information about the arrest of its staffers who served as drivers for the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS) and UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency. The two men were reported missing eight days ago and were subsequently discovered to have been by the Sri Lanka forces, the UN office in Colombo said in a statement issued last Saturday. Mr. Weiss said he did not know the fate of another UNHCR worker detained in October last year. Defense authorities have previously arrested local UN workers who were suspected of having links to the LTTE. UN agencies in Vavuniya are key stakeholders in supporting the 300,000 displaced people in Northern Sri Lanka, affected by the conflict between the security forces and the LTTE.

Jaffna, Mannar to get powerb

The Government has initiated an ambitious project to increase electricity facilities under the Northern Development Project in the Jaffna and Mannar Districts with a USD 30 million Fund Supply Credit.Ceylon Electricity Board Chairman E. A. S. K. Edirisinghe told The Island yesterday the project under the Chairmanship of Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP commenced last week in Jaffna. He said: "Under this project we are planning to improve the consumption ratio to 85 per cent from the present 65 per cent in the Jaffna District and in Mannar District to 100 per cent from the present 37 per cent within 180 days".However, these facilities would be provided only where 100 per cent of the people are in occupation, he said.

Now, Sri Lanka goes after jihadis

The Sri Lankan government was moving against armed jihadis, a new menace in the Eastern part of the island country, which just ended a long drawn out war against the LTTE, claimed a front-page report in the weekly Lakbimanews on Sunday.Official Indian sources told The New Indian Express that presence of jihadis had begun to cause concern to both Sri Lanka and India. India was glad that the Sri Lankan authorities had, at long last, begun a crackdown on the Tablighi Jamaat members, who were getting funds and ideological inputs from abroad especially Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the sources added.There have been instances of the armed clashes between Jamaatis and Tamils, a community the Eastern Muslims have been at odds with over questions of land for the last two or three decades.Lakbimanews quoted unnamed intelligence sources to say that there could be about 500 jihadis in the three districts in the Eastern parts of Sri Lanka.Batticaloa alone is believed to have 250 of them.

SPURT IN CRIME USING FIREARMS: In recent months, Eastern parts have witnessed a spurt in crimes such as abductions and extortions. At first it was thought that the perpetrators were members of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal, a breakaway group of the LTTE. Later, the LTTE itself was blamed. But investigations later revealed that jihadis were behind most of these crimes.Last Friday, Security Forces commander (East) Maj Gen Srinath Rajapakse, the Security Forces and the police held a meeting with moulavis and Muslim politicians and civil society leaders at the Hisbullah Centre, Lakbimanews said. While Lakbimanews said that the Muslim political leaders had been funding the jihadis for the past 15 years, Indian sources contended that local Muslim political leaders were not involved. They also noted that there has been a significant spurt in the establishment of Madrasas where the radical Wahabi ideology is inculcated. Lakbimanews reported that the police in Kanthankudi, a Muslim town in Batticaloa district, had recently seized seven T-56 rifles, SMGs, communication sets and anti-personnel mines.The paper said that the Defense Ministry had given the jihadis time until July 2 to surrender their weapons. “Thereafter, we will have no mercy on them,” the paper quoted a Defense Ministry official as saying.The Muslim dignitaries who had attended Friday’s meeting with the Security Forces had admitted that some Muslim youth were armed and promised to persuade them to give up their weapons.

MIDDLE EASTERN INDOCTRINATION: Meanwhile, employment opportunities in the oil-rich Middle East had facilitated religious indoctrination in Sri Lanka. The new Saudi-returned Wahabists began to take on the Sufiists. Apparently, Pakistan also stepped in to give money and training to radical Islamists here. According to Indian sources, the South Eastern University at Oluvil in the district of Amparai has become a hotbed of radical Islamists.

21 June 2009

TNA MPs to decide on meeting with President

With the decimation of the LTTE, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians have had a change of heart and is mulling over whether they should meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ascertain his stand on the IDPs and the future of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, Tamil political sources said. General Secretary of the ITAK and TNA, Mavai Senathrajah, MP, was contacted in Jaffna yesterday said that having considered the prevailing political situation in the country, they are to decide whether to meet with the President.The MP said that following the Ministry of Defence granting clearance for the TNA members to engage in election activities connected to handing over of nominations to Jaffna MC and Vavuniya UC, he had flown in with fellow MP Gajendran Ponnambalam on Friday.He said that TNA leader R. Sambanthan’s return to the country is being awaited to take up this proposal. "We have to consult all sections or stakeholders to the Tamil cause including the majority of Tamil diaspora, leaders and members of civic society".Another TNA MP who did not want to be quoted said that bitter lessons learnt from discussions with Sinhala leaders in the past had "always put us off meeting President Rajapaksa"."We strongly believed that this could be another meaningless exercise. Without the President expressing his stand officially on the future of the Tamils, it would be meaningless for us to meet him"."But now having understood that we need to speak up, at least for the sake of the welfare of the thousands of internally displaced Tamils suffering in IDPs camps and for the Tamil community that does not know their future tomorrow, we have considered whether we should meet with the President".The TNA consists of five Tamil Political Parties — TULF members without V. Anandasangari, ITAK, TELO, EPRLF (Naba Wing) and ACTC."They have to be consulted", he said.There are five MPS abroad and they are expected to arrive within the next few days, he noted. "We could wrap up the whole discussion hopefully within the next fortnight". Meanwhile, MPs Mavai Senathirajah and Gajendran Ponnambalam were meeting with their party activists and members to prepare the list of candidates for nominations to Jaffna MC.

DPL rewards for frontline Commanders

In addition to promised Ambassadorial postings for Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Donald Perera, Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonatillake and Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, the Government has also begun rewarding frontline Commanders with Diplomatic postings.Informed Foreign Ministry sources said that, in one of the latest such postings Commander of the Army’s 57 Division, involved in liberating the Wanni, Maj. Gen. Jagath Dias will soon be seconded to Berlin as the country’s Deputy Ambassador there.Maj. Gen. Dias has already begun familiarisation briefings in the Ministry, in preparation for accepting the Diplomatic assignment of one-and-a-half years, they said.A few months back, the Army’s Director Operations Brig. Udaya Perera was posted to Malaysia as Deputy High Commissioner.Similarly, sources said that some of the other frontline Commanders too, are likely to be rewarded with postings abroad, as and when vacancies occur.Such secondments are also seen as a way of keeping them in the Military service longer, by breaking their service in this manner. Otherwise, many would have to automatically retire after serving in the rank of Major General continuously for three years. Many of these frontline Commanders still have five or more years to reach retirement age.Already, the most senior serving Commanders, along with the CDS have been earmarked to go as ambassadors to Russia, Israel, China and Japan, as those posts fall vacant.

Thousands march for Tamil rights 
 
An estimated 20,000 people have marched in London in support of the minority Tamil population in Sri Lanka.In May government forces wiped out the Tamil Tiger leadership, ending a 26-year war between the army and rebels. More than 250,000 people are displaced from their homes in northern Sri Lanka, according to the UN. The demonstration follows a 73-day protest for peace in the country that ended on Wednesday and featured mass sit-ins blocking central London roads. Many of those at Saturday's demonstration waved black flags representing the civilians killed in the last phase of the conflict. They carried placards accusing the Sri Lankan government of genocide and asking for thousands of displaced people held in camps to be released. Some of the campaigners compared the plight of displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka to Nazi Germany. Supporters built a mock-up concentration camp and marchers chanted: "Shame on Gordon Brown." Suren Surendiran, of the British Tamils Forum, said: "The comparison with Nazi Germany will shock - but it should do. "There are hundreds of relatives here who do not know what has happened to their next-of-kin. Genocide is happening before our eyes in Sri Lanka and the international community has taken little or no action to help. "We have held talks with Gordon Brown but now we are calling for action." Several main routes through the centre of London were closed to allow the march to take place. The Tamil Tiger rebels started fighting in the 1970s for a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east. They argued Tamils had been discriminated against by successive majority Sinhalese governments. The UN says thousands of civilians were killed in the war earlier this year.

Abductions, disappearances and unexplained killings continue in North and East 
 
Abductions, disappearances and unexplained killings continue to be reported from the North and the East, although there has been a drop in the number of such incidents, according to the Presidential Commission on Disappearances.Between January 1 and May 31 this year, a total of 459 such cases were reported by the 63 police stations in the North and the East – 128 incidents in the North and 331 in the East.Batticaloa continued to be the most badly affected, with 129 disappearances, 32 abductions, 15 unexplained killings and three unidentified bodies. The Wanni district followed with 40 abductions, 34 disappearances, two unexplained killings and an unidentified dead body.Forty-nine such cases were reported from the Trincomalee district, 87 from Ampara, 24 from Mannar, 13 from Kantalai, and 12 from Jaffna.T. A. Mahanama Tilakaratne, retired High Court judge and chairman of the Presidential Commission on Disappearances, recently summoned senior police officers and district and divisional secretaries to personally report on the law and order situation in the East, and the state of civil administration in areas liberated from LTTE control.The reports suggested that life in the Ampara district had returned to normal, while civil administration was reaching a satisfactory level in Trincomalee. In the Batticaloa district, the police continued to maintain a number of checkpoints. The Commission said the checkpoints were necessary for the safety of the public.Commissioner Tillakaratne said the police were forced to step in when friction between rival groups started to cause tension in the Batticaloa community. 

President calls on Buddhist countries to come to Lanka’s rescue

Buddhist countries can play a major role in the future of Sri Lanka and counterbalance the western powers, suggested President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a tribute organised by Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya and Sri Lanka Ramanna Nikaya at Independence Square, yesterday. He said that Buddhist monks too can play an important role in Sri Lanka’s international relations by bringing these countries to support Sri Lanka. “We need the support of other Buddhist countries and we need them to play a bigger role in the development of the country and Buddhist monks can play bigger role in rallying their support,” he said. “From ancient times Buddhist monks have played an important role in our national histories and they have done a lot in the fight against terrorism but there is still work to be done,” he added. The president added that he plans to incorporate more Buddhist principles in the administration of the state. In order to develop a society should be built on morals the president claimed. “A moral society is disciplined and only a disciplined society can prosper,” he said. Meanwhile, Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thera of the Amarapura sect said that the masses rallied around the President because of his close ties with the Sangha and Buddhism. The president is an honest and straightforward man.“There were many leaders in the past who had no ties with the sangha. Most of them did not adhere to Buddhist principles and that is why the sangha and the masses were hesitant to rally behind them. But President Rajapaksa was always close to the sangha and people recognised him as a moral and courageous man,” Dhammawasa Thera said.Meanwhile, Minister of Mass Media, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena claimed that this is the first time that the two sects have united to pay homage to a leader. The President has also united the sangha as well as the country he added.“There are 12 700 monks of the Amarapura sect while there are 6,000 monks of the Ramanna sect and today they have united for the first time to pay tribute to the President. This fact alone makes this a historic moment,” he said.The President, Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defense Staff, Air Vice Marshal Donald Perera, Army Commander, General Sarath Fonseka, IGP, Jayantha Wickramarathna, Director of the Civil Defense Force and Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara were honoured at this event. Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and Air Force Commander and Air Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke could not participate because they were abroad.

Political pressures continue over IMF loan
 
Continuing political pressure from the United States and other western nations has been the cause of the long delay in the endorsement of a US$1.9 billion IMF loan to Sri Lanka but the Central Bank (CB) is not unduly worried, saying the loan is not urgently needed now.“There was a need some months ago, but now the dollars are flowing in from other sources including migrant remittances. In the past few weeks alone,US$350 million have come in – that’s almost equivalent to the first tranche of the IMF loan (once it’s approved),” CB Governor AjithNivard Cabraal said.The loan request was made in April. Mr Cabraal told the Sunday Times there was a need in April/May but the CB had other options if the request failed. He did not say what the options were. On Friday, the CB’s dollar reserves were boosted when a government development bond issue was oversubscribed by twice the required amount.The CB was offering 2-year maturity Sri Lanka Development Bonds (SLDBs) of upto US$50 million but when the bids closed on Friday, offers from foreign and local banks totalling $118 million were received. The CB said it had decided to accept $115 million from the offers.“IMF funds are given in emergencies. It’s a lender of last resort. If it takes more than two months to get this money, then the crisis would be over by that time,” Mr Cabraal told the Sunday Times. He also discounted reports in the media that the amount would be much higher, saying the Sri Lankan application is for $1.9 billion. Before government troops defeated the LTTE, the US and some western allies linked the approval of the loan to Sri Lanka cleaning up its act over alleged human rights violations. That position, though not explicit as a demand from the west, has not changed, according to some observers. Mr Cabraal also agrees: “There seems to be some (political) pressure … otherwise there is no reason for the delay.” The governor, some economists and a US Senator (who visited Colombo) have gone on record saying that IMF decisions are dictated by economic policy and not political considerations. The CB said the new bond money would go to replenish its foreign currency reserves, part of which was used to settle foreign currency commercial loan obligation of $125 million on June 15.“The oversubscription … compared to the last SLDB issuance in March this year and the increase in foreign investments in rupee denominated Treasury bonds and Treasury bills by Rs 22 billion (US$ 190 million) during the past 10 weeks clearly reflect the growing investor confidence in the Government of Sri Lanka after the dawn of the new era in the country, as a result of the ending of the 30-year terrorist conflict,” the CB statement said.
  
Army re-deploys after the end of war

With the end of three decades long Eelam war against the LTTE, the army has now re-deployed in the Northern and Eastern Provinces under five Security Forces Headquarters with a sizeable force in reserve to meet any eventuality.Of the five SF commands, two at Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu have been set up recently as part of post-LTTE re-deployment plan.In keeping with Army Chief General Sarath Fonseka’s strategy, 51 and 52 Divisions along with Task Force 7 (TF 7) are deployed in the northern peninsula under SF Headquarters, Jaffna. Major General Mendaka Samarasinghe, who is in charge of the peninsula would also have the 55 Division commanded by Brigadier Prasanna Silva stationed at Chalai, on the Mullaitivu coast, on reserve status.The TF 7 has been assigned to the strategic Elephant Pass area, one of the major battlegrounds of the Eelam war. The army said that the forces now assigned to the Jaffna peninsula were small when compared with the strength available to any previous SF Commander, Jaffna, before the collapse of the LTTE. The army had two fighting divisions, namely 55 and 53 deployed along the 12 km long Jaffna frontline to thwart LTTE assault across it. In fact, some of the best fighting formations had always been assigned to Jaffna before General Fonseka raised three Divisions and five Task Forces to liberate the Vanni region.The army said that more youth would be recruited to strengthen the service. During the war about 100,000 joined the army thereby raising its strength to 200,000. The victory against the LTTE was achieved at a tremendous cost with the army losing 190 officers and 5,200 men, the army chief told a headquarters function. He estimated the number of wounded at 27,000.The deployment in the Vanni has covered both western and eastern sectors with equal focus. The army said that LTTE wouldn’t be allowed to raise its head again.Major General Jagath Jayasuriya, in charge of SF headquarters, Vanni, will have 21 Division headquartered at Vavuniya and Area Headquarters at Mannar and Weli Oya. During Eelam War IV, all fighting formations engaged in the Vanni offensive came under SF headquarters, Vanni.57 Division, now commanded by Brigadier Rohana Bandara, is deployed along with Task Force 2, TF 3 and TF 5 in the area coming under the purview of SF headquarters, Kilinochchi. Major General Channa Gunatilleke has been appointed the first SF Commander, Kilinochchi.Brigadier Shavindra Silva’s 58 Division, also based at Kilinochchi is in reserve along with Major General Kamal Gunarathne’s 53 Division stationed at Mankulam.The army said that of the five Divisions involved in the Vanni offensive, only 57 and 59 had been deployed while others, namely, 58, 55 and 53 placed on reserve. All Divisions placed on reserve are answerable to the army chief.59 Division is deployed at Mullaitivu under the command of Brigadier Chagi Gallage. The 59 along with TF 8 and TF 4 had been placed under the commander of Major General Nandana Udawatte, SF Commander, Mullaitivu.Under eastern headquarters situated at Welikanda, troops are deployed in Trincomalee (22 Brigade), Batticaloa (23 Brigade) and Area Headquarters, Ampara. Major General Srinath Rajapaksa is the senior officer in charge of the East. Army Chief General Sarath Fonseka, in his first visit on Friday (June 19) to the last LTTE stronghold captured by his troops was felicitated by First Battalion of the Sinha Regiment. Fonseka who is also the Colonel of the SR and the first from the regiment to command the army and lead Sri Lanka’s successful battle against LTTE terrorism was accorded a guard of honour by 1 SR. Addressing officers and men of 53 and 55 Divisions and Task Force 8 on the Vellamullivaikkal beach, he commended them for leading the battle against terrorism.The army said that troops would continue search operations in the North and East to locate hidden LTTE weapons.

A-9 open to private trade

Goods convoys of private traders have been allowed the use of the A-9 since the beginning of this week, said military spokesperson Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara. “Convoys of 40 vehicles are permitted entry to the Jaffna Peninsula via A-9 every third day” Nanayakkara added. The convoys may carry trade goods and can also restock at the peninsula to bring back goods on the return journey. Respective lorries and drivers have to be registered with the Commissioner General of Essential Services and according to the spokesperson it has to be done by the relevant traders. “The convoys are also escorted with military protection,” assured Nanayakkara. Re-opening the A-9 for trade purposes has been a much anticipated event as it is expected to bring down prices of goods. Previously traders voiced their concerns of continuing to ship trade goods to the Jaffna Peninsula as transporting goods by land was much cheaper. When asked if devotees would be able to attend the Jaffna Nallur Kandaswami Kovil festival this year the spokesperson said that while this has not been discussed as yet, a decision could be taken to provide a bus or similar service through the A-9 if a request is made. “However, such a decision would still have to come from the highest authorities” he emphasised.

Crackdown Jihad

Close on the heels of the government crushing the world's deadliest terrorist organization, the LTTE , its now flushing out Jihad militants operating in the East. Intelligence sources reveal that there are an estimated 500 Jihadi militants in the East. They allege that Batticaloa itself houses about 250 of them.Sources said that although earlier accusing fingers were pointed at the TMVP and LTTE cadres that they were carrying out the recent attacks in the East, it was in fact the Jihadi militants who were behind most of the crimes that took place recently.

Sri Lanka steps up hunt for rebel remnants: report

Sri Lanka is pouring more troops into former rebel-held areas in the east of the island to hunt down remnants of the Tamil Tigers following their defeat in the north, a state-run weekly said Sunday.The military was boosting its strength in the east -- around the towns of Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara -- to where some guerrillas are thought to have fled, the Sunday Observer said."The main concern of the army is to nab the remaining Tiger cadres now moving in the Eastern Province," the paper said. "The Sri Lanka army is now taking measures to increase the strength in the east."There was no immediate comment from the military, which declines to discuss troops deployments publicly.However, official sources confirmed that security forces have begun combing jungles in the east, and have already clashed with two groups of fighters from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The Tigers have admitted that they lost their top leader Velupillai Prabhakaran in a final battle last month, but the military believes that some lower-level cadres may still be in hiding and could try to regroup.

Left parties in upfa discuss ‘after the war’

All left parties in the United People’s Freedom Alliance who have formed the “Socialist Alliance” will hold a seminar today (21) under the theme “After the War” at the Auditorium of National Library, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7.Seminar will commence at 10 a.m. Scheduled speakers are, Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Tissa Vitarana (Lanka Samasamaja Party), Minister of Constitutional Affiars and National Integration D.E.W. Gunasekera (Communist Party), Vasudeva Nanayakkara (Democratic Left Front), Ranjith Navaratna (Sri Lanka Mahajana Party), Minister of Lands Rajitha Senaratna, Minister of Justice Dilan Perera and S. Sridharan.

20 June 2009

Karunanidhi wants India to help Sri Lankan Tamils with relief

Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has sought the central government's intervention after the Sri Lankan Navy turned away a ship carrying relief materials from Europe for the internally displaced Tamils in the island nation. "It has come to our notice that MV Captain Ali, a ship carrying humanitarian aid collected by Tamils in Europe for the internally displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka, was turned away by the Sri Lankan Navy," he said in a letter to External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Friday. The state's Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi was to personally deliver the letter to Krishna. "It is also reported that this ship is carrying about 884 tonnes of food, medicine and other relief materials for the affected Sri Lankan Tamil civilians," the chief minister said. Karunanidhi urged the Indian government to intervene so that the relief materials can be provided to the needy. "I consider it appropriate and timely and as well critical for the government of India to intervene at this juncture and persuade the government of Sri Lanka to allow unloading of the relief materials sent through the vessel MV Captain Ali. They may also be requested to consider the unloading and distribution of the relief materials under the supervision of international agencies like the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC)." The ship, now anchored in Indian waters near here, sailed from Britain April 20. It was sent away by Sri Lanka June 9 on the grounds that it did not comply with the international norms for merchant ships for entering the island nation's waters.

Rs. 150m telecom tower for Kokavil

A common telecommunication broadcasting tower with an investment of Rs. 150 million will be built shortly at Kokavil, the centre point between Jaffna and Vauniya, Director General, Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka Priyantha Kariyapperuma said. The TRC will invest this amount as a part of its telecommunication infrastructure development project. The 172-metre tall tower is a unique tower as it is shared by telecommunication operators and broadcasters, he said. There is no requirement to build individual towers. With the opening of the A9 highway accelerated development is expected in the North and the Kokavil tower will be built at the place where the original Rupavahini tower stood. The tower will serve only the Northern Province while a few towers will be set up in strategic places such as Kilinochchi, Mannar and Palali to facilitate telecommunication requirements in the North under the Northern development plan, he said. These will link with the towers in the rest of the country. We are concerned about the people - around 750,000 apart from the IDPs already living in these areas. They need to fulfill their telecommunication needs to conduct their day to day life, Kariyapperuma said. There will be nine operators and one pay phone company to provide telecommunication facilities to the area, he said. Four-hundred public pay phones will be installed by the pay phone company. 

Reasonable fears if the country is on the path of a dictatorship -UNP 
 
United National Party (UNP) warns that there is reasonable fear and suspicion that the country is on the path of a dictatorship.Addressing a press conference held in the official residence of the Opposition Leader UNP MP Jayalath Jayawardhana said that he had been appointed as the UNP agent for the elections in Jaffna and Vavuniya. He had asked for permission of the Defense Ministry through the Election Commissioner to visit the area but it had not been granted despite nominations were being accepted. MP Jayawardhana pointed out that it was the responsibility of the rulers from the President to create an environment the political parties and independent groups could go there and engage in campaigns freely. The people can understand what kind of election is going to be held when considered the present situation, MP Jayawardhana said.He further stated that the UNP was not afraid of elections and ready to face any election at any moment. UNP would contest for the Jaffna Municipal Council and the Vavuniya Urban Council and good response from the people is being received. A large number of people wanted UNP candidacy and it proved the government’s claims that the UNP was weak was not true.The permission of the secretary of the Ministry of Defense is necessary to go beyond Medawachchiya. A letter was sent to the Election Commissioner seeking permission to go to Jaffna and Vavuniya for election campaigns. The Election Commissioner forwarded the letter to the Defense Secretary with his recommendations. But the permission was not granted yet. That shows how the ruling party conduct elections, said MP Jayawardhana.He explained that the opposition MPs had to go to courts to seek permission to look into the welfare of the innocent Tamils that are in the welfare camps. Their information is received via internet and email. Sri Lanka has become one of the countries with highest number of refugees. The number is around 300,000 and 27,000 of them are injured according to the secretary of the Ministry of Resettlement.Six hundred pregnant women, 500 children those who have no parents or guardians and 10,000 elderly and sick persons that suffer from various kinds of illnesses are in IDP camps. Each day 10 such persons die. Although guardians have come forward to look after them, there is no efficient system for transferring them, said the MP.The pregnant mothers return after delivery to the same camp she lived in unhealthy conditions. Diarrhea, hepatitis, chickenpox, skin diseases, eye sores and malnutrition is widespread in camps, said MP Jayawardhana. Two thousand persons were hospitalized due to nutritional problems. The MP admitted that taking care of over 300,000 people was a difficult task and pointed out that it had become rather difficult as a result of government’s arrogant unilateral actions. 

Madhu festival to be held on a grand scale in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is preparing to hold the annual festival of the most sacred Madhu Church in the northwest on the 15th of August on a grand scale. A special discussion was held this morning on the issue at the Mannar Bishop`s House under the patronage of Bishop Rayappu Joseph. A spokesman for the Bishop`s House said they have discussed over obtaining the state courtesy for this year`s festival. Additionally, they have discussed the facilities and the security of the devotees who wish to worship the most sacred Madhu shrine. Sri Lanka army liberated the Madhu Church compound from the Tamil Tigers on the 24th of April, 2008. Tigers had withdrawn from the church when the troops reached the area, but they have damaged the church building before they left. 

ITAK given clearance to visit Jaffna

The Defence Ministry yesterday gave written clearance to the Ilangai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), popularly known as the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), permission to travel to Jaffna and Vavuniya either by road or air and to engage in election related activities.The written permission was received by the party yesterday afternoon with a copy to the Elections Commissioner.The TNA was refused permission to travel to Jaffna and Vavuniya for electioneering where the acceptance of nominations began on Wednesday. On Monday the party expressed its concern to the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake about the Defence Ministry’s refusal and requested him to intervene. He brought the TNA’s request to the notice of the Defence Ministry.On Thursday morning speaking to The Island, ITAK General Secretary and MP Mavai Senathirajah said that they would seek legal redress if they were refused permission He also said that the party had already appointed authorized agents for the MC election in Jaffna and UC elections in Vavuniya but were unable to name their candidates due to travel bans imposed on them by the Defence Ministry. The latter cited reasons that the situation in Jaffna and Vavuniya are not conducive for electioneering and also that it was worried about the safety of the TNA parliamentarians.Senathirajah expressing satisfaction at the Defence Ministry’s latest ruling said the party would meet urgently today to select their nominees for the two elections and to finalise travel plans to Jaffna and Vavuniya and nominate the party leaders for the elections.Nominations for both elections close on Tuesday, June 23.

Israel to send a shipment of medical equipment to Lanka

A shipment of medical equipment and drugs, contributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, will be delivered Friday to Sri Lankan health authorities. A severe crisis was created in the northeastern region of the country due to the war against the Tamil rebels, which left 300,000 people homeless and forced them to live in appalling conditions. The humanitarian shipment, which was collected and organized by MASHAV, the Israel Center for International Cooperation, will be presented by MFA Deputy Director General for Asia and the Pacific, Ruth Kahanoff, who is currently visiting Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The MFA’s shipment is in response to the request of the Sri Lankan president, who requested the assistance of the international community.

China prepared to assist development in Sri Lanka – Yang Xiuping       

China is prepared to assist to develop any sector in Sri Lanka after it has been liberated from terrorism says new Chinese Ambassadress in Sri Lanka Ms.Yang Xiuping. She said time has come to strengthen the economic, social and political relations that have existed for a very long period and China would assist Sri Lanka in any sector that needs assistance. The new Chinese Ambassadress said this when she met Minister of Plantation Industries D.M. Jayaratne at his ministry on the 17th. The Ambassadress said China could specially assist in plantation industries and she would get the assistance of the Chinese government in finding markets especially for the rubber industry in Sri Lanka.  Minister Jayaratne thanking the Ambassadress said Sri Lanka tea has got a good market.  

No plan to build watchtower at Katchatheevu: Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka on Friday categorically denied reports that the government had “intentions of constructing a watchtower or have a military presence” on Katchatheevu Island.In a statement here, the Foreign Ministry referred to media reports alleging that the Sri Lankan government was intending to construct a watchtower and a military base on the Katchatheevu Island and that the Sri Lankan Navy was harassing Tamil Nadu fishermen.“The Sri Lankan Navy, after conducting investigations, has categorically denied the allegations that Tamil Nadu fishermen were being harassed by its personnel. It is likely that these malicious allegations have been orchestrated by parties with vested interests in order to strain the longstanding and warm relations between Sri Lanka and India,” it said.In Ramanathapuram, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard denied that a lighthouse tower was coming up in Katchatheevu.The issue was raised in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday with Opposition members alleging that Sri Lanka had constructed a lighthouse-like structure on the island that was ceded in 1974. A Coast Guard vessel embarked on a fact-finding mission to the Palk Strait on Friday. After anchoring inthe Indian waters of the IMBL, the defence personnel inspected whether any tower was built at Katchatheevu. They could see the entire island since it was just around 2 nautical miles from the IMBL. They also used binoculars and other equipment to inspect the island. But they could not see any tower-like structure. A top-level Coast Guard official told The Hindu that there was no building except Anthoniyar church, which was constructed by an Indian several years ago.

UNP won’t allow one-man polls
   
The main opposition UNP said yesterday it would field a candidate for the next presidential election to prevent anyone being elected uncontested. UNP front-liner Lakshman Kiriella said it was essential for the presidential election or for that matter any other election to be conducted in accordance with the Constitution. He said it would be a breach of people’s democratic rights if it happened any other way. “The UNP will face a future election with confidence and from a point of strength. We are eager to face any electoral challenge,” Mr. Kiriella said.  The UNP statement came in the wake of UPFA activists passing resolutions at district and and provincial level calling for the extension of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s term of office without holding an election while public rallies were also being held to promote similar sentiments.

Free fishing in Jaffna

All restrictions on fishing imposed on Jaffna fishermen will be lifted from today on the specific directions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP officially announced this in Karainagar, Jaffna yesterday. Accordingly, Jaffna fishermen will be able to engage in fishing in the sea around the peninsula round the clock without any hindrance. They will also be able to send their harvest to the markets in Colombo through the A9 road which is now open, Rajapaksa MP said addressing fishermen in the peninsula at the Karainagar Thyagarajah Maha Vidyalaya premises. The meting was held to ascertain problems of Jaffna fishermen and find quick solutions to them under the Uthuru Vasanthaya program. Rajapaksa MP said fishermen in the peninsula were earlier allowed fishing during four days per week upto a distance of two kilometres from the coast. “But from today they can engage in their vocation by venturing in to the deep seas round the clock all seven days of the week.” He said the limit on outboard engines had also been relaxed and fishermen could now use outboard engines upto a 15 horse power capacity. The Fisheries Ministry would facilitate Jaffna fishermen by building rest rooms and other facilities and funds needed would be provided through the Uthuru Vasanthaya program. Fishermen’s Co-operatives would be provided with credit facilities to build the required cold rooms. Until then two containers with cold room facilities have been stationed in the Jaffna peninsula, Rajapaksa said. He added that Rs. 303 million would be allocated for the provisions of fishing gear to Jaffna fishermen. Out of this Rs. 225 million would be allocated from ‘Gama Neguma’ and the balance Rs. 78 million would come from the fisheries Ministry funds. Rajapaksa said registered lorries would be deployed to transport the fish harvest to Colombo in sealed containers. The sealing would be done at various off loading places along the coast. The use of ‘Theppam’ would not be allowed at present until a radar system is mistalled too monitor them. Fishing would also be allowed within the Kankasenturai post outside its restricted zone. Apart from this a new ferry would be provided at a cost of Rs. 150 million to facilitate traced to and from Delft Island. The transport ban from Delft to Jaffna would also be lifted, he said. Rajapaksa added that electricity, telecommunication and other infrastructure facilities would also be provided to Mandativu island. Displaced Jaffna residents now living in IDP camps would also be re-settled soon. Resettlement would also be undertaken in Kayts once it is cleared of landmines fishing has been a major form of livelihood among Jaffna people from the past. Nearly 18,000 people in Jaffna engaged in fishing as a livelihood. The assistance rendered by them in eliminating terrorism despite their loss of livelihood was greatly appreciated by the President and the Government. It was their duty not to allow terrorism to raise its head once again in their midst. He also noted that Jaffna produced 48,000 metric tons of fish in 1983 but the harvest dropped to 2800 mt in 2008 as a result of terrorism. Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda, Fisheries Deputy Minister Felix Perera, Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, Navy Commander Admiral Wasnatha Karannagoda, Northern Naval Commander Rear Admiral Somatillake Dissanayke, Jaffna Commander Maj. Gen. Mendaka Samarasinghe and Jaffna GA K. Ganesh were also present on the occasion.

CID tells Court LTTE women’s wing leader being interrogated

The CID on Wednesday told the Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi that the LTTE’s women’s wing leader Subramanian Sivagami alias Kamalini was in their custody and being questioned on her involvement in LTTE’s past activities.The CID told the Magistrate that she was arrested on May 20 this year at Kanagapuram Road in Uadayanagar in Kilinochchi, and had been detained on the orders of the Defence Secretary for questioning about aiding and abetting LTTE terrorists.Kamalini, who has studied up to GCE A Level Examination at the Kilinochchi Central College, joined the LTTE on July 27, 1991 and later received arms training. She was attached to the Women’s wing of the group, the CID said.The suspect later studied political science under LTTE theoretician Anton Balasingham and had acted as the leader of the Women’s Wing at Kilinoichchi, Kilali and Waligamam. She had also participated in the attack on the Pooneryn Army Camp and had edited a Tamil magazine known as ‘Freedom Birds’. She had been in charge of its circulation. After the LTTE Women’s Wing leader Fasmi was killed by the Army in a confrontation in June 2000, Kamalini was appointed as the head of the Women’s Wing, the CID told Court.The Court heard that she maintained her office near the LTTE Peace Secretariat at Kilinochchi and the organization had given her a double cab. She was also a member of the LTTE peace delegation that travelled with the Sri Lanka delegation in 2003 and 2005 to Switzerland and Norway. During her stay in those countries she had met heads of several Tamil organizations and delivered lectures to them about the activities and aspirations of the LTTE.The CID told the Magistrate that she had to be further questioned and wanted a fresh date to submit more details about her.Court ordered that she be produced again on July 17.

19 June 2009

TNA contemplates suing Defence Ministry

The Tamil National Alliance is contemplating legal action against the Defence Ministry for preventing it from going to Jaffna and Vavuniya to hand over nominations for the local government polls and engage in the election campaign. The Defence Ministry had told the party that the Northern Province was not yet cleared for political activities.TNA Parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah, General Secretary said it was a denial of their rights. Another reason cited by the Defence Ministry was that the Ministry was concerned about the MPs’ security.Senathirajah said that the TNA met the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake on Monday and raised their concerns and grievances pertaining to the conduct of the two elections in the North. "We told him that nearly 300,000 of our people are languishing in welfare centres. Many others had been displaced and the situation is not conducive to hold elections in the North. We also told him that more than half the Tamil and Muslim voters in the Jaffna Municipal area are displaced," They told the polls chief that there were armed personnel, other than members of the armed forces and the police, roaming the area and holding an election under such circumstances could lead to many malpractices.Following this meeting the TNA had written to the Elections Commissioner and the Defence Ministry about the true situation, but had not received a response.He said the party had already nominated authorized agents, for Jaffna and Vavuniya, but were still unable to hand over nominations which commenced on Wednesday.

The MPs have the right to access to the welfare camps 
 
Chief Justice Ashoka de Silva said today (18) that the members of the parliament had right to access to the welfare camps.The Chief Justice made this declaration when a fundamental rights petition filed by MPs Jayalath Jayawardhana, Lakshman Senevirathna, Mangala Samaraweera, Hasan Ali and Mano Ganeshan was granted leave to proceed. The petition will be considered again on July 22. The petitioners cited that their fundamental rights were breached by denying access to the welfare camps to visit the displaced people. They also said that the elected MPs of Sri Lanka have the right to look into the problems of the people of the country and to report them to the parliament. They asked for the equal access as granted to the government ministers, MPs of the British parliament, Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi, UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon, and UN humanitarian chief John Holmes etc.Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the Attorney General and others have been named as respondents.The petition was considered today by a panel of judges comprised of the Chief Justice, justices Jagath Balapatabendi and Chandra Ekanayaka.Counsel J. C. Weliamuna appeared for the petitioners. 

Sri Lanka May Become ‘Hong Kong of India’ After War

Sri Lanka’s economy can bounce back from its weakest growth in six years and become the “Hong Kong of India” as the end of almost three decades of civil war boosts business opportunities, HSBC Private Bank said. Decades of fighting on the Indian Ocean island shackled its $32 billion economy, which according to figures released yesterday expanded 1.5 percent last quarter from a year earlier as the global recession intensified the slowdown. Ports, retailers, apparel and tea exporters could lead a recovery after the Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated last month. “The rebound will be spectacular,” said Arjuna Mahendran, the Singapore-based chief investment strategist for Asia at HSBC Private Bank, which oversees $494 billion in assets. “To start with, Sri Lanka’s location gives its port a natural advantage.” Sri Lanka could benefit from its proximity to India, just as Hong Kong profits from being a trade hub to China. Sri Lanka lies 31 kilometers (19 miles) south east of India, the world’s second-fastest-growing major economy. Seventy percent of the volume handled by the Colombo port is trans-shipment of goods imported by India and this could be increased because Indian ports don’t have adequate depth, Mahendran said. Sri Lanka has embarked upon a plan to quadruple capacity at the Colombo port in three years. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were defeated on May 16, ending their 26-year struggle for a separate homeland in Sri Lanka. The Tigers, who controlled a third of the country at one point, fell swiftly since January as the Sri Lankan military launched an unprecedented offensive to wipe them out.

‘Lot of Potential’

“It’s something you never expected to happen when you have lived most of your life under the specter of war,” said Otara Gunewardene, who runs Odel, Sri Lanka’s biggest department store. “It’s unbelievable. I see things differently now and see a lot of potential for growth.” Odel plans to sell a stake in the company to overseas investors and spend $20 million to add another 70,000 square feet to its flagship store in Colombo and open new outlets in other cities in the country. “We fought terrorism and now the economic war has to be fought,” said Malik Fernando, whose family owns Dilmah Tea Co., among the best-known Ceylon tea brands in the world. “For manufacturers, the cost of doing business is very high because infrastructure, like roads and power, was neglected because of the war.”

Small Economy

Dilmah, for example, operates a bus service in Colombo to pick up their workers from home because “we know that if they use the public transport, they are going to be late, fagged out and stressed,” Fernando said. Still, Sri Lanka can be turned around quickly as it is a small economy and Dilmah is exploring options to expand in the hotels and tourism business, Fernando added. John Keells Holdings Ltd., the island’s biggest diversified company, said it sees opportunities to grow in all its businesses from property development to banking and insurance. Tea exporters could also benefit from a 30 percent surge in prices this year while the worldwide recession hasn’t sapped demand for the high-end lingerie and apparels the nation sells overseas, HSBC’s Mahendran said. Sri Lanka, which receives about 500,000 tourists each year, aims to increase that number by at least 20 percent annually through a global campaign entitled “Small Miracle,” said Dileep Mudadeniya, managing director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

More Tourists

The war discouraged travelers from the U.S. and Europe for years from visiting the teardrop-shaped tropical island. Occupancy rates have been 40 percent in the past two years in Colombo’s five-star hotels, which have a combined capacity of 2,000 rooms, said Jerome Auvity, general manager at Hilton Colombo. As a result, the average room tariff is about $62 a night, he said. “There is no immediate reaction suggesting business is rising,” Auvity said. “Give it another six months to see whether confidence returns to Sri Lanka’s leisure market. There is still this dark cloud, this debate and issue regarding the displaced people.” The final battles have left about 300,000 people displaced and living in more than 40 camps across the northern part of the country. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said last month he intends to resettle them in the region within 180 days. Still, the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka expects foreign direct investments to quadruple to $4 billion by 2012, led by investments in ports, tourism, telecommunication and textiles.

Foreign Investment

“We have been getting encouraging responses from foreign investors,” said Dhammika Perera, chairman of the Board. “We expect three leading hotel chains to sign an investment agreement with us in about three months.” Sri Lanka’s economic growth can accelerate almost four times the current pace to 6 percent by 2010, says Prakriti Sofat, an economist at HSBC Holdings Plc. in Singapore. Citigroup Inc. economist Anushka Shah expects growth at 5.7 percent next year. The nation’s benchmark stock index, the Colombo All-Share Index, surged 3.1 percent to 2416.02 at close of trade today, the most since the week the war ended, as local investors snapped up shares. The Securities and Exchange Commission is now keen for the likes of George Soros, Mark Mobius and other top fund managers to invest in the country and help the Colombo Stock Exchange double its capitalization to $14 billion in a year. “It will take a while for people to realize that a 30-year war has ended and the dividends it can bring,” said Channa de Silva, director general of the Commission. “Sri Lanka is a country waiting to unfold and we are confident there will be a lot of interest internationally.”

Tamil protest ends after 73 days 
 
A 73-day protest involving thousands of people demonstrating over the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka has ended.The protest featured hunger strikes, mass sit-ins blocking central London roads and people throwing themselves into the River Thames. One of those involved, Ambi Seevaratnam said: "After 73 days, nothing has worked. The Tamils have been betrayed by the international community." Protesters have at times clashed with police in Parliament Square. Last month, a senior Metropolitan Police officer warned the long protest was diverting resources from other areas. Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said if it continued it would have a "long term" impact on crime. Police in London chose not to use force to clear the protesters, but maintained a 24-hour presence, with the cost of the operation exceeding £10m. Participants had put up several tents in the centre of Parliament Square and at one point opened a curry takeaway. The number of protesters varied over the 73 days from a handful to more than 15,000 as organisers called in support via text message and website posts. About 100,000 demonstrators joined a march and rally organised by the British Tamil Forum in early April. Surges in activity followed developments in Sri Lanka. In May government forces wiped out almost the entire senior Tamil Tiger leadership, ending the 26-year war between the army and the rebels. The UN believes that nearly 7,000 civilians may have been killed and another 13,000 injured in the war since January. More than 250,000 people have been displaced from their homes in the north. Suren Surendiran, of the British Tamil Forum, said further events, including another central London rally this Saturday, had been planned. He said: "I am pleased with how the protest has gone. It was an opportunity to make the British public aware of our concerns and despair. "Previously people thought of Sri Lanka as a holiday destination or a place for cricket. Now they are aware of some criminal activities, including state-sponsored terrorism. "Whether people take sides or are aware of the details, I don't know. But they are aware something is happening there."

Tamils 'betrayed'

Sivendran Nadarajah, 20, from Mitcham in south London, told BBC Asian Network he thought the protests had been "worth it" because they had brought the truth about Sri Lanka to the fore. He said protesters were sorry for the inconvenience caused when they blocked roads with the protest. "We only did it for attention. We did a lot of protests calmly, peacefully, where thousands of people turned up. We couldn't get our message across. But when we blocked the road... I'm 100% sure people understand it was because of a crisis in Sri Lanka."Ambi Seevaratnam, who was involved in talks between student organisers and police, said many people remained extremely angry about the fighting in the country. She said students had decided to continue to put pressure on politicians and the media. "To achieve this it is not enough to stand in Parliament Square and scream," she said. "After 73 days, nothing has worked. We feel the Tamils have been betrayed by the international community." The Tamil Tiger rebels started fighting in the 1970s for a separate state for Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east. They argued Tamils had been discriminated against by successive majority Sinhalese governments. A statement by a UK Tamil students group said on Wednesday a pledge would be made as the protest ended "to continue the struggle for self determination by other means".

Tamil Tiger leader fought to the death: rebels

A newly formed front of the defeated Tamil Tigers on Thursday rejected media reports that their former leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had surrendered or was taken alive before being killed.A group calling itself the department of intelligence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said Prabhakaran was killed in May while trying to escape to safety."Contradictory information are circulating that he was arrested, that he surrendered, that he was killed after interrogation and that he committed suicide," the group said in an e-mailed statement to news organisations here.It admitted that they themselves gave conflicting accounts about the fate of Prabhakaran, who the military said was killed in an exchange of fire on May 18 in the island's northeastern Mullaittivu jungle-lagoon area."We confirm emphatically that the National Leader did not surrender and was not arrested but fought attaining martyrdom," the group said citing, unnamed Tiger cadres who escaped the final military offensive.The group admitted that the Tigers tried, but failed, to secure the escape of Prabhakaran, 54. His eldest son Charles Anthony was killed while the whereabouts of his wife and two other children remain unclear.The Sri Lankan authorities have not published a post-mortem examination report or officially confirmed how or when Prabhakaran died. Local reports have speculated that he may have been captured or executed after surrendering.Prabhakaran first took up arms against Sri Lanka's ethnic Sinhalese-majority in 1972, with the island slipping into full-scale ethnic war in the early 1980s.

Three LTTE cadres killed

Three LTTE cadres were shot dead by Police on Wednesday night when they threatened the residents of Neluwakulama demanding money.According to Police, the residents of Neluwakulama had earlier complained of these LTTE cadres demanding money from them, but they escaped whenever the Police had gone in search of them. However on Wednesday night, when they were spotted in the village, Police were tipped off. On seeing the Police they had tried to open fire and Police shot all three dead.Police also recovered three revolvers and a mobile phone they were carrying.

Northern rail track to be extended to Omanthai

Work on the Northern railway track will be extended upto Omanthai within the next three months under the restoration project. Sri Lanka Railways Commercial Superintendent Wijaya Samarasinghe told the Daily News that work on the rail track from Thandikulam to Omanthai has already commenced and it is due to be completed before the first week of September. People in the Galle district under the patronage of Social Welfare and Social Services Deputy Minister Lionel Premasiri have provided aid and manpower to construct the Omanthai railway station, Samarasinghe said. He said operations of the Yal Devi train will be extended upto the Omanthai railway station shortly, after the restoration of the rail track, railway station and the signal system is completed. "We expect to complete the balance 160 km rail track of the Northern Line by 2010 under the Uthuru Mithuru program launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to enable the people to travel to the North by train," he said. It is estimated that around Rs. 14 billion is needed to restore the entire rail track. The Government will construct the first section from Vavuniya with its own funds. It will seek foreign and local funds to construct the balance 160 km track. The Transport Ministry has issued the ticket - Hadavathata ticket ekak each costing Rs. 1,000 to be collected for the project. The ticket will initially be made available at 173 main railway stations and 161 sub stations islandwide. Samarasinghe said people buying the ticket to support the Uturu Mithuru project will be valid for a single journey from Colombo to Jaffna once the restoration of the railway track is completed. He said Sri Lanka Railways officials and employees have decided to donate their one day salary to the Uthuru Mithuru project. The Railway Department invites public contribution to complete the project.

17 June 2009

Independent body needed to investigate Sri Lankan abuses - Amnesty

An independent international commission must be set up to investigate human rights violations in Sri Lanka over the last 20 years, as successive governments have failed to account for abuses such as torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during its civil war, Amnesty International said. Sri Lanka last month declared victory over rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a conflict which lasted over a quarter of a century and saw tens of thousands killed and hundreds of thousands of people uprooted from their homes and forced to live in displacement camps. Human rights groups have been particularly critical of the last months of the war, where they say both the government and Tigers showed a wanton disregard for human life with between 10,000 and 20,000 people killed during this period alone. The military has been accused of continuously using heavy artillery to shell a tiny strip of land where Tigers were trapped along with hundreds of thousands of civilians, while rebels were accused of holding civilians hostage and using them as human shields. Both parties have rejected the charges. However, the government remains under pressure to recognize calls both domestically and internationally for accountability and transparency, with the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon saying earlier this month that any credible accusation of human rights violations should be investigated. But according to a report published last week by the London-based human rights group, serious human rights violations have been occurring in the Indian Ocean Island for many years. "As the Sri Lankan people contend with the most recent abuses committed by both sides of the recent conflict, particularly during the last few months of the fighting, the reality is that they have been haunted by injustice and impunity for years," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Director.

FLAWED JUSTICE

The report titled "Twenty Years of Make-Believe: Sri Lanka's Commissions of Inquiry" said that over the last 20 years, there have been assassinations of public figures, killings of aid workers and other civilians, and enforced disappearances. It cited various examples of violations including the massacre of 17 aid workers from Action Contre la Faim (ACF) in the town of Muttur in 2006. Fifteen bodies were discovered lying face-down on the front lawn of the charity's office, with bullet wounds to head and neck, indicating that they have been shot at close range, execution style. Two more staff members were found in a car nearby, possibly trying to escape. The report also mentions the case of a lawyer tortured to death in police custody as well as the mass "disappearance" of 159 people from a camp for displaced people. Ad hoc commissions of inquiry established by the government over the last two decades have lacked any real credibility and delayed criminal investigations, said the study. Authorities had failed to protect victims and witnesses, said Amnesty, adding that state agents had even intervened directly in some cases to eliminate witnesses through bribes, threats, harassment, intimidation and violence, including murder, to discourage police investigations. The study added that the country's "glacially slow" criminal justice system - which is subjected to political pressure - is so degraded that the vast majority of human rights violations over the past 20 years have never been investigated, let alone heard in court. "The Sri Lankan authorities have had little success in providing accountability for abuses against civilians committed by the LTTE; they are even less likely to effectively investigate and prosecute their own forces for violations of human rights and humanitarian law," said Zarifi. "Given the scale of the problem of impunity in Sri Lanka, accountability can only be achieved with the active commitment of the Sri Lankan government, supported by systematic and sustained international human rights monitoring and technical assistance."

PC on abductions, killings Batticaloa still a cause for concern

A Presidential Commission tasked with investigating abductions, killings and disappearances in all parts of the country on Tuesday (June 16) said that though the situation in the Ampara and Trincomalee districts had improved, Batticaloa remained a cause for concern. Retired Justice Mahanama Tilakaratne yesterday told a press conference at the BMICH that the police deployed in the Batticaloa district had to depend on the army to maintain law and order. He said that differences between various Tamil groups, particularly factions headed by Karuna Amman and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, had caused trouble.When compared with the situation in the East a year ago, there had been a marked improvement in the conditions in the region, he said.Responding to our queries, he said though some government officials in charge of civil administration in the Batticaloa district had called for immediate relaxation of existing security measures, the police wanted the measures to continue as part of their overall strategy to counter a possible attempt by the LTTE to re-group.He said that the involvement of former LTTE cadres in two cases of abduction and killing of girls in a bid to collect a ransom in the East was evidence that a lot had to be done to restore normalcy.In the Batticaloa district, the police maintain 12 stations and 74 check points.In the neighbouring Trincomalee district, there are 14 police stations in the Trncomalee and Kantale divisions. Of the 11 road blocks along the Trincomalee-Habara road, only two remain now, he said.According to him, police stations in the Eastern Province had received 331 cases of abductions, disappearances, unidentified bodies and unsolved killings this year up to May 31. Of them, 129 had been reported from the Batticaloa district.

Karuna writes to PM on Lanka's reported move on military base

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Tuesday said India should verify reports about Sri Lanka's proposed intention to set up a military base in Katchatheevu, saying "the unilateral action" was a great cause of concern for fishermen and the state government. Katchatheevu is an islet ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he cited Tamil newspaper reports about Sri Lankan Navy's intention to set up a watch tower and a military base and said "it should be verified by the Government of India with its agencies." Incidents of harassment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy continues unabated despite repeated requests by the state government and assurance given by Sri Lankan authorities to India, Karunanidhi, whose DMK is a key partner of the UPA Government at the Centre, alleged. Tamil Nadu fishermen have often come under attack allegedly by Sri Lankan Navy in and around Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to Sri Lanka in 1974. This issue has been seized by AIADMK and some other political parties to demand the retrieval of the island. Karunanidhi said that after the annual ban imposed by the state government on mechanised fishing boats and trawlwers ended on May 29 last, fishermen put out to the sea off Rameswaram hoping to conduct fishing "in a peaceful manner" with the political situation in Sri Lanka having undergone a change. "To their shock, the Sri Lankan Navy continued its tirade against the poor fishermen by damaging their boats, seizing the fish catches and harassing and intimidating them in mid sea," he said in the letter a copy of which was released to the media here tonight.

Canada to remain 'involved' with Sri Lanka on Tamils despite visa denial

Despite Colombo's refusal to give visa to its parliamentary secretary Deepak Obhral, Canada said Monday it will continue to engage Sri Lanka on the Tamil issue and work to rehabilitate Tamils displaced by the conflict.Indian-origin parliamentary secretary (equal to minister of state in India) Deepak Obhrai, who was denied visa by the Sri Lankan High Commission here last week, said Canada remained committed to the reconciliation process in the island nation. 'Despite denial of visa to me, we want to be engaged with Sri Lankans to bring about reconciliation between them and the Tamils,' Obhrai told IANS. Obhrai was the second-highest ranking Canadian to be denied entry into Sri Lanka last week.Before him, Canadian opposition leader Bob Rae was sent back from Colombo last Tuesday after being told that he was a LTTE sympathizer. Rae, who is foreign critic (shadow foreign minister) for the opposition Liberal party, was forced to sleep at Colombo's international airport before being put on the next return flight.He represents the Toronto constituency where the Tamils live in large numbers.'When the Sri Lankans were deporting Rae, they told me at that time that they cannot accommodate me. To put it bluntly, they refused me the visa,' said Obhrai.But Canada's Indian-origin minister, who is parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, said, 'Canada's position on Sri Lanka has not changed despite their denial of entry to Bob Rae and me. We are going to be involved with them.'He said his government has given Sri Lanka $3 million for humanitarian work to rehabilitate the Tamils displaced by the conflict.'We are concerned about the displaced people and want them to be rehabilitated at the earliest. We also want Sri Lanka to remove all irritants in the process of reconciliation in the country,' Obhrai said.Canada is home to 300,000 Sri Lankan Tamils who came here during the 25-year-long conflict. The biggest Tamil group outside Sri Lanka, they were in the forefront of worldwide protests against the Sri Lankan assault on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE).

'New government' for Tamil Tigers 

Sri Lankan rebel group the Tamil Tigers say they are forming a "provisional transnational government" to pursue self-rule for the Tamil minority.In a statement released from an unknown location, a Tigers' spokesman said the new body would advance what he said was the next phase of the struggle. The move comes almost a month after the government declared it had finally defeated the Tamil Tigers, or LTTE. Rebels had fought for decades for a Tamil homeland in the island's north. At the end of the conflict, most of the group's leaders were dead and many of its supporters in the Tamil diaspora confused and humiliated. The announcement came in a statement by Selvarasa Pathmanathan, one of the few senior Tigers still alive and the movement's head of international relations. He announced plans to set up what he called a provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam, or the Tamil homeland.

'Necessary move'

Mr Pathmanathan said it was a necessary move to advance "the struggle", saying people wanted such a homeland and self-rule. He said a committee was being formed to help the process, headed by an exiled Tamil lawyer, Rudrakumar Viswanathan. Late last month, Mr Pathmanathan acknowledged that the Tamil Tigers' main leader, Prabhakaran, was dead and he said the LTTE had given up violence. But this statement suggests it hasn't given up a separatist agenda. That is not likely to go down well with the international community or with the Sri Lankan government, which is still celebrating its military victory. "We have removed the word 'minorities' from our vocabulary," President Mahinda Rajapaksa said recently, and one of his ministers said that anyone espousing the ideals of the LTTE was violating the law.

MP murder probe 'inadequate'  
 
Police investigations into the murder of a Tamil MP are 'unsatisfactory' says a presidential commission of inquiry into serious human rights violations.Former High Court Judge Mahanama Thilakaratne, president of the presidential commission of inquiry (CoI), told BBC Sandeshaya that police have filed charges against two soldiers on killing Joseph Pararajasingham, MP, without finding any evidence.Mr. Pararajasingham was shot dead by unidentified gunmen as he was attending a Christmas mass in Batticaloa in 2005."Police even did not know whether a T56 rifle or a pistol was used for the killing," he said. He expressed disappointment over the conduct of police in a serious investigation.

Security in east

"Police filed charges against two soldiers but later said they did not have evidence. Later, the Bishop accused Karuna and military intelligence of killing the MP". Karuna (Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan), then a paramilitary leader was later appointed as an MP and a minister by the government.The CoI have also begun investigations into the abductions of Prof. Dhammika Ganganath Dissanayaka and media trade union leader Poddala Jayantha. "It is too early to comment on police investigations but I am watching. I will advise them how to focus if needed," Justice (rtd.) Thilakaratne said. If police investigations lack progress on the abduction of Poddala Jayantha, he said, he will advise the president to hand over the probe to another body. The CoI was appointed by the president to look into the serious rights violations since 2006.The retired justice added that violence has decreased in the east since re-establishing civil administration in the province.However, security is still tightened in Batticaloa district, he said.

Nominations for Jaffna MC, Vavuniya TC

Nominations have been called for electing members to the Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Town Council by respective retaining officers in the two districts. Accordingly, nominations will be received by retaining officers with effect from June 18 up to 12 noon on June 25 at their respective offices. Under terms and conditions of nominations 23 members are to be elected for Jaffna Administrative District while 11 members will be elected for Vavuniya Administrative District, elections officials said. Youth candidates are encouraged in this Local Government election and the leaders of Independent Groups will have to deposit Rs. 7,250 for Jaffna while Rs. 3,750 for Vavuniya.

10 June 2009

Tamils' problem larger than that of LTTE: Manmohan

Declaring the Tamil problem as "larger than that of the LTTE", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday hoped that Sri Lanka would show courage in meeting their legitimate concerns. "The Tamil problem is larger than that of the LTTE. We hope Sri Lanka will show imagination and courage in meeting the legitimate concerns and aspirations of Tamil people to live their lives as equal citizens and with dignity and self-respect," he said in the Lok Sabha. Mr Singh was replying to the the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament. He said India has been taking an active part in the relief and rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka. "I have already earmarked Rs 500 crore for this purpose," Mr Singh said. The Government was willing to do more to restore normality and to return such people to their rightful homes and occupations, he said.

More Sri Lankan displaced go home 

Two thousand people are being resettled in their villages in Sri Lanka's north-west after being displaced by the civil war, which ended in May.The group is the third and largest batch resettled so far as part of an ongoing programme in Sri Lanka's north.Although they are returning to their original home areas in the Mannar district, some of their homes would be rebuilt, officials told the BBC. More than 250,000 people are still being kept in government-run camps.

Landmines

The 2,120 Tamils and Muslims being resettled represent another step towards what the government calls a "northern spring", a return to normality in the large portion of the country which was affected by the war. A resettlement ministry official told the BBC that the government was helping provide items like fishing nets and boats, irrigation tanks and gardening goods. The UN refugee agency is monitoring the return process and assisting with water and sanitation. It says these people fled their homes about two-and-a-half years ago, just after the start of the final phase of the war which saw the armed forces go all-out against Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for a separate homeland. Landmines have had to be cleared before these returns. The government says the people living in the huge camps in the neighbouring Vavuniya district are being strictly vetted to ensure they have no links with the rebels. Only after that process can their return home be considered. It was not immediately possible to find out from officials whether the latest batch of returnees have been vetted in this way. Even though the war has officially ended, Sri Lanka remains a heavily militarised country and the authorities say the military will play a vital role in resettling those now in the Vavuniya camps. "The military will be with the civilians even after the last refugee is resettled in his or her village," the official in overall charge of resettlement, Major-General GA Chandrasiri, said on Sunday.

APRC agrees to devolve powers within unitary state

The All Party Representative Committee chaired by minister Prof. Tissa Vitarana has reached consensus on key issues of a political solution, 'Divaina' reports.The June 09 issue of the newspaper says there is a proposal for the establishment of two governing units as a central government and provincial councils.The central government would retain ports, airports, other key installations and natural resources while financial and land powers are to be decentralized, said the article by Ranil Dharmasena who quoted a spokesman of the APRC.The final proposals recognize the Sri Lankan state as a unitary one, and a committee with special powers will decide the powers of the central government and the provincial councils.According to the proposals, provincial councils are empowered to seek foreign investments directly, but with permission by the Central Bank and the projects supervised by the central government.Prof. Vitarana is expected to handover the proposals to the government soon, the newspaper added.

Sri Lanka extends emergency laws 
 
Sri Lanka's parliament has voted to extend the state of emergency for another month, despite the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels last month.A defence spokesman said that the army still needed time to to root out any remaining Tamil rebels. The emergency has existed for most of the last 30 years and constitutionally has to be voted on every month. It gives security forces wide-ranging powers to arrest and detain suspects indefinitely without charge. "There could be fire beneath the embers," Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickemanayake told Sri Lanka's parliament. "If there are elements who still support terrorism, we will deal with them," he said. About 250,000 people were displaced during the final bloody phase of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war. Most of them are being housed in camps in the northern Vavuniya district. About 2,000 people were resettled in their home villages on Tuesday. The government says all those displaced are being strictly vetted to ensure they have no links with the rebels. Even though the war has officially ended, Sri Lanka remains a heavily militarised country, correspondents say. It is estimated that about 80,000 people died during the course of the civil war.

TMVP mayoress of Batticaloa joins SLFP

The mayoress of Batticaloa, Sivagita Prabhakaran has joined the SLFP, leaving the TMVP with several others. Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, who is TMVP leader and chief minister of eastern province, will remain in the party. Their decisions were announced after a meeting of the central committee of the party today (June 09)Three others, including Kanakasabey Prabhakaran who is husband of the mayoress, have also become members of the SLFP. Speaking to the media, Mrs. Prabhakaran said it would be an honour to serve the people under the leadership of president Mahinda Rajapaksa, whom she described as an extraordinary person.

TNA MP wants MP Kanagaratnam released from custody

Vanni District TNA MP S. Kishore requested the government to release his colleague MP Sathasivam Kanagaratnam, who had been taken into custody by the CID while he was returning with other Tamil people leaving the no-fire zone. He was participating in the emergency debate.MP Kishore said that MP Kanagaratnam had no links with the LTTE and had never aided or been involved in any terrorism activity.The one and only reason for the CID to arrest him was that he remained with his people till the last moment, he said. MP Kanagaratnam had remained in Vanni with his people."It is no crime in a Parliamentarian being with his constituents. I request the government to release him so that MP Kanagaratnam can come to Parliament with us,"he said.Many other law makers who were under arrest had been given the opportunity to come to Parliament, MP Kishore said.He also requested the government to postpone the local government elections for the Jaffna and Vavuniya districts again and to hold them whenever all local government elections are held at a future date.

Take steps to rehabilitate Tamils: Jayalalithaa

AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday asked the Centre to expedite immediate measures for rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka. "India should expedite immediate measures for the rehabilitation of IDPs in Sri Lanka as well as ensure equal status for them on the lines of the majority Sinhalese in the island nation," she said in a statement here. Stating that the "miserable conditions" of the Tamils in Sri Lanka "continued" despite the end of the war (against the LTTE), she was critical of Sri Lanka's resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council, seen as a counter by the island government to a draft Swiss-EU resolution calling for a probe into alleged human rights violations during the offensive. On India's support to the Sri Lanka's resolution, she asked whether DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi "had asked the Centre anything about this."

A Tamil released by court abducted in front of the court 
 
Aiyadurai Paramasiwan, a Tamil person was released by Hulftsdorp court after holding more than three months yesterday (08). But an unidentified armed gang tried to abduct him at the gate of the court.Paramasivan, a resident of Vavuniya was arrested in Colombo.The black-clad armed gang pointed a revolver at his head and tried to abduct him. But he escaped from them and ran into the court and made aware of the lawyers about the incident. They produced him to No: 05 court chief magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi. The magistrate said to the chief inspector in charge of the security of the court not to allow him to be arrested in the court premises. The lawyers were helpless and they asked a police team to take Paramasivam to Kotahena police station in a jeep that was followed by a vehicle of lawyers.The Terrorist Investigation Department produced Paramasivan before the court to release him on a court holiday. The lawyers made Paramasivan to surrender to Kotahena police station yesterday (08) but the police said to the relatives that went visit him today (09) that he was not there. 

Major fire at ammo dump in Vavuniya

major fire broke out in an ammunition dump at the Wanni Army Headquarters in Vavuniya last evening, destroying a large quantity of outdated ammunition, the army said.“A stock of unserviceable artillery ammunition, kept aside in one corner of the Wanni Security Forces Headquarters in Vavuniya, caught fire yesterday evening at about 5.45 pm while soldiers were removing them to be taken to a more secured area before disposal,” Army Headquarters said.After two hours, fire fighters were able to minimise the spread of the fire, it added.Meanwhile, an army official in the area said that the ammunition dump exploded with a series of loud bangs. Soon after the incident, people in the vicinity were evacuated and several roads close to the Wanni Headquarters were closed to traffic until the fire was brought under control. No damage or injuries had been caused by the accidental explosion, as the stock was old. However, the military is to launch an inquiry into the incident to find the cause of the fire -- whether it was sabotage or an accident.Last Saturday, a similar incident was reported from the Jaffna army complex, when a fire broke out at an unserviceable ammunition dump inside the high security zone. It had lasted for a few hours; however no damage or injuries were reported.A special investigation is currently underway to find the cause of the fire at the Jaffna dump.

British Aid worker suspends hunger strike

Over 500 people gathered in London outside Parliament, for a ceremony to mark the end of a hunger strike carried out by Tim Martin, a British former aid worker and director of the human rights group Act Now. Martin responded to assurances of help if he ended his hunger strike outside the Houses of Parliament in London, England, after a 21 day campaign taking only liquids, according to his supporters. Supporters attending event to conclude the strikeMr Martin's campaign's objective was to raise the awareness of the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka, and was centred on an urgent appeal to President Obama, the UK Government and the UN, to press for action to protect the devastated Tamil civilian population and uncover the true scale of the humanitarian disaster in Sri Lanka, campaign organizers said.During these 21 days, news of further atrocities and abuses in Sri Lanka have come to light - some obtained from Mr Martin's own contact network in Sri Lanka. News of increasing opposition, amongst US politicians and lawmakers, to the request by the Sri Lankan Government for an IMF loan, is reassuring to those, like Tim Martin, who believed Obama would not repeat the mistakes of the past including Clinton on Rwanda, and that Obama's ultimate stance on Sri Lanka will be a benchmark of his presidency, in terms of human rights issues, campaign organizers said.A number of British politicians from across the political divide, including Simon Hughes MP and Tony Benn, as well as many members of the Tamil community, have met with MR Martin to lend their support for his hunger strike. British celebrities including Sian Evans, singer of the band Kosheen, and Deborah Leng have also attended to offer their support.Act Now has been reporting on the ongoing atrocities in Sri Lanka over the past few months, releasing information from aid contacts. These reports have been verified in recent coverage from Channel 4 and The Times newspaper UK.

North to get 21 police stations

As part of establishing civil administration in the North after eradicating terrorism, the Police Department is to set up 21 police stations in the North and a Tamil language training centre for police personnel in Kilinochchi. Addressing the media at the Police Headquarters yesterday, IGP Jayantha Wickramaratne said after eliminating terrorism from the country after three decades, particularly in the North, it is important to establish civil administration in the liberated areas. He said a Tamil Language Training Centre (TLTC) will be established in Kilinochchi in addition to the existing TLTC in Kalladi. “We will need nearly 200 acres to build the TLTC for police personnel in Kilinochchi. The trained Tamil language police personnel will be appointed to serve in the North and the East,” the IGP said. “We are planning to establish 21 new police stations in Mannar, Mullaitivu and Mankulam divisions in the North. Seven police stations have already been set up in these areas. These police stations will function under a DIG and SSPs for each division,” he added. He said the police stations will be set up after the required lands are provided to build police stations with all facilities. “We need at least 50 acres to build police stations with all facilities for families of police personnel serving in the respective areas,” he added.IGP Wickramaratne said around 2,995 police and STF personnel were killed and 3,571 injured by LTTE attacks since 1974. Around 500 police and STF personnel were killed and 485 injured in LTTE attacks after the Mavilaru operation to the last leg of humanitarian operation. The Police Department has organized religious and memorial services islandwide for police personnel who sacrificed their lives to safeguard the Motherland. “These ceremonies will be conducted in the presence of families of war heroes. The families and relatives of the war heroes will not be neglected,” the IGP remarked. A monument will be built in Thirukkovil, Kalmunai in tribute to 600 police personnel who were massacred by the LTTE. Police blocks and checkpoints will not be removed until the last LTTE cadre is apprehended. IGP Wickramaratne said there was a belief that since the LTTE were defeated and the country free of terrorism, the road blocks and checkpoints should be removed. “The obvious reason for that is some LTTE cadres have infiltrated into different parts of the country during the last lap of the humanitarian operation in the North. These Tiger cadres without their leadership can carry out any desperate attempts to civilian life. They are still a threat to the country,” he added. “We have obtained precise information about these hiding Tigers from people living in the IDP centres in Vavuniya. We will continue our roadblocks and checkpoints until the last LTTE cadre is arrested,” he said.

09 June 2009

Sri Lanka should devolve power to Tamils: Congress

The Congress on Monday demanded that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa should fulfil his promise of devolution of power to minority Tamils and end their "discrimination" to bring lasting peace in the island. During the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Jayanthi Natarajan (Cong) said it was absolutely vital for the Sri Lankan government to ensure immediate relief to Tamils displaced due to the war with LTTE so that they can return to their homes. The war zone needs to be de-mined so that the displaced Tamils can return to their homes, she said, stressing on proper relief and rehabilitation for the war-affected and medical attention to the injured. "We demand that President Mahinda Rajapaksa ensures proper devolution of authority to Tamils (as was promised by him)," she said adding "discrimination" against minority Sri Lankan Tamils should end. "Nothing short of this will satisfy us," she said. Ms. Natarajan said "20,000 innocent Tamil civilians were killed" in the war against LTTE and it was time that the entire world community stands up to see that the Sri Lankan President fulfils his promise to treat "Sri Lankan Tamils as equal citizens." As she made reference to the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka, K Malaisamy (AIADMK) and D Raja (CPI) wanted to make certain counter-points but were disallowed.

Mervin offers seat to Gota
   
Labour Minister Mervin Silva has offered to resign from parliament to enable Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to be appointed as an MP. Minister Silva told the Daily Mirror he had written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa expressing his desire to resign from parliament but said he was yet to receive a response from the UPFA leadership. He said this was one way of performing his duty to the country. “As rural folks we are aware of our duties,” he said. Minister Silva entered parliament on the national list after the 2004 General Election.

Will MK go to Lanka?          
 
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to Colombo to apprise him of the ethnic Tamils issue, according to Tamil MP from the island nation Arumuga Thondaiman. ‘An official invitation in this regard will be sent very soon,’ said Thondaiman, who called on Karunanidhi’s daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi yesterday.The Lankan MP reportedly discussed with her the relief and rehabilitation measures to be taken up for the affected Tamils in the island nation. Lanka should devolve powers to Tamils: Chidambaram Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after meeting Karunanidhi in Chennai yesterday, Union Home P Chidambaram said Sri Lanka should devolve powers to Tamils in line with the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord and ‘if possible go even beyond that.’‘The Sri Lankan government should implement the 13th amendment of the Indo-Lankan Accord on devolution of powers.... if possible go beyond that,’ he said.Chidambaram said the Lankan government should strictly proceed towards rehabilitating the Tamils. India, he said, too was working for the internally displaced Tamils and had donated large sums of money.Chidambaram, who called on Karunanidhi for the first time after taking charge as Home Minister in the new UPA government, said he met the DMK chief to get ‘inputs on what he was thinking and what has to be done for Lankan Tamils and how to rehabilitate them as well as how we should be proceed in this regard’.He said he would present Karunanidhi’s ‘thoughts’ at the Union Cabinet meeting.

SRI LANKA: Betrayals and Transcending Beyond LTTE:  By Ravi Sundaralingam.

“The world without the LTTE is a good place to live in”, deceptively deceitful bellicose of a phrase that booms out of the abyss created by the killers on both sides, and their apologists in the land of serendipity, Sri Lanka.  Deceptive, because it gnaws into our senses totally destroyed by the cruelty of the LTTE, offering a false sense of security Deceitful, because the Tamils as a people are totally defeated in every sense and stand naked in front of the entire world behind barbed wires, open to all form of abuses that can be easily hidden underneath the tarpaulin sheets that cover their demolished sense of beings.

Bellicose, because (1) it doesn’t even have a façade of any international norm enshrined within and  it offers no more tangible solution than what turned out to be the false dawn promised by the LTTE, LTTE defeated itself long before the blueprint for its military defeat was hatched elsewhere. We would go further by saying that they were set up for their eventual downfall even as they were propelled to the fore. Any set-up needs compliance, which inevitably relies on skewed reasoning and concepts about each other, and the LTTE as the weaker partner in this madness, fell foul on all accounts. If so, can any serious and honest searcher of reasons place the entire responsibility solely on LTTE? Why the LTTE, purely as a military outfit, took its anti-Indian positions is understandable even if not acceptable. But, what can we make of the responsibility of the Tamil ‘intellectual community’?

The Tamil nationalism has raised serious discontent about India and of its intentions among the Tamil speaking communities. At first hand, no one would discount or belittle any strategy if and only if it could deliver; (1) restore the full democratic rights, and (2) ensure their long term socio-economic prosperity. Even if we were to ignore the conditions placed on all the groups when India intervened, the anti-Indian positions would have worked if placed within a proper strategic consideration. Now with time they were proven to be mere sentiments devoid of any regional and international perspective or strategy

In this context, the LTTE was as much a victim, just as the vast majority of the Tamil masses. The intellectual community living far removed from our homelands should bear the greater responsibility for this mishap than the LTTE. We are saddened when there is willingness to accept American interests in far away places like Afghanistan as well as in its backyard, we find it difficult to accept the Indian interest in our region, which in turn the Indian policy makers against the LTTE and eventually, against our struggle itself. 

Purity and absolute freedom

Much has been written, and no doubt, more words will be spilled about the rise and fall of the LTTE.

Two points are relevant as they serve as references to the future of the Tamils and their struggle for human dignity and survival. 

They are,

1.      The need for the sole-representation of a people by a single organisation.

2.      Purity and discipline of that organisation as the rationale and functionale of that organisation.

As far as the LTTE is concerned which of these two predetermined the other is a matter for an eternal debate, and true, they are intertwined in weaving the concept of the image of a leader and an organisation. Unlike other groups, LTTE didn’t waste time talking Marxism or other liberation philosophies, but believed its military actions spoke for its ideology, for which it had a firm strategy: protracted war to establish a de-facto state, again and again until the Sri Lankan state concedes. 

These two fundamental beliefs woven together produces the basic tenet- that if the Tamils are to be liberated, then people cannot be left under various groups but brought together. They can be filed into a rank by the forcefulness of Tamileelam argument and military actions to enforce its progress. Purity of the organisation should be the corner stone for the road to freedom.                                    

For us, “betrayals are the consequences of failed promises therefore, promises are potential betrayals.”

The LTTE committed ‘suicide’ by their understanding of  (1) the Tamil speaking communities in the island, (2) their fundamental disputes with the Sri Lankan state opposed to Sinhala people, (3) our struggle within the regional context with an international perspective, (4) the scope and prospect of its proposals, (5) its actions of internal-terrorism, i.e. to murder Tamil leaders of other groups, (6) its actions of external-terrorism to murder Sinhala leaders and an Indian Prime Minister, (7) and the misplaced trust in a unrealistic conventional military strategy, (8) the  falsified military strength to overwhelm a state machinery aided and abetted by the entire world, particularly India and China, (10) a leader and leadership of a liberation struggle, and (11) its callousness in the use Tamils lives as part of political strategy, holding them hostages until the ‘bitter-end’. 

Would any serious commentator simply list the LTTE as abject failures?  There were positives too.

1.      It was the LTTE, unlike any other group, taught us there are young men and women exist among us, who will put their lives to the fire in the hope of better lives for others.

2.      It was the LTTE, as the self-proclaimed army of a vastly outnumbered Tamil people, fought a conventional war successfully for so long, keeping the huge Sinhala army at bay. Eventually, only to be defeated by the combination of the entire world, particularly India and China.

3.      It was the LTTE, which made the Sinhala state concede that there was another self-administrating exclusive entity within its natural borders, through its MOU, attested by more than 35 countries of the International Community, which provided the Monitoring Force to maintain peace between the separated Tamil speaking and Sinhala entities.

For all their failures and brutality, which we have no hesitation in describing as betrayals, these three achievements alone will place the LTTE and its fighters in the pantheons along with all other Tamil heroes forever.

Apart from alienating its own people by its shear brutality and engendering justification for counter-brutality, the LTTE was guilty for not seeing the opportunities available and when it did for choosing the wrong option on every occasion.

Having decided to go it alone, away from the clutches of the Indians, an admirable effort on its part if it had been successful and sustainable; the only result its supporters could have expected, it palpably demonstrated its incompetence and lack of political acumen in its failure to translate any tangible political outcomes out of its historic achievement, the MOU agreement.  

Eelam and India-centric view

There is always confusion about India-centric view of the region versus any support for the policies of the Indian government of the day. Between the global position of the Asian people South Asians in particular, and the positions of a particular people or community within that domain and their right to fight for their full democratic rights. Confusions that ensue those with steamed glasses and coloured vision, and self-image of some grandeur.

Can we afford to suffer such fools prerogatives?

Our view of India is very firmly centred on its people, and that all of us, every community and tribe in South Asia belong to the same lineage we consider it to stem from India, whether it has grown into Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. 

From these geographical, genealogical, historical and now developing economical linkages we can only foresee their future prospects inextricably linked for better or worse, beyond their tribal prejudices. Moreover, our ‘revolutionary’ labels reminds us of our responsibilities to the historical consequences of colonialism and the neo-colonialism of the globalised era, and the commitment to every community in the region, while considering our right to hold view opposed to our right to achieve the full democratic rights appropriate for our people in their various stages of social transformation.

India-centric view is not to promote India’s view of our people or their understanding of our rights, but to ensure we achieve the absolutely minimum targets in our long journey to reach a meaningful relations with our Dravidian Sinhala brothers, who are at a different state of social transformation.

Then there is the confusion about our definition of Eelam, and commitment to our peoples’ needs, within a regional and Sri Lankan context. It is an anti-thesis to Tamil nationalism and Tamileelam, which confuses some of the Indian intellectuals just as much the Sinhala establishment, personified Gen. Sarath Fonsehka, with his comment to “take the war against the ‘Eelamists’ outside the island”. The fact we need to qualify these positions terminology virtually every time is not attempt to parade our wit or courage, but indicative of the lack of finesse among the intellectuals on both sides of the conflict. 

What evidence do we have to justify our views about the ‘collective’ of our South Asian community of peoples, when all we see is chaos and mayhem surrounding India and the same malaise surfacing among many ethnic communities against the states, including India? Particularly when those surrounding China are steadily progressing towards economic and social stability? A question all of us in the region should address sooner than later.        

Would the betrayals continue?

Commentators and policy makers exist to interpret situations and develop scenarios; it is for ordinary person to endure them and seek ways to adopt and survive.  

Many Indian intellectuals argue with sincerity that the Tamil speaking communities are an asset in their assessment. So it is true, that money is unavoidably an asset to a gambler who is prepared to pawn his daughter for some hard currency. 

Yet, our experiences tell us otherwise, first they were set up by the imposition of the LTTE, then using them to wipe out of their leadership and drive away the middle classes, so that final coup de grace could be delivered with LTTE’s destruction.

So the desired result: Our people are now without a leadership firm enough to stand up to the challenges our people face.

Having brought the LTTE to the fore and bringing its end, India has inevitably has taken the destiny of the Tamil speaking communities in the island in its hand, without their consent. The question upper most in our minds is, “What would they decide, a slow death or survival and revival of their fortunes?”

For all the goings-on, going forward, backward and in all directions of the Indian diplomats, we see no tangible proposals that dignify the Tamil speaking communities or India’s gravitas, except our people caged behind barbed wires with the few Indian doctors sent there to feel their pulse. 

Having accepted the Sri Lanka’s argument about ‘terrorism’ against the LTTE, would the International Community allow a people to disappear in modern times?

With the knowledge of our short term and ancient history in mind we, India-centric or anti-Indian, have the right to question, “would India commit the final betrayal of the disorientated and dismembered Tamil speaking communities?”

The killings of the LTTE leadership and the massacre of its ‘soldiers’, in reality our precious youth has brought a bloody end to the ethnic carnage for the present. 

A famous Taoist saying goes, “every disaster brings in a promise of an opportunity”. To this we may add, “every opportunity can be made into a disaster’ from our experience, if we are to behave as we have done before, reacting than being considerate and proactive.

For the first time we are witnessing a kind of debate taking place among the members of the LTTE. That it has to happen, only after a tragedy itself spells out our predicament.

We will continue as always, with the best interests of all the communities in our hearts and minds in the best of our tradition, in our limited capacity by offering advice and ideas, and support to anyone who cares to consider them for their full worth..

The following passages are for serious thoughts for everyone involved with the ethnic crisis and its process with sincerity and a strong commitment to the principles of conflict resolution. It takes more than courage to accept ones own mistakes and assessment of a process, which one propagated with strong conviction and arrogance.

Part II:  Our Assessment and Suggestions

What do we see as the objective political conditions that are facing the Tamil speaking communities today? (We avoid their socio-economic situations for later date.)

We observe,

1.      The Tamil political landscape under the LTTE, because of its advocacy and the Sri Lankan government supported paramilitary reaction to it, has been devastated with only a semblance of hope of repair.

2.      The ‘liberation struggle’, sometimes even referred to as ‘revolutionary struggle’ has damaged all social, civic, and economic pillars of the communities in the North and East, without ever replacing them with viable alternatives.

3.      The elected Parliamentarians, the members of the loosely held Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and the Provincial Council Government run by Pilaiyan are the only two internationally respectable institutions that are available to the Tamil speaking communities at present.

4.      These two institutions and the personnel attached to them are still under great physical threat and danger.

5.      There is a need for consensuses and an agreement on a minimum of understanding of all our peoples’ aspirations and requirements, in the North, East and Upcountry.

6.      The military defeat of the LTTE, the main component of the armed conflict waged by the Tamils has removed it as an objective strategic tool to achieve the belongings and the rights associated with them, for a foreseeable future.

7.      The expatriate communities have shown themselves to be a force, but proven to be inadequate as a tool for change, because of their support for an organisation than the struggle, an organisation rejected by the International community, particularly India.

8.      India no longer wants to be seen or act as a partisan supporter for Tamil demands in the island. It was the chief prosecutor of the war against the LTTE.

9.      The strongly held view that the relationship between the Indian and Sinhala establishments, as a strenuous one, has to be dispensed with.

10  The purported support for the creation of Tamileelam from the Tamil Nadu politicians is neither helpful nor constructive to the resolution of the ethnic crisis. In fact, a more serious and sensitive role to assure the Sinhala masses and their leaders will be more convincing to secure a solution on behalf of their brethren.

11.  The Sri Lankan state has not shown its willingness to sort out the root causes of the ethnic crisis. Even the APRC recommendation of limited package of devolution waits the now victorious ‘Sinhala Consensus’.

12.  There is a strong desire among the International community, including India, to bring a solution to the national question that has blighted the lives of so many thousands, both Sinhala and Tamil Speaking.

13.  Tamil speaking community leaders expressing satisfaction at the military defeat of the LTTE, the ending of a military feud with a Tamil’s armed group, cannot be interpreted as the pronouncement of the natural end of their ‘separate’ dispute with the Sri Lankan state.

14.  The non-separatist concept of Eelam, the political demarcation of all the Tamil speaking people, i.e. the socio-political cultural identity, objectively singled out by the Sri Lankan state by its acts of atrocities against every community, up until to the recent event know as the ‘bitter end’ is still the most constructive political proposal to solve the ethnic crisis once and for all.

15.  All practical reasons and conditions defined and described above leaves the Tamil speaking communities with no other option but to continue with their struggle; for their very survival, through non-violence means the only avenue open to them at present.

These observations lead us to conclude that,

I.              There should be a comprehensive regional settlement to the ethnic issue in the island, involving the representatives of the Tamil speaking communities, including those in the upcountry, and the good offices of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Sri Lanka, and India.

II.           The settlement must address the historical fears of the Sinhala communities regarding India and Tamil Nadu on one hand, and the historical and evidently obvious fears of the Tamil speaking communities in the island regarding their belongings and rights as peoples of the island, based on the principles of devolved government and delegated governance.

III.         The settlement must address the security concerns of the region, primarily that of India and, as a consequential historical concerns also that of Sri Lanka and, economic concern of every community in the region.

IV.        In this sense, development should given equal parity to security in any comprehensive settlement for the region.

Interpreting our four suggestions above

1.      The Tamil speaking communities are a distinct body of peoples, traditionally belonging to the island, now called Sri Lanka.

2.      They have equal rights to their belongings, just as Sinhala communities in the island.

3.      Their aspirations are in harmony, and not in conflict, with that of any other community living in the island, and in the region.

4.      Tamils speaking communities in the island have a particular dispute with the Sri Lankan state, which divides the belonging and rights of the people along linguistic and religious line.

5.      Tamil speaking communities can find a solution to their dispute with the Sri Lankan state, within a unifying constitutional framework.

6.      Thimbu principles and the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord serve as references to the regional settlement, and the MOU and the Oslo-Accord provide the backdrop, the international setting, for such a settlement. 

7.      Any such solution should be based on peace, justice and prosperity to all the communities in the island, and cannot be based on the military or political or psychological subjugation or at the expense of any community. 

8.      All those people living in the island must have proper democratic representation at the civic as well as executive levels. Tamils speaking communities have been long suffering without them. 

9.      Every political group and parties in the North and East and Upcountry must adhere to the fundamental principles of democracy and be prepared to represent every member of the communities despite their linguistic, cultural and religious differences.

10.  The ethnic strife in the island has historical perspective that goes beyond the geographical boundaries of the island. Historically, the Southern states of India, particularly Tamil Nadu, and recently India have been partly the cause to the anxieties and thereby to the crisis in the island. 

11.  India and Tamil Nadu owe it to all the peoples and communities in the island and work towards, provide assurances, and guarantee a lasting solution to the ethnic crisis.

12.  These assurances must take the shape of a comprehensive package of development and long term commitment to cater for all the peoples in the Southern tip of the South Asian region.

Furthermore,

Tamil communities everywhere have gone though a period of strong, aggressive advocacy and no consultation. They were asked to support not participation, even the political decisions on their behalf are kept secret, except at the last hour when some of their help was needed when all hell had broken loose.

Shouldn’t those responsible, supporters and advisers are alike, should take time away to look at their hitherto unsuccessful roles and proposals? Couldn’t the Tamil speaking communities everywhere have a break away from their bludgeoning method of ‘convincing’ to take stock of their assets and of future participation, before agreeing on a strategy?

We have apparently come to an end to the mayhem, which has killed the lives of more than 60,000 young men and women from all the communities and 100,000 Tamil civilians, maimed another 100,000 or more Tamils and Sinhalese, including civilians, and making virtually the entire Tamils more dependent on others for mercy and hand-outs. 

We also had the misfortune to witness the perversity of the Sinhala state, hitherto the bastion of Sinhala chauvinism killing the Tamils held hostage, and the hostage takers, the LTTE allowing, aiding and also participating in their bloody deaths, in the name of liberating them, both laying claim for the ownership of their allegiance and souls, to the ‘bitter-end’. 

Still no one have come forward to apologise for their false prophecies and predictions, rammed down our throats, and the willingness to account for the enormous number of deaths and destruction they have helped to cause.

As for us, who has the focus even at this difficult juncture, the first step is to take proper look at ourselves and take stock of our assets and engage in a process of consultation among us.

In the meantime take every possible steps to legitimise our claims over our belongings and rights over them, while strengthening our democratic credentials though the available political institutions. 

Above all, redouble our commitment to our people and their struggle most of whom are now either behind barbed wires or prisoners in their own homes.

Defeat of LTTE big achievement - David Miliband

The defeat of the LTTE was a massive achievement by the Sri Lankan Government and none in the British Government would shed any tears for these terrorists, said United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary of State David Miliband when he met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama who is on a two day visit to the UK. The time was now opportune to reflect on the basis for rebuilding and reconstructing of the war ravaged areas of Sri Lanka, he added. Foreign Minister Bogollagama said that the elimination of terrorism from Sri Lanka has paved the way to take the political process forward as well as holistic engagement with the international community and his first visit to the United Kingdom is a part of such a process. The Minister also briefed his UK counterpart in detail on the situation in the welfare centres. He recalled that after the visit of Foreign Secretary Miliband that the conditions and the functioning of the welfare centres are being consistently reviewed and improved. Foreign Minister Bogollagama stated that it is the policy of the government to resettle the IDPs for which a program is being initiated termed as 180 days. Responding to the question on the status of UK's Special Envoy, Minister Bogollagama stated that the position of the Government of Sri Lanka remains unchanged. Permitting the international network of the LTTE to continue its activities abroad unabated would result in this organization existing in exile and thereby its resurgence cannot be discounted warned Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama when he met UK Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Lord Mark Malloch-Brown in London. He referred to the many front organisations operating in the UK continuing to espouse the cause of carving out a separate state from the territory of a sovereign nation. The Minister pointed out the need for the British Government to discourage the Sri Lankan origin community in the UK to pursue such an objective as it has proved to be futile. He observed that agitating for a separate state was a misnomer on the part of some of the misguided elements of this segment of the community and that with their skills they could seek to give leadership to the North both on the economic and political fronts. Lord Malloch-Brown pointed out that this component of the diaspora is from the middle class and having a radical agenda, to the point of idealising the terrorist group as a liberation movement. He agreed to assist in seeking out the Sri Lankan origin community in the UK, in the commencing of a dialogue with the Government of Sri Lanka as an important part of the reconciliation process following the defeat of terrorism. Lord Malloch-Brown acknowledging President Rajapaksa's unique strength and stated that it be seized at this juncture, which he was confident that the Government would take the required action.

TNA to nominate Dr.Thomas Thangathurai William for Ampaa'rai district

Dr.Thomas Thangathurai William is to be nominated as Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian for the Ampaarai district to fill the vacancy created with the death of Kanagasabai Pathmanathan who passed away in Mathurai in South India after a brief illness, TNA sources said. Dr.Thomas Thangathurai William came second to late Kanagasabai Pathmanathan in the 2004 general election in the Ampaa'rai district held under the preferential system. Dr.Thomas Thangathurai William is a native of Pa'ndiruppu in Ampaa'rai district. He is expected to take oaths when the parliament meets this week.

Lanka should devolve powers to Tamils: Chidambaram

Sri Lanka should devolve powers to Tamils in line with the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord and "if possible go even beyond that", Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Sunday."The Sri Lankan government should implement the 13th amendment of the Indo-Lankan Accord on devolution of powers, if possible go beyond that," he told reporters after meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in Chennai to discuss the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.Chidambaram said the Lankan government should strictly proceed towards rehabilitating the Tamils. India, he said, too was working for the internally displaced Tamils and had donated large sums of money.Chidambaram, who called on Karunanidhi for the first time after taking charge as Home Minister in the new UPA government, said he met the DMK chief to get "inputs on what he was thinking and what has to be done for Lankan Tamils and how to rehabilitate them as well as how we should be proceed in this regard".He said he would present Karunanidhi's "thoughts" at the union Cabinet meeting.

Aid ship ordered to leave
 
Sri Lanka says it has turned away a ship which came from Europe carrying aid for Tamil civilians displaced in the final months of the war there. Late last week the Sri Lankan navy intercepted the vessel, which was sent by Tamil expatriate groups and was crewed by Syrians and Egyptians with a British Tamil and an Icelandic man also on board. A navy spokesman here told the BBC that the Captain Ali vessel had been ordered to clear Sri Lankan territorial waters and not come to Colombo harbour or unload anything.

Defence ministry's order

Asked whether this was not a waste of the hundreds of tonnes of food and medical aid on board, he said he could not comment as the decision had been made by the defence ministry. No defence official was immediately available to talk to. A UK-based spokesman for the Tamil expatriate grouping which sent the ship, said the banishing was "disheartening", as the Sri Lankan government could have used the ship - he said - to engage with the Tamil diaspora as a move towards reconciliation. He said the emergency aid on board was desperately needed by refugees in the north.The defence ministry here earlier described the Captain Ali as a Tamil Tiger vessel, but the defence secretary said on Sunday that the ship "did not have any dangerous intentions".

All-party team to visit Lanka

An all-party delegation might visit Sri Lanka to study the present situation and help the Tamil there, DMK MP Kanimozhi indicated on Sunday.Asked about the possibility of such a visit by an Indian delegation, Kanimozhi told reporters that there are chances for it to happen. She was speaking to newspersons after a Sri Lankan delegation comprising ministers, a trade union leader and Chennai-based consul called on her at her residence.Sri Lanka’s Minister for Social and Youth Development, Arumugha Thondaiman, deputy Minister for Rehabilitation and Training Sivalingam, trade unionist Senthil Thondaiman and the deputy high commissioner in Chennai, P M Amsa, were part of the delegation that held discussions for about half an hour.Arumugha Thondaiman said that the situation in the island nation has changed after the war and stressed on the need to think about the future of the 20 lakh plantation Tamils there.He said that elections that are due in Vavuniya and Jaffna should be held only after the displaced Tamils were resettled and added that the people of Sri Lanka expected India’s help in every aspect.Kanimozhi said that India has already sanctioned Rs 500 crore for the Sri Lankan Tamils and if there was any need for more funds, it would be decided by the government.

07 June 2009

TNA extends olive branch to TULF, PLOTE, EPRLF(Padmanabha wing)

The Tamil National Alliance (TELO,EPRLF,ACTC and ITAK) which was earlier firmly behind the LTTE, has now made overtures to the moderate Tamil parties like the TULF, the PLOTE and the EPRLF (Padmanabha wing) in the run-up to the Municipal elections in Jaffna and Vavuniya.TELO Parliamentarian N. Srikantha told The Nation yesterday, that they have already held informal discussions with the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), comprising the TULF, PLOTE and the EPRLF, to arrive at a common position, on a viable and just political solution to the ethnic problem.Asked whether the exact aim was to form an electoral pact for the forthcoming local election, Srikantha claimed they had not thought of it.The TNA and TELO Jaffna District Parliamentarian, said they would go for formal talks with the DTNA after their leader R. Sampandan, ITAK leader Mavai Senathiraja and TELO Leader Selam Adikalanathan who are now in Chennai, return in the next few days.The DTNA members in general, however, are hostile to having any dealing with the TNA, with TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree, who is the secretary of DTNA vowing “not to touch them with a bamboo pole. I don’t want to have anything to do with them.”Anandasangaree contacted in this regard, said he would rather quit politics than have anything to do with, “the worst traitors to the Tamil community.” He said despite all his pleadings, the TNA was the only party that did not call on the LTTE to release the Tamil civilians it was holding as human shields. “Because of them we have to now watch 10-year-old Tamil boys being fingerprinted like common criminals. Those children are scarred for life,” he said.When pressed from PLOTE Leader Dharmalingam Sithadthan whether it is not better to forget the past for the sake of the people, he said they could not ignore the past. “What we have to see is whether we can redeem the past or not. In any case there is no need to rush.”

TMVP in secret deal to hand over weapons

Security sources in the East say that there is a secret deal between the government and the TMVP to hand over its cache of weapons. The location for the handover has also been kept a secret according to the source.This is a sequel to the TMVP leader being appointed as vice president of the SLFP.A senior security source in the East said “the leader of the TMVP faction, Vinyagamoorthy Muralidaran alias Karuna Amman openly stated that his faction was not in the possession of weapons at the time he was appointed vice president of the SLFP. This has made it difficult for the faction to openly hand over its weapons to the government.” The officer revealed to Lakbimanews that he had received instructions from officials to prepare for a secret handover of weapons on account of this. The officer further said that the main reason for the secret handover was because the security forces were arresting two to three TMVP members on a daily basis for weapons in their possession.

TMVP meets to decide whether to be SLFP tomorrow

A crucial meeting of the Tamil Makkal Vidudalai Puligal (TMVP) is likely to take place tomorrow to decide whether or not the party should accept SLFP membership. It is speculated that some of the senior TMVP members had mounted pressure on the party leadership to accept Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) membership like their former leader Karuna Amman, who is now a non-Cabinet Minister in the UPFA government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Following this, it is believed the party has been divided, with some key figures insisting that the party members be converted as SLFP members while others opposing it.The invitation to join the government has already been extended to the TMVP unofficially by some key ministers from the UPFA.The Nation reliably learns that non-Cabinet Minister of Nation Building Karuna Amman is also making every effort to woo his supporters to accept the SLFP membership.Previously, Karuna said that he will not associate himself with a party that carries the word ‘Tiger’ in its party symbol and name.He also said that he will ensure that the name TMVP is changed to something different.Meanwhile, Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan who is out of the country and is expected to return tomorrow is planning to hold a meeting of the party hierarchy regarding this.One of Pillaiyan’s coordinating secretaries T. Prashanthan told The Nation that an urgent meeting would be summoned immediately after the arrival of Pillaiyan.He admitted that there was pressure from the government to accept the SLFP membership, but added the party has still not taken a final decision on this.He said that as the pressure is mounting and the media questioning the party regarding this, it is high time that the party took a decision soon.“Immediately after the Chief Minister arrives, I think we will take a decision,” he said.Meanwhile, a few senior members, on condition of anonymity told The Nation that they would not allow the party hierarchy to accept SLFP membership and added the need for Tamil parties will exist as long as the Tamil problems are unresolved.

Detained Tamil aid ship may be released: Gotabhaya
 
The Government is set to release the Syrian flagged MV Captain Ali that is currently detained by the Navy after it illegally crossed into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters with a shipment of humanitarian aid meant for the displaced people in the north, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said yesterday.He told The Sunday Times the ship and its crew would most likely be asked to leave once investigators were convinced that the shipment did not include any subversive material but had only humanitarian items. “So far it has been revealed that the ship did not have any dangerous intentions except that it may have violated certain international maritime laws. We are looking into all these aspects and a decision will be taken soon,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.The MV Captain Ali with 884 tons of food and other aid entered Sri Lankan waters on Thursday and was immediately detained by the Navy. The vessel and its cargo were later subjected to a thorough inspection by the Navy while the 13-member crew was also questioned.The vessel is currently anchored some seven kilometres off the Panadura coast with the Navy keeping a 24-hour watch over it. A Navy spokesman said nothing illegal was found on the ship and the fate of the vessel and its crew would be decided by the Government.It was not clear if the vessel will be directed to Colombo and the cargo off loaded or allowed to proceed as it is, with officials not willing to comment on the issue. Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona said the matter was purely defence-related. “We will get involved and pursue the formal procedures only if instructed to do so,” he said.Meanwhile, a British-based group, Mercy Mission, which is responsible for sending the ship to Sri Lanka has expressed concern over the detention of the vessel and crew. In a statement, the organization has said the Government as well as several others including senior ministers had been informed of the ship and its intended mission.Mercy Mission has called on the Government to help it overcome any paperwork errors and ensure that the emergency relief donated by the Tamil Diaspora is delivered to the IDPs.However Dr. Kohona described Mercy Mission as a fly-by-night organization that should not be taken seriously.

Fact sheet

Tracing the voyage of ‘Captain Ali’
 
March 14 - The collection of goods for “Mercy Mission to Vanni” launched at Sivan Kovil in Lewisham in Great Britain.

April 20 - The “Mercy Mission to Vanni” began the 1st leg of its journey from the port of Ipswich, May 7 - The 2nd leg of the “Mercy Mission to Vanni.”

The ‘Captain Ali’ is carrying approximately 884 metric tonnes of food, medicine, and other essential humanitarian relief items destined for the Wanni, after travelling through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

Yal Devi to reunite North and South

A thirty-year conflict comes to an end, and we bid farewell to an age of separation and usher in a new era of togetherness. The “Yal Devi” track, which united the Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities of the North and the South in times gone by, fell into ruin, and the trains ran only to Vavuniya, thereby making the division between the North and the South larger, said Project Director of the Yal Devi Louzanne Perera. The track is now being rebuilt and the “Yal Devi” is poised to bring together the people of the North and the South again. On the directive of President, Mahinda Rajapaksa the Ministry of Transport has dedicated itself to rebuild the railway track, which will cost an estimated Rs. 15 billion. After the 4 Km track from Vavuniya to Thandikulam has been completed as the first stage, the track is to be further extended up to Kankesanthurai. An Uthuru Mithuru campaign has been launched islandwide to raise funds for this endeavour. Yesterday, the Yal Devi made its maiden journey with religious observances at the Colombo Fort Railway Station. The train went beyond Vavuniya after thirty-years on the Northern line up to Thandikulam, which was refurbished recently. Plans are under way by the Railway Department to extend the Yal Devi service up to Kankesanthurai, the final destination on the Northern line.

Revenge against army, motive to kill president

Lieutenant Colonel Ranjith Perera, commanding officer of the Ratmalana transit camp, who was arrested in connection with aiding and abetting the LTTE to assassinate President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has said in a confession that he supported the LTTE after being disillusioned with the military. He has reportedly revealed that he was hellbent on taking revenge on the army. The suspect is currently being kept at a special branch of the Colombo Crimes Division and had confessed to interrogators. “All my batchmates are brigadiers. But I’m only a lieutenant colonel. I received step motherly treatment from the army. That was why I decided to help the LTTE,” the colonel reportedly confessed, according to reliable sources. Investigations have revealed that the officer had been amply rewarded by the LTTE for plotting to assassinate the president. A senior security forces commander told Lakbimanews that the LTTE had given around Rs.6 million to the lieutenant colonel. He said that the suspect had used part of this money to purchase a car for his wife. At the time of the arrest, he is said to have had Rs 1.4 million in his possession. Investigators have also found a micro pistol which had been gifted to him by the LTTE. Meanwhile, the suspect is said to have maintained links with the LTTE’s international network. Details have emerged that he had visited Singapore and Malaysia on several occasions and met LTTE agents in those countries. According to details which have come to light, he had been taken to meet the LTTE’s international contacts by a person who maintained a computer sales outlet at Majestic City in Bambalapitiya. This person is said to be an LTTE intelligence leader and is alleged to maintain close contacts with a large number of security force personnel.

Lankan commandos kill 2 rebels

Sri Lankan police commandos flushing out Tamil Tiger remnants killed two rebel fighters hiding in jungle in the east of the island, the military said Saturday. Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said the commandos confronted the guerrillas from the defeated separatist group in Ampara district on Friday. After an exchange of fire, the commandos recovered the two bodies, assault rifles, ammunition and food stocks, Nanayakkara said. No commandos were hurt in the battle, he said. The government last month declared victory in a quarter-century civil war against the Tamil Tigers after crushing its resistance and killing its military and political leaders. However, officials say there may be hidden rebel cells operating in the jungle and suicide bombers in main towns. One of the few surviving rebel leaders said in a statement late Friday that the Tamil Tigers' inability to win sympathy overseas had caused its downfall. The group began fighting for an independent homeland for minority Tamils in 1983, after decades of marginalization by the Sinhalese ethnic majority. Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the Tamil Tigers' international spokesman, said that despite demonstrations around many European capitals by expatriate Tamils, "we were unable to move the nations of the world in support of our legitimate cause." "We were only able to get these nations to voice their concerns and criticisms but were unable to get them to act to prevent the massacres or support our cause," said Pathmanathan, who lives in exile overseas. He does not disclose his whereabouts. Tamil Tiger rebels were known for their use of suicide bombers and child soldiers. The group is banned in the United States and European Union as a terrorist organization. According to United Nations, between 80,000-100,000 people from both sides died during the civil war. Thousands of Tamil civilians reportedly died in the final weeks of the conflict when the rebels were cornered on a tiny sliver of coastal land and surrounded by government forces.

Jaffna needs focused development

A focused development programe in Jaffna driven between the private sector public and people can avoid another conflict in the future in Sri Lanka. Director Economics of the Government Peace Secretariat Rohantha Athukorala said that the country should also change its global perceptions from a war economy to a Peace Economy and that energies can be directed to the more fundamental issues. "If this is not done some analysts say that another organization similar to the LTTE, could emerge. This view can be justified by the high unemployment levels in Jaffna as well as the falling attendance of the youth for secondary education in the recent past." "In 1983 there were 247 industrial SMEs in Jaffna but today there are only a mere 34 of them. "The daily catch of fish exceeded 3,000 metric tons at one time is only 200 today. This has resulted in many hardships to the 4,000 fishermen who's only livelihood is fishing. Only 30% of the agricultural lands are being used which explains the challenges that need to be addressed," he said speaking to the`Sunday Observer'. Increasing the electricity supply, drinking water and communication facilities are areas that have to be addressed soon. "One option recommended by the specialist is to draw a water line from the Iranamadu Tank which need to be strategically evaluated and a speedy action taken the speaker said which further identifies the challenges the country is faced with to drive sustainable peace into the country." "In Jaffna the roads require maintenance, private lands acquired for high security zones need to be formalized and compensation paid so that people believe in the system, which the private sector and the chambers must support," he commented. Another area that needs focus is sports in Jaffna. Sri Lanka cricket has invested Rs. 10 million to develop the sport in the peninsula after a lapse of almost 25 years with global brands sponsoring programs in many camps. Athukorala who is also an economist invited the private sector to be part of brand building as there are almost 2,100 retail outlets to service the 598,000 people who live in the peninsula. Once again a point to note is that security must be maintained especially in the peninsula. The opening of the A-9 will be a crucial step in the process of bringing in normalcy as many Pettah traders comment that the 125,000 rupees charge one way to Jaffna is exorbitant given that it can be done at 30-50,000 rupees. "One large multinational company dealer had mentioned at a chamber meeting that business can be increased from 35 million to around 60 million rupees in the Jaffna peninsula if there was free access to Jaffna." "Athukorala said that a brand of Ice Cream that is locally made in Jaffna called "RIO" could give a strong challenge to existing brands in the South. Research done globally has revealed that even though elections are a popular way of communicating peace due to the democratic process in place the insights are that an effective civil administration system can stabilize a system stronger.

06 June 2009

UN chief warns Sri Lanka against 'triumphalism'
   
UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday warned the Sri Lankan government against "triumphalism" after its recent defeat of the Tamil separatist insurgency and urged it to "heal the wounds" of the bitter conflict."I would like to take this opportunity to warn against the risk of triumphalism in the wake of victory," Ban told reporters after he briefed the 15-member Security Council on his visit to ethnically divided Sri Lanka last month."It is very important at this time to unite and heal the wounds, rather than enjoy all this triumphalism," he added, after the Sri Lankan army last month crushed the 30-year-old separatist rebellion by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."Ban reiterated that the purpose of his visit was to press for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to the more than 300,000 Tamil civilians displaced by the fighting and for their speedy resettlement,But he stressed that for the longer term the priority was to help the Sri Lankan government reach out to minority Tamils and Muslims.Tamils make up 12.6 percent of the 20 million population of the Sinhalese-majority island but have long complained of discrimination and restriction of movement.Ban said he had been told by Colombo that "conditions have improved since my visit and restrictions have been eased."But he also said that the "challenges still remain huge" and "this requires international assistance."The UN boss also called on Colombo to "recognize international calls for accountability and transparency.""Whenever and wherever there are credible allegations of violations of humanitarian law, there should be a proper investigation," he noted.Earlier Friday, Amnesty International urged the Security Council to probe war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka.The London-based rights watchdog said the Security Council should also demand full humanitarian access to state-run camps where the 300,000 people who fled Sri Lanka's war zone are being held.Earlier this week, Ban rejected charges that the UN had deliberately underestimated the death toll in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.Press reports cited confidential UN estimates that more than 20,000 civilians were killed by Sri Lankan army shelling.The Amnesty statement also cited reports of young men being taken away from the displacement camps by pro-government paramilitary forces and said they risked being tortured or even killed.Among those detained by the military are six foreign nationals of Sri Lankan origin and three doctors who worked inside the war zone and provided information about civilian casualties.The Sri Lankan government is also detaining some 9,000 suspected Tamil Tigers without legal safeguards or notice to their families, Amnesty said.

“Grant Tamils protection”

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, due to retire on Sunday, told a news conference here on Friday it was time to build a nation with one people, irrespective of religion, colour and race. The Daily Mirror, an English newspaper, quoted him as saying if there were no proper judicial and social mechanisms to grant Tamils their due protection by law, there was the possibility of another uprising, though not an armed struggle.In an address to mark the opening of a court complex at Marawila in Negombo district on Tuesday, aired with Tamil translation on Wednesday night on a local TV channel, Justice Silva said internally displaced persons sheltered in transit centres in Cheddiku’lam cannot expect justice under Sri Lanka’s law. “Law of the country does not show any interest in these IDPs. I openly say this. The authorities can penalise me for telling this. I visited relief villages where Wanni IDP families are sheltered. I cannot explain their suffering and grief in words. It is an utter lie if we continue to say that there is only one race and no majority or minority in the country.” Separately, the Presidential Secretariat said a group of 800 leaders and representatives of the Tamil business community on Friday “hailed” the leadership given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in achieving peace and unifying a divided nation.“Hindu religious leaders and prominent and influential leaders and representatives of the large Tamil business community were highly appreciative of President’s recent announcement that there will not be any minority community in Sri Lanka, and that all Sri Lankans will be citizens in a single country with equal rights and status,” it said.

Malnourished

According to a survey by the Colombo-based Medical Research Institute in March, in six out of the then 13 camps, 25.5 per cent of children suffered from global acute malnutrition, of which 5.2 per cent were severely malnourished and needed immediate rehabilitation with therapeutic food and treatment. “However, since that survey was conducted, the number of camps and IDPs has ballooned, leaving many believing the numbers are significantly higher now,” it said.Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities in charge of transitional camps for the 2.8 lakh war-displaced have so far found 14 foreign citizens amid them.M.R. Hassen, Deputy Director (Public Communications Division), Ministry of Foreign Affairs told The Hindu: “The foreign citizens in the relief villages include four from Canada, three each from Australia, two from United Kingdom and one each from New Zealand and possibly Norway”.

Tamil Nation working under a common and united policy is the need of the moment - Selvarasa Pathmanathan

”We need to think of everything related to our nation and our people from today’s pragmatic position. This is the correct and honest position, said S. Pathmanathan, (KP) LTTE's Head of International Relations. In his statement today he said that there are many urgent issues that confront the Tamil civilians and cadres who are held in detention camps of the Sri Lankan Government. we are challenged on one hand to look into the protection of these people, take care of their welfare, resettle them in their own homes in the soonest possible time, assist and support these people to get back to normalcy and find a new life for those people and cadres who have been disabled as a result of losing their limbs in the war. On the other hand the road to realise the political challenges and win our goals based on the underlying principles of a Tamil Nation, our Homeland and our right to self determination is long and arduous. To confront this enormous challenge, the need of the hour is for the Tamil nation together in partnership with the Tamil Diaspora to work on a common plan of action under a common policy” said Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan, LTTE’s Head of its International Relations Department. He further stated that, ”the Sri Lankan Government is denying the uniqueness of the Tamil Nation’s identity as One Nation and One people and attempting to imprison the the Tamil people under Sinhala hegemony. The Tamil Nation has now been pushed to the point of fighting to even preserve its national ethnic identity. This policy of the Sri Lankan Government is not only dangerous for the Tamil people of Eelam but also for the Muslims and up-country Tamils to preserve their identity. This propels the need for the Tamils of Eelam, Muslims and up-country Tamils to unite under a common strategy. ”To confront the current phase of immense challenges, we need to take a look back at our past course of action. We need to learn from our experience. Despite the powerful and uplifting show of support demonstrated by the Tamil Diaspora and our brotheren in Tamil Nadu and the many diplomatic moves we were unable to move the nations of the world in support of our legitimate cause. We were only able to get these nations to voice their concerns and criticisms but were unable to get them to act to prevent the massacres or support our cause. The Sinhala nation did not confront us alone in this fight. Instead, it conducted this war with the international community on its side, by understanding the world order, by using the Indian Ocean region’s geo-political structure in its favour and by taking into account the functions and limitations of the international frame work. Even recently, it has used the same approach to gain an upper hand and beat the resolution against it at the sitting of the Human Rights Council on 27th May 2009. It continues to successfully handle the international community to exert its hegemonistic power on the Tamils. ”In the next phase of our fight we cannot gain victory by standing alone. How are we going to move the world in favour of our nation? As our National Leader had earlier spoken, the world order is not revolving on a just orbit but a on an orbit of self interest. How do we gain the support of the world’s nations in such an order? What are the opportunities availble for us? What are the sorts of challenges do we need to confront? We need to begin to think of these in this new environment. As the world moves fast, there bound to be constant changes. These changes will also open the doors and create opportunities to liberate the Tamils of Eelam. With this hope we need to nurture our spirit of freedom from being extinguished. By raising our voice for justice for our people among International Community against all the attrocities that have been commited by the Sri Lankan government and by keeping our liberation spirit alive, we have to move forward in our next phase of struggle with the support of our brotheren in Tamil Nadu and other parts of World and with the World people who are commited to the principle of justice.” ”Moving forward to next steps, confronting the obstacles and challenges ahead, is only possible if we begin to think together, speaking the truth with our people and understanding the realistic situation. It is important and fundamental for us to accept the opinions and advices of our people to lay out our path and contruct it. ”To facilitate communications with our people we have established an email address ( prdinternational@gmail.com ). We humbly request the opinions and advice to be sent to this address in either Tamil or English”, said Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan.

LTTE associates reject giving assets worth billions of rupees to KP  
 
Sri Lankan intelligence bureaus have learnt that the present owners of the LTTE’s assets world wide have rejected handing over them to the self-proclaimed LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP.LTTE purchased property world wide with the wealth collected as ransom from the Tamil diaspora except buying weapons. They were run under the names of the LTTE’s trusted associates and they transferred a large portion of the profit to the LTTE’s account.Except Sri Lanka, the country where highest numbers of Sri Lankan Tamils live is Canada. It is no secret that these Canadian Tamils funded LTTE mostly. Thava Eliyathambi who is famous among Canadian Tamils as an open sympathizer of the LTTE and as a person that worshipped Prabakaran daily was gifted a shopping complex from North Finch. The name of the business is North Finch Shopping Center. LTTE bought several houses from Colombo and a medical center from Cinnamon Gardens via Eliyathambi. He was also eying a business of wind powered electricity generation in Sri Lanka.Eliyathambi quickly changed his pro-Vanni stance as soon as the LTTE leader Prabakaran was killed. Sri Lankan intelligence bureaus have come to know that he has planned to find his daughter a Sinhalese husband and to vest in all the property in Sri Lanka to them.Another couple that changed their position with the demise of the LTTE leader is Joseph and Gowry Malan. LTTE has purchased a Hindu temple in their names. T. Thavamanikkam, Das Navarathnam, Sri Narayandas and several others also have changed their loyalties. LTTE has bought a large number of properties in Das Navarathnam’s name in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Bangladesh.The associations that were run by the LTTE have also begun to alienate. The members of the Senior Tamil citizens’ Association of Canada ousted its Chairman Pon Kulendran last week. His rival K. Warprashasam won the post with a majority of 100 votes. Canadian police has begun an investigation regarding 169,000 dollar fraud that took place under the chairmanship of Pon Kulendran, say Canadian Tamil Association sources.
 
Dr JJ appointed to handle UNP polls campaign

The Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayaka has informed the Defence Secretary of a request by the UNP that their MP and Assistant Secretary Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena has been nominated by the party to engage in election related activities for the forthcoming local government elections to be held in the Vavuniya UC and Jaffna MC areas and as such that he be allowed free access to and from Vavuniya and Jaffna since the UNP plans to contest both local government elections Dr. Jayawardena will be based in Colombo.The Elections Commissioner has said in his letter that he had recommended the request of the UNP and had forwarded the request to the Defence Secretary for necessary action.UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake in letters dated May 29 had sought the permission of the Defence Secretary through the Commissioner of Elections to allow free access to Dr. Jayawardena nominated by the party to spearhead the election propaganda work both in the Vavuniya UC and Jaffna MC areas.

No weapons but medicine in Captain Ali ship  
 
Sri Lanka Navy sources say that the investigations on the content of the Captain Ali ship are still underway. The ship has been anchored in Panadura sea off Colombo harbor under the protection of the Navy.The crew of the ship has not been arrested and they are still in the ship. Sri Lanka government is on alert to take a decision regarding the ship until the Navy search is finished.No weapons were found but the items like medicine, food, water bottles, and crutches for the disabled. The weight of the load is about 800 metric tons. Captain Ali has left Ipswich harbor in England two months ago. Meanwhile, the Tamil Diaspora says that the ship has started return journey. The LTTE-associate Tamils in Britain collected donations and dispatched them to Sri Lanka in this ship. Sri Lankan authorities said that the unauthorized ship would be arrested.The ship bears Syrian flag and the15 member crew includes an Icelander, two Sri Lankan Tamils bearing British passports, two Egyptians and 11 Syrians. 

Sri Lanka After the War – Part II Col R Hariharan

Tamil politics of the North and East

Tamil speaking politicians are there in almost all parties including the two major political parties of Sri Lanka. Though most of the Tamil politicians talk of equitable rights for Tamils, they have never managed to make a united pitch for Tamil rights in recent times. That is how successive governments have continued to drag their feet on the issue of devolution of powers to Tamils. In this context, the emerging north-eastern Tamil political spectrum becomes important in the post war scene. They may be broadly divided into three types:   

              I.      Former anti-LTTE militant entities who became political parties (i.e., Eelam Peoples Democratic Party). They had always supported the war against the LTTE as it related to their survival. They also had been reminding now and then about the unfinished devolution agenda of Tamil minorities. They actively participated in Rajapaksa’s war against the LTTE and would strongly oppose its entry into politics. They are pragmatists who understand the limitations of Indian support and have depended more upon the ruling party in Sri Lanka. Their stars will be on the rise in the coming years and President Rajapaksa is likely to increasingly use them to ensure the LTTE does not stage a comeback under the cloak of democracy.            

           II.       The Tamil National Alliance, a collection of splintered Tamil parties, who had accepted Prabhakaran’s leadership. They won handsomely in the last parliamentary elections with the LTTE’s benevolent support. They have abundant political talent that was never put to good use for fear of offending Thalaivar Prabhakaran. The government and the people of Sri Lanka generally view them as the political front of LTTE. To some extent this is true; though TNA members were always eloquent on propagating the Tamil cause within the parliament, they neither took any political initiative on their own nor could influence LTTE policies (i.e., boycott of presidential poll) that affected the future of Tamils. Though they criticise India often for not baling out Tamils from their problems, they keep their old links in India alive. After the elimination of LTTE as a power centre their credibility and influence in India is as suspect as it is in Sri Lanka. Their influence on politics will probably be minimal in the coming years and different component party leaders are likely to find ways to survive on their own. Some of their supporters might return to their parent party from which they broke away over the issue of support to the LTTE.              

           III.      Then there are former LTTE cadres like the Batticaloa LTTE leader Karuna (Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, now an MP, minister and vice president of the SLFP) and Pillaiyan (Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, chief minister of Eastern Provincial Council) who have stood by President Rajapaksa during the war. Former LTTE cadres, cleared after screening, are likely to gravitate to them in the coming months. They can form a strong political base for Karuna and Pillaiyan, though there might be a scramble between the two on this count. As easterners both the leaders have some limitations in motivating them.

There are two national developments that could affect the future of Tamil politics. All political parties have been split in their support to President Rajapaksa. And the military victory is edging out the opposition from their legitimate political space. Much would depend upon how Tamil leaders these two politically turbulent issues. 

Though LTTE would never be allowed to contest as a political party, pro-LTTE sections of the public particularly in the north could be an important factor to swing election results. Similarly, at least some element of Tamil expatriates who had supported the LTTE are also likely to be roped in to support political activity in the coming months. The proposed local body elections in the north would perhaps act as a barometer to indicate the effect of these pulls and pressures.  

India-Tamil Nadu-Sri Lanka triangular relations 

The strong support for the Congress led coalition in the recent general elections in India is likely to be used to vindicate India’s ambivalent Sri Lanka policy. The success of the Congress - Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) combine only reinforces the assessment that the Sri Lanka Tamil issue is not a “vote-catching” issue in Tamil Nadu, despite widespread sympathy for their plight. So by and large Indian policy is likely to continue to be reactive rather than proactive.  Given this setting, India-Sri Lanka relations are likely to improve. President Rajapaksa is likely to play the China card effectively to garner maximum advantage. And this might be reflected in favourable trade and investment policies towards Sri Lanka.However, the Tamil Nadu assembly elections will be due in two years. The DMK, if it goes under new leadership to contest the polls, will have a tough time to regain its mandate. And the failure of India’s Sri Lanka policy could be resurrected once again as an election issue. So the DMK will continue to maintain pressure on Sri Lanka on the twin issues of devolution and rehabilitation of Tamil population in Sri Lanka. So India is likely to press for speedy implementation of the 13th amendment (the only tangible thing at present) and provide large scale support for the rehabilitation kitty. On the strategic security front, increased Chinese and Pakistani influence will continue to be a matter of concern for India. However, India appears to have taken it in the stride as part of the growing reach of Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean region. Ideally, India should up the development of Trincomalee port as a counterpoise to Hambantota where China is building a port complex. However, India might drag its feet on this issue and probably wait to gauge the impact of possible Sino-US economic convergence on South Asian security.    

International perspectives 

During the course of the war, Sri Lanka has demonstrated the limitations of international influence in its decision making process. President Rajapaksa has cleverly used the inherent differences among the permanent members of the UN Security Council to deflect criticism of Sri Lanka for its poor human rights and humanitarian record. Sri Lanka’s crude handling of the dissenting media at home, restrictions on NGOs, and delaying of visas for entry of foreign media men and NGOs, have kindled the ire of international community (i.e., EU and the US) by the casual way Sri Lanka treated their objections on human rights and human rights issues. Western nations have strong human rights lobbies and some of them like Britain and Canada have in addition large Sri Lanka Tamil expatriate and immigrant population.  President Rajapaksa managed to ward off a Western effort to condemn Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council for its gross humanitarian violations during the war, when it met in Geneva on April 26. On the contrary, he managed with the help of India, China, Pakistan, Russia, Cuba and other countries, to get the majority votes in the UNHRC to pass Sri Lanka’s resolution congratulating the country for defeating terrorism. Emboldened by this success, Sri Lanka is likely to harden its stand on allowing international watchdogs to probe its human rights record. It could work against Sri Lanka’s interests as human rights lobbies in the EU and the US are working for strong action, including economic sanctions, against the country. This could affect the renewal of the EU’s duty free GSP plus tariff concessions extended to Sri Lanka (already on one year extension), as well as delay the approval of IMF loan of $1.9 billion dollars. Despite economic aid from China, India and Iran, SriLanka will need large scale economic assistance to get back on its feet as the war has rendered large populations unproductive and inflation had been galloping. So we can expect the country to come to terms with the West, particularly the US, to find some face saving method on the human rights question. Ultimately President Rajapaksa is likely to implement the 13th amendment to satisfy international community including India to improve Sri Lanka’s international image. Sri Lanka-UK relations have been strained for sometime for a number of reasons. The UK has a large Tamil expatriate population and politically it would like to soft pedal the Sri Lanka objections over questionable anti Sri Lanka activity of the expatriates. This had been the major source of irritation for Sri Lanka.  The kid glove treatment of the massive anti-Sri Lanka demonstrations of expatriate population taken over by LTTE acolytes are case in point. Given its complexity, it is doubtful whether the relations between the two countries would mend in the near future. 

Future portends

A few trends are emerging in the aftermath of the war that could affect Sri Lanka’s future. Their impact would depend upon how the President handles these issues to take the country forward.

                           I.      Rise of monolithic power: With the opposition weakened as never before, the rise of monolithic power with its attendant weaknesses of lack of accountability, absence of rule of law, increase in bureaucratic power and crushing of dissent are likely to stay for sometime. Coupled with the heady mixture of Sinhala chauvinism it could become an explosive mixture for ethnic amity.      

                         II.      Military as a power centre: As discussed earlier, rise of militarism and emergence of military as a power centre is a distinct possibility. With a large army continuing to control a major chunk of minority population, minorities will continue to feel insecure. This will be detrimental to restoring normal life in the war affected areas.      

                       III.      Dissipation of Tamil influence: In the absence of a strong united Tamil lobby to parley with the government, the Tamils might have to be satisfied with what the President offers as devolution package, as and when he chooses to do so. Inevitably, it is likely to be tied to the next parliamentary poll.       

                      IV.      Indian influence: India is likely to play a progressively diminishing role in Sri Lanka politics. However, its economic footprint will probably enlarge.       

                       V     Strategic implications for the region: The LTTE might find it difficult to re-emerge as a powerful force in Sri Lanka. This will strengthen Sri Lanka’s ability to handle its internal problems better. At the same time Sri Lanka is likely to be courted by the major powers – China, and the US - for stabilising their strategic influence in the Indian Ocean region. Sri Lanka has a far more important place in India’s overall strategic security map than the two major powers. So development of strategic relations between India and Sri Lanka is going to become a crucial issue.    

Do 10 year olds in IDP camp need ID cards? -Sangaree Asks from President  
 
I am perturbed over the decision of the Government to issue Identity Cards to children over 10 years old. No parent whether in-side the camp or outside the camp, be they Sinhalese, Tamils or Muslims from any part of Sri Lanka will welcome this move. One can’t be either wrong all the time or right all the time. Whether what I say is palatable to you or not, I do not know, but with the limited knowledge I have I am thoroughly convinced that it will prove counter-productive and disastrous and therefore I very humbly urge you to stop the authorities from doing so. In the alternative have the scheme extended to all the 10 year old ones right round the country, if your Excellency feel that it will help the children in several ways or limit it to children over 16 years, like all others so that they may not have the feeling that they are a different lot in the society and not equal to children of their age, living outside the camp. Let no sense of inferiority complex creep in to their young minds. There is already a feeling wounding them, as begging for their living. These children in the IDP camps should be treated with utmost sympathy and not with contempt. What type of hardships these children under-went from the time they were in the wombs of their mothers, who were living in constant fear and tension for very many years, should be taken into consideration. The situation did not change but worsened day by day till it reached its climax during the last lap of the war. This is the period during which they experienced worst horrors in their life-time, a little bit of which was experienced by the people of Colombo who lived close to the Galle Face Green, where the Air Force was rehearsing for the air-display, minus the bombs. This situation was forced on them by a foolish terror group and was never welcomed by the people. I humbly request you to kindly avoid labeling them directly or otherwise as Tigers, for their lifetime. This move is almost similar to the cyanide capsules the LTTE made the innocent child-recruits to carry.I am sure that your Excellency will give serious consideration to my request and take all possible steps to prevent branding these children permanently as Tigers. Referring to the LTTE as Tamil Tigers is wrong and prejudicial to the good-will that prevails between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities. They called themselves only as Liberation Tigers and not as Tamil Tigers. This move will certainly prove counter-productive and in no way help you to win over the Tamils. The authorities may kindly be asked to trace the parents of the destitute children and hand them over to them. I just received information that the mother of an infant had died and the baby was trying to get itself breast-fed from the dead mother’s breast. This is not the first time this had happened.

Ps:- I will consider fingerprinting of small children as a cruel act.

Thanking you,
Yours Sincerely,

V. Anandasangaree,
President – TULF. 

US Senator asks Lankan Prez to address needs of Tamils

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa needs to take steps to show a "serious commitment" towards achieving a political solution to the decades-long ethnic problem and to genuinely addressing the needs of the minority Tamils following the defeat of LTTE, an influential US Senator has said."I urge President Rajapaksa to take steps now to demonstrate a serious commitment to a political solution, the rule of law, and most importantly, to genuinely addressing the needs of the Tamil people," Senator Russ Feingold said on the Senate Floor.At the same time, in proportion to the passion and effort with which the world's diplomats have demanded peace and respect for civilians throughout the conflict, donor countries must remain actively engaged and dedicated to helping bring about a lasting resolution to the issue, he said.Expressing concern over the humanitarian situation in the country, Senator Feingold said the Sri Lankan Government must not shirk its responsibility to help the displaced people return to their homes swiftly and safely."The international community, too, can provide assistance to help these people return home safely or seek other lasting solutions," he said.

Indian mobile hospital moved to Chettikulam

The make shift hospital donated by the Government of India with a team of Indian medical staff has been shifted from Pulmudai to Chettikulam in order to provide a better medical service to the civilians who are temporarily housed in the relief villages, our correspondent from Vavuniya, Upul Chaminda reports. The functions of the mobile hospital are being carried out with the full strength of the Indian Medical staff deployed here. The Government of India has also donated large volumes of medicine with the hospital to Sri Lanka. The Head of the Medical Staff, K. Wasantha Kumar said with the moving of the mobile hospital to the new location, where a majority of the IDPs are housed, it is convenient for his team to provide medical assistance to the needy swiftly. The hospital is equipped with residential facilities for patients, Theaters and a Blood and Urine testing unit.

Military pact with Colombo in limbo - Shiv Shankar Menon

With the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam having been militarily defeated by the Sri Lanka army, New Delhi and Colombo have put their defence cooperation pact on the backburner. “It was negotiated for quite some time. We had put it aside and haven’t gone back,” Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon told reporters. Admitting that both countries at one point of time were “very close” to finalising the India-Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation Agreement,  Menon said work was suspended some years ago and the proposed agreement had not been revisited for several years. Despite the absence of a security pact, Sri Lanka had frequently submitted lists of military hardware it required from time to time to fight the LTTE. While India met some of the demands, Sri Lanka sought the rest of the equipment and replenishment from other countries, including Pakistan, whose ordnance products are finding acceptance in developing countries. Authoritative sources said India had so far supplied indigenous radars and 40 mm L-70 anti-aircraft guns or their barrels. They were not aware of any other military hardware supplied to Sri Lanka. India maintains that both the equipment fall in the category of defence equipment — the former to detect potential LTTE planes on suicide missions and the latter to bring down those planes. India had also sent technicians to train Sri Lankan soldiers to operate the equipment, chiefly the radars.

Tamils for Obama: Tamil Tigers Defunct, Should be Taken Off Terrorist List

The Tamil Tigers are gone, wrote Tamils for Obama in a letter to U.S. officials. Humanitarian organizations that were once accused of being Tiger fronts should be allowed to help the Tamil war victims who need their help.The letter was sent to Secretary Clinton, President Obama, and appropriate elected officials on Friday, June 5 by Tamils for Obama. The letter said that since the Tamil Tigers are no longer a functioning organization and their leaders are all dead, according to the Sri Lankan government, the Tigers should be taken off lists kept by the U.S. and other governments of terrorist organizations and their supporters. The presence on such lists of Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and other aid organizations keeps them from conveying funds and humanitarian help to Tamil war victims. Tamils for Obama, a politically active group of Tamil Americans who were early supporters of candidate Obama, urged that the TRO and similar organizations be struck off any list of terrorist fronts which the U.S. still maintains. A spokesman for Tamils for Obama explained that they hope that if the U.S. removes them from the list of terrorist fronts, other countries may do likewise. After the tsunami of 2004, former presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush worked with the TRO and praised the organization's efforts. Tamils are an ethnic group living mainly in the northeast of Sri Lanka and southern India. During the final weeks of the recent civil war, the Sri Lankan government killed about 1,000 Tamil civilians per day, according to the United Nations, and about 30,000 in 2009. Tamils are a minority population in Sri Lanka, and have borne the brunt of a civil war they regard as genocide. One-third of the Tamil population has fled the island and formed a substantial diaspora overseas. Tamils for Obama is comprised of Tamils who have settled in the U.S. or who were born in the U.S.

Senior TMVP member shot dead

An unidentified gunmen has shot dead another senior member of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) party at Ariyampathy in Batticaloa early yesterday morning. Police confirmed that the victim identified as Ramalingam Jeayakumar is the leader of TMVP in Ariyampathy area. The gunmen had shot him at his personnel residence at Pudur in Ariyampathy area. Batticaloa police are conducting further investigations.

04 June 2009

U.N. ready to support Sri Lanka war inquiry-Pillay

The United Nations stands ready to support an inquiry into abuses in Sri Lanka's civil war, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Thursday.Addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, which last week avoided launching an investigation into the Sri Lankan conflict, the former war crimes judge stressed that reconciliation would be impossible without a full reckoning of transgressions."I believe that accountability is a prerequisite for the attainment of justice and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans and, thus, a foundation for lasting peace," Pillay told the forum.Pillay, who is an ethnic Tamil from South Africa, said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the military both needed to held responsible for killing and mistreating civilians in the last throes of their 25-year conflict.Her remarks sought to keep up pressure on Sri Lanka in spite of the Human Rights Council's failed attempt to scrutinise the conduct of both sides during and after the 25-year separatist war that Colombo declared over last month.Sri Lanka's allies including China, India and Russia backed a resolution it presented to the U.N. body that stressed its sovereign right to act without international interference, and blocked discussion on a Western text expressing concerns about conditions in the country.Human rights groups including Amnesty International have been calling for an outside inquiry as recommended by Pillay.In her Thursday remarks, she also urged Colombo to allow free movement in and out of the camps holding hundreds of thousands of war-displaced people in Sri Lanka's northeast, where the LTTE had been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland in the majority Sinhalese country.She also raised concerns about the welfare of bystanders to other conflicts, including those in Afghanistan and Pakistan where she said international forces needed to do more to protect civilians and investigate non-combatant casualties

Sri Lanka seizes ship with supplies for war-hit civilians

Sri Lanka's Navy on Thursday seized a foreign-owned ship loaded with supplies for war-affected civilians, saying it had entered its territorial waters illegally. The vessel chartered by a pro-Tamil rebel group had set off from the English port of Ipswich in April with hundreds of tonnes of food, medicine and other supplies, Navy spokesman Captain DK Dassanayake said. "We have seized the vessel and we are bringing it ashore now," Dassanayake said, adding that the crew did not resist when the Navy boarded the vessel some 140 kilometres west of Sri Lanka.

Jaffna MC, Vavuniya UC polls nominations from June 18

Nominations for the Jaffna Municipal Council and Vavuniya Urban Council elections will be accepted from June 18 to 12 noon on June 25. Nominations will be accepted at the Jaffna and Vavuniya District Secretariats. A gazette notification was issued at midnight on June 2, Election Department sources said.The elections will be conducted in accordance with the electoral list of 2008. Several copies of these electoral lists have already been dispatched to the two District Secretariats, sources further said.

Sri Lanka probes presence of six foreigners in refugee camps

The Sri Lankan government on Thursday said it has identified six foreign nationals among thousands of displaced Tamils living in the refugee camps and authorities were probing whether they have any links with the LTTE. Three Australians and one each from Britain, the Netherlands and Norway were found in the government run camps made for persons escaping from the war zone in the northeast after the defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels last month. "We have discovered that there are three Australians among the IDPs who have been identified," Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told PTI here. "The Australian authorities have sought their release but we are looking into the whole matter as they were found in the IDP camps for civilians who have come from the former LTTE held areas," he said.The status of Australians and others will be screened to find out whether they have any links with the Tamil Tigers, according to officials. Meanwhile, Mr. Samarasinghe said the family of the British national, a woman identified as Danilvany Gnanakumar, was already in touch with the British High Commission in Colombo to secure her release. "Gnanakumar had entered the country in February last year and overstayed her six-month visa which expired in August," the minister said.

19 refugees reach Rameswaram

RAMANATHAPURAM: Nineteen Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, including five women and five children, reached the Rameswaram shore on Wednesday. Among them were five of a family from a camp for internally displaced persons in the island nation.According to the police, the family left the Mannar shore on May 31 in a hired boat. It was abandoned on an islet on seeing a vessel of the Sri Lankan Navy. On June 1, they were again ferried in the same boat and dropped on another islet off Rameswaram coast. Another group of 13 persons from Vavuniya reached the Rameswaram coast in a boat hired from Thaalpaadu. A lone refugee from Pesalai also reached Rameswaram in another boat. Police and intelligence agencies conducted enquiries with them to find out the reasons for leaving Sri Lanka.

‘Eelam Bank’ deposits found
 
The military has found Rs. 13 million in the possession of the manager of ‘Eelam Bank’ run by the LTTE in Kilinochchi , and is now looking for the depositors to hand over these monies to them. Quoting military officers based in Vavuniya overlooking the welfare of the displaced civilians, Construction and Engineering Services Minister Dr.Rajitha Senaratne told the Daily Mirror yesterday this manager had arrived in Vavuniya along with other people. The Minister who recently completed an observation tour in the area said that all these monies had been obtained from people through fraudulent means. He said that the mobile branches of the State banks had now been set up in the welfare villages, and the displaced persons had already deposited much money in them. “There is a person who has deposited Rs. 40 million alone,” Dr.Senaratne said. Commenting on the facilities available at four zones where these IDPs are now accommodated, he said that the situation is satisfactory at the two zones set up at the initial stage of the humanitarian operation. The Minister emphasized the need to improve the sanitation facilities for the people at the zones where the latest batches of civilians who arrived are housed. “There are cases of chickenpox and hepatitis. However, the situation has been controlled to a great extent. There is the need to send for more doctors to attend to emergency medical requirements of people,” he said. Dr. Senaratne said that there had been several corruption cases involving certain Divisional Secretaries in the distribution of dry rations among the IDPs. He, therefore, stressed the need to continue with the military administration to avert such cases in the future. “The Divisional Secretaries who arrived from Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi have been assigned duties at the welfare camps. Some officials have been involved in corruption. We have been able to minimize such cases due to the military administration. So, I feel that the Government should continue with it to reduce corruption and wastage in the future,” he said.

China to help rebuild Lankan economy after LTTE war 

As Sri Lanka works out ways to accelerate development after defeating the rebel LTTE, China has pledged its full cooperation in reconstruction of the Island nation's economy after 30 years of ethnic war."Prevalence of peace will strengthen the economy of Sri Lanka and China will continue to be a part of the economic reconstruction of the Island country," Deputy Director General of the Asian Affairs, Commerce Ministry, China Liang Wentao said."Ending the war against terrorism might help Sri Lanka to regain its ancient glory and economic prosperity," Wentao told reporters in Beijing yesterday."What Sri Lanka needs at this moment is a peaceful environment to rebuild its economy and this will attract more investments and economic benefits to the country."Sri Lanka has the best natural resources in the entire South Asian region. Reviving tourism and the export trade will help Sri Lanka rebuild its economy which was affected severely due to the war," Wentao said.He said China will provide assistance to the Sri Lankan Government to rebuild and rehabilitate those affected. The top Chinese official said the two countries could work towards economic as well as cooperation in tourism."The strategic location and Buddhism will attract more Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka," he said.

Fast track NE development - Rienzie Wijetilleke

The development of the North and East should be fast tracked along with the rest of the country to ensure that the benefits of the victory against the LTTE filter down to the people. The process should be reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction, Chairman Hatton National Bank (HNB) Rienzie Wijetilleke told Daily News Business. He outlined certain proposals which can be implemented utilizing the internal resources which will yield quick results. “We don’t have to depend on foreign aid for everything as there are many ventures that the banks can support,” he said. Extending a new roadway link along the southern coast beyond Kataragama along the coastline through the Yala sanctuary, Kumana up to Pottuvil and setting up small hamlets along that roadway with a planned program is very important. These villages can then be colonized and agricultural projects and small industries can be developed using local resources, he said. Simultaneously, people in the north and east can take to various employment projects such as producing milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits and fish within a short period where their day-to-day requirements will be fulfilled while earning an income. However, middle level businessmen should set up cold rooms, collection centres, stores and other infrastructure facilities to store and transport the excess products using bank finances. In the past, the banks had successfully recovered such loans as the projects generated short term and positive results, he said. If arrangements can be made to transport these items by air to the rest of the country such as Anuradhapura and Kurunegala it will create more opportunities. A few small airfields should be constructed with the support of the private sector where people can travel to the main cities in the country including the north and east saving valuable time, Wijetilleke said. As a knowledge of English is vital, the Government can organize some crash courses in English for the priests in the churches and for those in the temples in each area. Later their support can be mobilized in village schools. Teaching appointments can be given to suitable assistants and then village schools will have English teachers. Similarly, the private sector can get involved in computer training programs to develop the villages. They can also provide essential health care, education, water, electricity and other essential services with a short term plan. Financial institutions can have a branch network every 10-15 kms and introduce self-employment schemes. Referring to the concept of Agriculture Service Centres introduced by the late Hector Kobbekaduwa, he said that it was not successful because those who were involved in it did not understand the value but that type of scheme can be re-established which will assure assistance for agricultural activities and marketing products. The construction industry can be given a big boost with the introduction of planned building of houses, schools, hospitals with assistance from friendly countries such as China, India and Japan who have lost the bulk of export markets due to the global recession. He said that a Bond issue titled the ‘North East Development Bond’ for about Rs 25 billion managed by the Central Bank should be created along with an institution such as the Sri Lanka Banks’ Association which is a guaranteed public company and marketed to the private sector. This will attract investors and guarantee efficient management of the fund with a definite return on the investment. Wijetilleke said that every effort should be made to connect the north east economy with the rest of the country and all activities should be networked so that the whole country will benefit by inter-provincial transactions particularly at lower and middle levels. Sharing of resources will be possible with proper communication links. Foreign aid can be sought for infrastructure development such as railways, ports and airports. It would take only 24 months for the country to reap the real benefits of a change of environment in the post conflict period, he said.

Weapons that won the War: Untold story

Sri Lankan Armed Forces’ yesterday marked their unprecedented triumph over the LTTE with a striking show of fighting forces and military assets ranging from Czechoslovakian-built RM 70 mobile multiple launch rocket systems, movable Indian radar (Indra Mark II) to a fleet of Israeli, US and locally made Fast Attack Craft (FACs) built with Japanese collaboration.Despite heavy international pressure Sri Lanka managed to secure much needed supplies to keep up the momentum. Had there been a breakdown in supplies, the LTTE would have been able to hang on a little bit longer.Also on display were the Multi Sensor Integrated System (MSIS) mounted on fighting vessels and armoured fighting vehicles, mostly of Chinese origin and a range of artillery pieces acquired from China. Israeli-built MSIS with night vision and radar capability acquired at the tail end of the offensive had facilitated naval operations against the LTTE. But the Navy had far more powerful land based MSIS of Italian origin on the north-eastern coast to thwart LTTE attempts to launch boats stealthily.Also on parade were the Police, its elite para-military wing, the STF and the Civil Defence Force (CDF). The STF played a critical role in the overall security strategy to weaken the enemy in the eastern theatre and in covert operations. The STF contingent on parade was one of the smartest along with the elite Special Forces, Commandos and the Special Boat Squadron.Yesterday’s display of firepower was undoubtedly the biggest ever since the gradual transformation of the country’s ceremonial armed forces to a cohesive fighting force. A three-year campaign spearheaded by the first serving General Sarath Fonseka brought the LTTE to its knees last month. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) retd. Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera General Sarath Fonseka, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda and Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilike joined President Mahinda Rajapaksa on a special dais to take the salute following a 21-gun salute. A smiling Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa whose contribution made Sri Lanka’s victory possible sat in the front row with his wife enjoying the finest hour for Sri Lankan forces.Among the armoured fighting vehicles on display was a mixture of Russian and Chinese armoured fighting vehicles including BTR 80 A, BTR 80 and T 85 along with Czechoslovakian-built T 55 main battle tanks. A range of artillery pieces of Chinese origin and RM 70 mobile multiple launch rocket systems aka as MBRL were some of the main attractions at yesterday’s parade.Among the state of the art equipment displayed by the army Signals Corps are of Japanese, Indian and French origin. General Fonseka’s brainchild, the Mechanized Infantry Brigade formed two years ago paraded some of its Russian and Chinese armoured fighting vehicles. The Brigade attached to the 53 Division stationed in the Jaffna peninsula before capture of Elephant Pass comprised over 100 armoured fighting vehicles. But the destruction of the LTTE wouldn’t have been possible without bolstering the infantry. Of some 80,000 recruits who had joined the army over the past three years, the majority strengthened the SLLI (Sri Lanka Light Infantry), Sinha Regiment, Gemunu Watch, Gajaba Regiment, Vijayaba Infantry Regiment and the National Guard. The Commandos and Special Forces, too, received a tremendous boost over the last three years. The armed forces and police lost 6,200 officers and men in the three-year war with the army paying a heavy price to finish off the Tigers. President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his inspiring 40 minute speech to the nation declared that the ground forces fought under extremely difficult conditions to achieve victory. To his credit, General Fonseka maintained his troops on a UN peace keeping mission in Haiti as he met the LTTE military challenge. While bloody fighting was on General Fonseka expanded the army to almost 200,000.The unprecedented naval parade included three Indian OVPs (SLNS Sayura, SLNS Sagara, 623), SLNS Samudura formerly of the US Coast Guard, Fast Missile Vessels, SLNS Suranimala and SLNS Nandimithra acquired from Israel, two Chinese heavy gunboats, Udara and Prathapa, troop carrier Jetliner of Indonesian origin. Twenty five FACs and 20 locally built boats of navy Special Forces, too, joined yesterday’s impressive display. The big ships played a pivotal role in the war by sinking eight LTTE ships on the high seas.Also on display were 14.4 mm (Chinese), 23 mm (Bulgarian), 25 mm (Chinese), 37 mm (Chinese), 107 mm rockets also of Chinese origin now deployed both on land and on ships as well as Gabriel Mark II missiles (Israel). Sri Lanka has received eight missiles along with the two Fast Missile Vessels acquired years ago. None of them had been used.The Navy accommodated armoured personnel carriers turned out by its personnel in the parade. The army, too, displayed armoured personnel carriers built by its personnel. Had the navy bothered to remove a 30 mm Bushmaster weapon from one of its FACs, the people could have seen a powerful US weapon which helped the navy to overwhelm fast moving LTTE craft on many a occasion.The air display included altogether about 40 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft including Bell 212s and Bell (US), Mi 17, Mi 24s, MiG 27s (Russian), PT 6, Y 12, K 8 , F7 (China) and Kfirs (Israel). Also on display were C 130 medium lift aircraft, the largest transport aircraft in service with the SLAF and AN 32s of Russian origin.Although there was no mention of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) acquired from Israel, the eye in the sky as they were also known played a critical role in the war. There was also no mention of the Chinese 3 D radar station at Mirigama.

03 June 2009

India concerned about displaced Tamils, might send special envoy to SL

New Delhi: India is weighing various options including deputing a Special Envoy to understand the humanitarian crisis confronting Tamils in Sri Lanka after the vanquishing of the LTTE. Informed sources said that New Delhi was greatly concerned about the plight of 4 million Tamils now living in appalling conditions within camps set up in the territory formerly controlled by LTTE. This concern had been conveyed to Colombo in strong terms. Indications from Colombo are that President Mahinda Rajapaksa is keen to come here at the earliest but the visit has not been formalised because India is still closely monitoring the situation in the camps, the sources said. "We are aware that a number of foreign powers are trying to fish in Sri Lanka's troubled waters. The Chinese, for instance, are building a port. All this will be factored in India's approach," a highly-placed source said.

Traffic delays expected during Tamil protest

Tamil supporters again made their way to Parliament Hill Wednesday to ask the federal government to throw its support behind their cause.At the end of April, about 30,000 Tamil supporters descended on Parliament Hill after 16 days of smaller protests in both Ottawa and Toronto.At the time, the protesters were asking the federal government to exert pressure on the government in Sri Lanka to end the 25-year long civil war between itself and the Tamil Tigers.The Tamil Tigers, a group of rebel fighters listed as a terrorist group in Canada, admitted defeat in that war on May 17, but the plea for Canada's help has continued.On Wednesday, Tamil supporters said they would again appear on the hill, this time to ask the Canadian government to hold Sri Lankan authorities accountable for what protesters consider to be war crimes. Wednesday's demonstration was expected to run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.Police said no road closures are expected, but that there will be traffic delays on Wellington Street, between O'Connor and Elgin streets.

UN Security Council to discuss Sri Lanka situation           

The UN Security Council plans to meet with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this week to discuss the situation in Sri Lanka for the first time since fighting ceased in the island nation, the council's president said Tuesday.Ban will brief the 15-nation council behind closed doors on Friday and it will be an 'unofficial, interactive dialogue,' said Turkish Ambassador Baki Ilkin, whose country presides over the body in June. He provided no other details.The meeting takes place in the wake of allegations that 20,000 civilians were killed in the last weeks of fierce fighting between government troops and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.The Sri Lankan government declared victory last month after claiming to have killed LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. The UN, which has been heavily involved in relief activities during and after the fighting, has said nothing about the killing.Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations called for an official investigation and demanded that the UN make public what it learned about the condition of the civilians before the war ended in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's Military Parades in Celebration of Defeat of Tamil Rebels 
 
Sri Lanka's president is calling for national unity, including outreach by Sinhalese to Tamils, as the island nation formally celebrates the end of the quarter-century civil war. President Mahinda Rajapaksa spoke Wednesday at a military parade and victory ceremony in Colombo. In the Sri Lankan capital, soldiers and military vehicles paraded across the Galle Face waterfront, celebrating last month's victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The event was billed as a celebration of what was called the "defeat of terrorism."President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the decades of conflict left 24,000 security personnel dead and another 5,000 disabled. The president, addressing the troops, says they gave their feet, hands, eyes, flesh and blood to bring about a pleasant and prosperous nation. Switching from the Sinhalese to Tamil language, Mr. Rajapaksa calls for national unity and he called on soldiers to win the hearts of the minority community. President Rajapaksa says all Sri Lankans are the children of one motherland. There can be no divisions in the country. The war, he says, was against the LTTE, not innocent Tamils. The majority of Sri Lankans are Sinhalese, who are mainly Buddhists, while the Tamils are predominately Hindus. Many Tamils worry about further repercussions against the minority group after the rebels' defeat. The Tamil Tigers waged war, dispatched suicide bombers, and assassinated politicians in an ultimately failed quest to establish an ethnic homeland on the island. In his victory speech, Mr. Rajapaksa also called for a new era of Sri Lankan diplomacy. The president hinted that favour would be shown to those Asian, African and Arab nations which supported his government during its controversial final offensive to destroy the Tamil rebels.Some European nations were especially vocal in calling for restraint during the last weeks of combat. Both the military and the rebels are accused of committing war crimes.The United Nations estimates tens of thousands of Tamil civilians died or were wounded during the final months of fighting. Nearly 300,000 Tamils, who fled the fighting, are in displacement camps.

TMVP to be dissolved; Pillaiyan and the group to join SLFP  
 
Tamil People’s Liberation Tigers (TMVP) sources say that the party will be dissolved and all members will join Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) after Eastern Province Chief Minister and party leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan returns from the foreign tour.Batticaloa Mayor and TMVP member Sivageetha Prabakaran said that the party members wished to join SLFP like Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman. She said that her party would appreciate the President Mahinda Rajapakse’s initiative to unite Sri Lanka irrespective of religions, races and casts under one national flag. However, the final decision is to be taken by the politburo of the TMVP soon, party sources said.Minister of National Integration Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan has told that he will make a good base for the SLFP both in north and east. 

Sri Lanka expels aid staff over 'Tamil Tiger links'

SRI Lanka is hampering international relief efforts by forcing foreign aid workers to leave the country because it considers them sympathetic to the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels.Aid organisations said the policy was costing them tens of thousands of dollars of donors' money, as they struggle to help 280,000 Tamil civilians in internment camps. "The NGOs (non-government organisations) are all extremely scared. If you raise your voice you'll be the next one thrown out," said a senior member of staff in one international aid group. The Government deported the Norwegian head of Forut, an Oslo-based aid agency, on Saturday, and stopped a British employee of Forut from re-entering Sri Lanka last month, citing new rules that prevent aid workers from staying in Sri Lanka for more than three years. Two foreigners working for Care International were forced to leave last month because their visas were not extended, local sources said. A Briton working for the Norwegian Refugee Council, an Ethiopian working for the Save the Children Fund, and three foreign members of staff for ASB, a German aid agency, have also been forced to leave. The British head of Solidar, a consortium of agencies, was ordered to leave within seven days in December. He negotiated a short extension. The program manager of Zoa Refugee Care, a Dutch agency, was expelled from Sri Lanka in September, and there are problems gaining visa extensions for five of the agency's foreign staff. "By September or October, 60 to 70 per cent of NGO heads will have left the country," said one aid worker. The Government said it was simply enforcing the visa rules that were announced last year. Aid workers were previously granted one-year visas, which they could renew as often as they wanted. Government officials said the new visa rules were to encourage the NGOs to recruit more local staff. However, aid workers said the rules were being used to purge foreign critics and to limit the ability of overseas agencies to operate and lobby the Government. Aid workers estimated that replacing each foreign staff member would cost up to $25,000. As the Government celebrated its victory over the Tiger rebels with another military parade in Colombo yesterday, aid workers said conditions for up to 300,000 Tamils held in refugee camps in the country's north remained dire. "The nutritional situation of children is a huge concern for UNICEF, and restrictions on access hinder our ability to save lives," spokesman James Elder told The Australian. "It's important to remember that these people have arrived in camps in the worst possible state. They are hungry and sick, and many still have untended wounds from the war." However, the Government continues to restrict the access of all aid organisations to the camps.

Sri Lankan minister seeks Japanese aid

Sri Lanka's trade minister on Wednesday sought Japan's help for its recovery from ethnic conflict, while reiterating his government's rejection of any probe into alleged human rights violations.Colombo has faced allegations that thousands of civilians perished in the final battle last month against Tamil Tiger separatists, as the island starts its recovery from three decades of fighting."We have talked to the Japanese government about direct Japanese government assistance to resuscitate economic activities," Gamini Lakshman Peiris told a news conference.The minister said his country hopes Japan -- Sri Lanka's largest aid donor and the holder of two-thirds of its foreign debt -- will help revive agriculture, tourism, fisheries and small enterprises in particular.Peiris earlier held talks with his Japanese counterpart Toshihiro Nikai and Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone.At the news conference, the former chief negotiator in the country's peace process reiterated that Colombo has no plan to probe allegations that thousands of civilians died.Asked if the Sri Lankan government is eventually willing to accept an international probe, Peiris said: "No, we don't regard that attitude as acceptable. That is some kind of inquisition."The minister said: "The world should not try to... emphasise everything that is negative, make things as difficult as possible for Sri Lanka, threaten economic sanctions."Unnecessary pressure on the Sri Lankan government may even lead to a revival of terrorism in the country, he warned."What the country needs this time is support, understanding, empathy, not condemnation, not judgement... not posturing," he said.London-based human rights group Amnesty International has called for an independent probe into the number of civilians killed while government forces crushed Tamil Tiger rebels two weeks ago.A report in the Times of London newspaper has cited confidential UN reports as saying that more than 20,000 non-combatants were killed by Sri Lankan army shelling in May.

Sri Lankan jailed in UK for attempting self immolation
   
A Sri Lankan man has been jailed for eight months after trying to burn himself to death outside Downing Street in London in February. He tried to turn himself into a human fireball at a rally organised by Sri Lankans Against Terrorism. Sivsubarmazam Logeswa- ran, from Hucclecote, doused himself in petrol in front of hundreds of people gathered in Whitehall. He pleaded: "Stop killing in Sri Lanka." After his initial bid to ignite the flammable liquid failed, Logeswaran, 41, was wrestled to the ground by police who subdued him with CS spray. Southwark Crown Court heard how the British citizen wanted to disrupt the pro-Sri Lankan government demonstration held on Valentine's Day this year.  Activists from various organisations had been in Parliament for weeks leading up to more widely reported action in April, which followed the alleged massacre of some 430 Tamil civilians in northern Sri Lanka. The court heard at least 25,000 people have died during the conflict. Gavin Ludlow-Thompson, prosecuting, said Logeswaran had been visiting family in Liverpool when he tried to turn himself into a human fireball at the rally organised by Sri Lankans Against Terrorism. After stopping at a motorway service station to buy petrol he drove to his Gloucester home to make further preparations. He parked his Mitsubishi jeep in Wembley and got on the tube to Westminster with the 1.5 litre Evian bottle of petrol hidden under a coat. He called 999 to warn of his intentions and waited 20 minutes while the crowd of 500 campaigners gathered. Two members of the public then saw him pour the contents of a plastic bottle over himself. After a flick of his lighter failed to set light to the petrol and police moved in before he could try again. Logeswaren struggled with officers and begged: "Kill me, I want to die." He later told officers he had not intended to harm anyone but himself and claimed to have warned the emergency services: "Male about to commit suicide outside the Prime Minister's house." Passing sentence Judge Andrew Goymer said: "It was a terrible thing to do to your wife. She was going to be left a widow and your children orphans. "You were understandably concerned about the plight of Tamil people during the terrible civil conflict that has engulfed Sri Lanka for a generation. "I have no doubt you were doing this to draw attention to the situation. "Had you been successful anybody present would have had to witness an unimaginably horrific sight. "You must have been in such a state of mental turmoil to attempt something as dreadful that you gave no thought to the consequences for others. "I have to impose a sentence that will discourage you from repeating it or anybody else from copying it." Logeswaran will serve half of the sentence in prison, less 106 days he has spent on remand and was expected to be released within three weeks. Logeswaran, of Colwell Avenue, admitted causing a public nuisance on February 14 this year. He denied a count of attempted arson reckless as to whether life would be endangered, which was allowed to lie on file. He pleaded not guilty to affray and the judge ordered a not guilty verdict to be entered.

More powers for PCs, 13th amendment should be fully implemented – APRC       

The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) has recommended that the 13th amendment should be totally implemented and provincial councils given more powers say political sources. According to these sources the provincial council is accepted as the unit of devolution and the present concurrent list would be abolished. Provincial councils would be given police, land and monetary powers. They would also have the right to bring in legislature to carry out these powers without the intervention of the central government. The APRC has finalized the proposals and the final draft is being prepared at present said a spokesman for the committee. In addition to handing over powers to provincial councils local government institutions too would get statutory powers and finances and an administrative mechanism too would be established for the local government institutions to carry out their rights. Establishment of village committees by uniting several villages has been recommended and an administrative system for such village committees too has been proposed. The spokesman said certain amendments to the present constitution would have to be made to accommodate the proposals of the APRC.

02 June 2009

High level talks between Indian govt. & TNA       

A special high level discussion between India’s new authorities and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is scheduled to take place on the northern issue in Sri Lanka during this week states TNA. TNA Parliamentarian Thurai Rathnasingham said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Foreign Secretary Sivshankar Menon and Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna are expected to attend the discussion from the Indian side.  Leader of TNA group of Parliamentarian R. Sambanthan and Parliamentarians TELO Leader S. Adeikalanathan, EPRLF Leader Suresh Premachandran and ITAK Leader Mavei Senathiraja are expected to represent the TNA and they have already left to India to participate at the discussions. Mr. Rathnasingham said the visit to India by the TNA Parliamentarians and the discussion has been arranged on an invitation by India’s Foreign Secretary Sivshankar Menon when he visited Sri Lanka recently.

Ban denies U.N. covered up death toll in Sri Lanka

 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday denied media reports the United Nations has covered up a high civilian death toll during the bloody final phase of Sri Lanka's war against Tamil Tiger rebels. Last week the French newspaper Le Monde first reported that an unofficial and unverified U.N. tally for civilian deaths in the final months of the government's siege against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) exceeded 20,000. The British newspaper The Times later reported the same figure, writing in an editorial that "the U.N. has no right to collude in suppressing the appalling evidence" of a government-executed massacre of civilians in northeastern Sri Lanka. Ban vehemently rejected the notion that the world body had been involved in a cover-up. "I categorically reject -- repeat, categorically -- any suggestion that the United Nations has deliberately underestimated any figures," he said in a speech to the General Assembly. "Let me also say, whatever the total, the casualties in the conflict were unacceptably high." Last week U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes disputed the 20,000 figure, saying it was based on questionable assumptions and that the final death toll may never be known. "That figure has no status as far as we're concerned," Holmes told Reuters. "It may be right, it may be wrong, it may be far too high, it may even be too low. But we honestly don't know. We've always said an investigation would be a good idea." So far the United Nations has no plans for an investigation of the Sri Lanka war. The U.N. Human Rights Council last month decided not to have any probe of possible war crimes committed during the months-long siege against the LTTE zone.

ESTIMATES "NOT CONSISTENT" WITH U.N. DATA

In the final months of the war, the civilian death rate rose alarmingly as government forces surrounded the LTTE, who retreated to a tiny strip of coast in northeastern Sri Lanka, where the United Nations says they kept hundreds of thousands of civilians as human shields. During that siege, Holmes repeatedly criticized the government for shelling areas where civilians were trapped, warning that it could lead to a "bloodbath". He also criticized the LTTE for treating innocent civilians as hostages. Both sides rejected the U.N. charges. Holmes said the 20,000 figure during the final phase was based on an unconfirmed U.N. estimate of around 7,000 civilian deaths through the end of April and added roughly 1,000 more per day after that. Holmes said the initial figure of 7,000 deaths had been deemed far too questionable for official publication because the world body was not in a position to calculate a reliable death count. It was not really present in the battle zone, he said. Ban expanded on this point in his speech to the General Assembly, insisting that the "final total is not yet known." "Most of these figures do not emanate from the U.N. and most are not consistent with the information at our disposal," he said. The United Nations believes that anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 people died in what was one of Asia's longest modern wars, erupting in earnest in 1983 when the LTTE began to fight for a separate state for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils.

Lanka asks for extradition of Malaysia-based LTTE top representative
 
Sri Lanka is confident that Malaysia would expel LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s successor Kumaran Pathmanathan aka ‘KP’ wanted on terrorism charges. Although no formal announcement has been made, ‘KP’ has been recognised by various LTTE fronts as their top representative.Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama May 29 requested Malaysian Defence Minister Dr Ahamd Zahid bin Hamidi YB Dato Seri to hand over ‘KP’ to facilitate ongoing investigations into LTTE operations overseas.Well informed sources told The Island that the appeal was made on the sidelines of the 8th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. A Foreign Ministry press statement on Bogollagama’s meet with his Malaysian counterpart issued on Saturday didn’t refer to Sri Lanka’s call for KP’s extradition though it said Sri Lanka had urged Malaysia to proscribe the LTTE.Authoritative sources said that ‘KP’ had sought refuge in Malaysia some time ago after his presence in Thailand came to light. India, too, had made inquiries when KP’s presence was made public.Sources said that a high profile presence of the LTTE in Malaysia had been revealed in an unprecedented FBI investigation which targeted an LTTE arms procurement ring involving Singaporeans and Indonesians.Sources said that some of the funds for procurement of armaments were to be transferred from a Malaysian Bank. Ongoing police investigations have also revealed that a Lieutenant Colonel of the Sri Lanka Army on the Tigers’ payroll now in custody had visited Malaysia before the collapse of the LTTE.A few days before the killing of Prabhakaran, Sri Lanka monitored ‘KP’ directing a close associate of the LTTE leader trapped in the Vellamullivaikkal area to hold the army until an international lifeline could be thrown in.Recently Sri Lanka appointed Brigadier Udaya Perera as Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia to meet a new threat posed by the LTTE. Perera is the first serving army officer to receive a diplomatic appointment. Sources said that the appointment followed after Perera impressed foreign ministry mandarins at a special meeting called to brief top envoys of several countries in the run up to the final battle. KP’s presence captured media attention after the Norwegians made contact with him in Malaysia and also facilitated contact between him and top UN officials.

Lt. Colonel found deeply involved with LTTE
 
Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate Darshika Wimalasiri, yesterday, allowed an application by the Colombo Crimes Division to obtain a report pertaining to the personal bank account of a Lieutenant Colonel attached to the Ratmalana Intermediate Camp and residing at the Kendalanda Army Residencies.It is alleged that the Lieutenant Colonel had helped an activist of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who was involved in a plot to assassinate the President.On the basis of the information divulged by the LTTE activist,  police had searched the Ratmalana office of the suspect and found a micro pistol, 125.9 mm cartridges, 30.22 cartridges and  cash amounting to Rs. 1.4 million and 48 Singapore dollars.  Police also informed Court that two vans, supposedly purchased by the suspect with LTTE funds, had been taken into custody. Chief Inspector Jayatilake, acting under the instructions of SP Vas Gunawardane (who is also director of the Colombo Crimes Division) produced the ‘B’ Report in Court in connection with the two vans.

Adela behind London protests       
 
 Sri Lankan intelligence officials believe Adele Balasingham (59), is one of the most senior figures in the remains of the terror group which fought a 26-year war on the island and was defeated last month. They claim she has played a key role in organizing protests by Tamils outside Parliament and want Britain to take action against her. Sri Lanka's government believes Tamil Tiger leaders abroad are raising funds and procuring equipment which could be used in fresh attacks. She is the widow of Anton Balasingham, a Sri Lankan with British citizenship who was the chief political strategist of the Tamil Tigers until he died in 2006. Mrs Balasingham, an Australian-born nurse, met and married him while he was living in London in the Seventies. She became deeply involved in the Tigers' cause - ending up as the leader of its women soldiers.A senior Sri Lankan High Commission source has told the "London Evening Standard" news paper, "Given the association of Mrs Balasingham with the senior ranks of the LTTE she could be seen as a sole survivor. She was involved in taking major decisions in the hierarchy of the LTTE and there is a possibility that supporters will rally around her in Britain. We believe the Parliament Square protests were organized directly from the Tamil Tigers leadership and Mrs Balasingham has been a main point of contact in the UK for this."Representatives of the Sri Lankan government are to meet Scotland Yard and the Home Office in the coming weeks for talks on the Tigers' presence in Britain.

Sri Lanka 'to send Briton home'
   
A British woman who is being held in one of the displacement camps in northern Sri Lanka has been traced and may soon be released, officials say.Damilvany Gnanakumar, 26, was working at one of the temporary hospitals inside Sri Lanka's war zone. A local official told the BBC that efforts were underway to send Ms Gnanakumar back to Britain. She is one of the many thousands who fled the final stages of the conflict ending Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war. "Today I visited the camp personally and met her [Ms Gnanakumar] and verified her documents," Mrs Charles, government agent for northern Vavunyia district where most of the camps are located, told the BBC's Tamil service. She said she had been instructed to do so by President Rajapaksa's brother and political adviser, Basil Rajapkasa. "I went to the camp and met her. She is in a camp located in the Ramanathan relief village. She is living with her friends and relatives there. She is in good health," Mrs Charles said. "She has no injuries on her body. You can tell her relatives that she is safe, she is happy and we are making every effort to send her back to the UK." She said Basil Rajapaksa had assured her that he would hasten the legal process. Ms Gnanakumar's family had expressed their fears for her wellbeing to the Guardian newspaper on Saturday. Britain's High Commission staff in Colombo were in touch with the Sri Lankan government over Ms Gnanakumar's release. About 300,000 people displaced by Sri Lanka's bitter war are currently being held in camps in the north of the country. Aid agencies and human rights groups have been calling for unfettered access to these camps. The military has so far refused to release refugees from the camps wholesale, saying they must be screened to weed out any Tamil rebels who may be hiding among them.

Sri-Lanka expresses gratitude over services, rendered by Pakistan Army Force

The Sri-Lankan High Commissioner, Air chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkedy has expressed his governments extreme gratitude over full technical and other services rendered by Pakistan to suppress Sri-Lankan Tamil insurgency. During a press briefing on Monday at the Sri-Lankan High Commission on Monday evening, he thanked technical and logistics support, especially regarding training and technical support for Chinese F-7 jet fighters and C-130 aircraft, around 2006. He said that both Pakistan and Sri-Lanka faced similar circumstances, while only background and circumstances differed; offering, that Sri-Lanka was willing to share experiences. He also informed that due to a long and protracted civil war Sri-Lanka faced massive number of displaced persons, amounting to more than 200,000 affectees, scattered across the length and breadth of Sri-Lanka. He informed that Tamil Tigers had delivered massive damage to Sri Lanka since their insurgency in 1975, with "external support" which also included Indian Tamil community. He thanked the Pakistani military training support, especially in countering terrorism, since Sri Lankan military operation against Tamils had become inevitable in face of sheer stalemate in dialogue process.

National Victory Parade at Galle Face tomorrow

The National celebration of victory over terrorism and the military parade will be held at the Galle Face Green tomorrow. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of all Forces will be the Chief Guest. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka, Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara, Chief Justice Sarath N Silva, Cabinet Ministers and Parliamentarians, Defence Secretary, Tri-Service Commanders, the IGP and the Chief of the Civil Defence will also participate. The event is organized by the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry. On this occasion, the Tri-Service Commanders will officially convey the conclusion of the North East war against terrorism to the Commander-in-Chief President Rajapaksa by handing over a scroll that contains the national message. President Rajapaksa will address the nation on this occasion and the event will be broadcast live on television and radio. In the military parade all Brigade Commanders and personnel of the three Armed Forces who were engaged in the war will participate. Meanwhile, a drum symphony presented by the National Youth Services Council will be a highlight at tomorrow’s National Victory Parade at Galle Face green to mark the nation’s victory over terrorism, Wehelle Piyathilake, Maharagama special correspondent said. The Rana Bera Hewisi symphony will feature 1,600 up country, low country, Sabaragamuwa and Tamil and Muslim drummers. The drum symphony had been a tradition during the time of Sinhala kings to honour gallant war heroes.

Britain sold weapons to help Sri Lankan army defeat Tamil Tigers

Britain and other EU countries sold military equipment worth millions of pounds to the Sri Lankan Government in the last three years of its bloody civil war with the Tamil Tigers, The Times has learnt. Britain approved commercial sales of more than £13.6 million of equipment including armoured vehicles, machinegun components and semiautomatic pistols, according to official records. Slovakia provided 10,000 rockets worth £1.1 million, while Bulgaria approved sales of guns and ammunition worth £1.75 million, according to EU documents and officials. It is impossible to verify whether all the approved sales were delivered as the governments involved do not publish those details. Only Slovakia has confirmed delivery of the rockets. The approval of the sales still raises the question of whether weapons from the EU were used in the last five months of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, during which UN officials estimate that 20,000 civilians were killed. “I think we need answers about what these were used for,” said Mike Gapes, a Labour MP who chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee and is a member of the Committee on Arms Export Controls. The sales were cleared despite the 1998 EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, which restricts transfers to countries facing internal conflicts or with poor human rights records and a history of violating international law. They were approved while the EU called for peace talks in Sri Lanka, saying that it did not support a military solution, and expressing concerns about human rights abuses after the collapse of a 2002 ceasefire. The US also sold Sri Lanka millions of pounds of military equipment in 2006-07 but suspended all military aid and sales early last year because of concerns about alleged rights abuses. British MPs and MEPs, as well as activists against the arms trade, said that the EU should have done the same as early as 2006, when the ceasefire began to unravel. “The EU had an obligation not to supply these things,” said Malcolm Bruce, a Liberal Democrat MP who visited Sri Lanka last month. “There were too many unanswered questions. With hindsight, Britain’s sales did violate the EU code of conduct.” John Battle, a Labour MP, former Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister and now a member of the Committee on Arms Export Controls, said: “We should have been sharper off the mark and so should the EU.” He called for an immediate suspension of EU arms sales to Sri Lanka until it lifted all restrictions on journalists and aid workers. Several MPs and MEPs also called for the EU code of conduct, which became legally binding on December 8, to be strengthened to ensure consistency and transparency across the 27 member states. The code says: “Member states will not allow exports which would provoke or prolong armed conflicts.” It also says that member states should “not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression”. Until December 8, however, it was up to member states to decide whether the criteria applied to any given arms sale. Slovakia said that its rocket deal was justified because there was no UN arms embargo on Sri Lanka, the island had a right to defend itself and the Tigers were banned in the EU as a terrorist organisation.
Britain disputed Slovakia’s position at the time but approved its own arms sales out of concern that countries, such as China, would take its place.

Arms deals

Arms sales approved by the British Government include:

2008 £4 million of equipment including military sonar detection items and components; components for aircraft military communications equipment and military communications equipment

2007 £1 million of equipment including ejector seats, grenades, ground vehicle military communications equipment, military parachutes

2006 £8.6 million of equipment including 50 semi-automatic pistols, components for combat aircraft, military aircraft communications equipment, armoured all-wheel-drive vehicles, components for general purpose and heavy machineguns, small arms ammunition

Media rights campaigner assaulted
 
The General Secretary of the Working Journalists Association Poddala Jayantha was admitted to hospital after abduction and assault Poddala Jayantha received head and leg injuries in the attack near his home in the Colombo suburb of Nugegoda. Mr Jayantha campaigns for media freedom and is seen by government supporters as an opponent of the authorities. Critics in Sri Lanka's local media have come under extreme pressure in the past few years. Several independent journalists have been killed. Mr Jayantha, the general secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, was kidnapped on Monday while he was walking near his home on the outskirts of the capital. BBC correspondents say he was named by government politicians as an anti-government campaigner who had been instrumental in tarnishing the name of the government.

Threats

As a result of earlier threats and intimidation - which included an armed group trying to kidnap him from his residence - Mr Jayantha spent a brief period abroad, returning to Sri Lanka only a few weeks ago. Dr Hector Weerasinghe, director of Colombo General Hospital, told the BBC the journalist had suffered injuries to the head and legs. The attackers shaved parts of his head and the beard as a part of the attack.Reports say his injuries are not life-threatening.

Sri Lanka after the War – Part I Col R Hariharan

Macro issues

Undoubtedly Sri Lanka, under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has scored an unprecedented military victory in the Eelam War IV with the near total elimination of the entire leadership of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). After that the LTTE’s military struggle has been turned into an existential struggle.  It will be a long haul for the LTTE to get back into some shape as the Sri Lanka war machine grinds on relentlessly in the name of taming the Tamil Tigers. The Sri Lankan victory, tarnished by the death of 20,000 civilians, has thrown afresh the question ‘what happens after the war?’ Many analysts have focused on issues like devolution of powers to Tamils, rehabilitation of displaced population, and development of north and east as some of the instruments to ‘resolve’ the vexing ethnic issue.  The fundamental truth is Sri Lanka society is divided along ethnic lines between Sinhalas and Tamils as never before. The Sinhala-Tamil divide took over 50 years to become a fact of life from the Tamil point of view. In the last three decades or so, Tamil militancy and the state’s response to it had frustrated the chances of healing processes attempted by well meaning souls. The huge show of power in the aftermath of military victory has made minority Tamils confident of their future as their past experience tells them not to expect the rulers to keep their promises. There are no magic potions that would erase overnight the sense of mistrust and insecurity pervading all sections of Tamil society in Sri Lanka. No amount of speeches in parliament or promises in international podiums is going to convince Tamils unless deeds match the words. As it is a state of mind, it requires much more than the statistical figures of number of Tamil ministers and members in parliament unless they produce worthwhile actions to restore confidence among the minorities. Unfortunately, such actions, beyond political expediency, have not been paid adequate attention by the stakeholders including Sinhala and Tamil intelligentsia. The situation has become more complex now than ever before because the LTTE is no more there as an extra legal power centre. There is a strong external constituency now as the world is increasingly networked than it was in 1983 when Tamil militancy blossomed.. So old solutions, including military actions, by either side are not going to resolve the issues. Any process to succeed now will have to be inclusive rather than exclusive or ‘home grown’ as President Rajapaksa likes to call it.  To make Sri Lanka’s path to permanent peace a smooth one, the people and rulers of Sri Lanka as well as India and the international community should address a cluster of issues that may be grouped under five heads. These are: the LTTE and its future, rise of Rajapaksa and its impact, Tamil minority politics, the India-Tamil Nadu-Sri Lanka triangular relations, and international response to Sri Lanka.   

Future of LTTE

Prabhakaran was the life and soul of the LTTE. Prabhakaran had the ability to control the two vital segments of the organisation – the external resources segment and the internal operational segment. Like many other insurgent groups, LTTE was an autocracy and Prabhakaran’s writ ran the LTTE and decided the life and death of its rank and file. So the leadership hierarchy was in the form of pecking order based on a crony system. The wiping out of the entire leadership has not left a leader of proven ability or remnant of a central leadership that can marshal the cadres scurrying within Sri Lanka to save their lives from the security forces, and motivate them to continue the struggle.  On the other hand, the LTTE’s huge overseas assets, held under cover names of front men and organisations, are under the control of minutemen. Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the LTTE international affairs representative and only senior leader left alive, has sufficient experience in handling the links of LTTE’s external segment. He is a smooth and wily operator who could manage gain control of most of the overseas tentacles. However, the ambitions of some local satraps guarding the LTTE pie with their muscle power might interfere with Pahmanathan’s moves. Moreover, Pathmanathan’s financial integrity in handling party funds was suspect even in Prabhakaran’s time. So even if he controls the external segment, it is doubtful whether he can control and motivate the operational segment inside Sri Lanka. Considering these issues, it might take sometime before a new leadership with control over both the external and internal segments emerges. 

President Rajapaksa’s ascendancy 

President Rajapaksa has delivered what he promised the voters in the run up to the election – victory over the LTTE. LTTE has been given a body blow from which it would be difficult to regain its former glory. Thus Rajapksa has become the unchallenged leader of the country – a modern day Dutta Gamunu; if all goes well he would be victorious in his quest for presidency for a second term as well. Thus he is likely to be in power till 2028. If he could plan and eliminate LTTE from a position of political and military power in three years, he has the potential to resolve the ethnic divide between the two major communities. But can he and will he do it?  Rajapaksa’s military success has swept lot shortcomings in his style of governance under the carpet. There has been scant respect for rule of law in the high handed conduct of senior officials and ministers; well meaning measures that would improve governance (like the 17th amendment of the Constitution) have been deferred; free media has been hounded by both legal and extra legal methods; NGOs have come under pressure to toe the government line, indirect measures are being adopted to control INGOs, and many Tamils are uncertain of their security as the ‘while van’ syndrome has not vanished. The devolution of powers to Tamils has been used as a political ploy to keep the Tamil lobbies at bay as the Tissa Vitharana commission’s recommendations have not seen the light of the day. Similarly the much heralded ushering in of 13th amendment of the Constitution to devolve powers to the provincial council still remains a cruel joke than a reality.   The President appears to be ruling the country with the assistance of a triumvirate of his two brothers Basil and Gotabaya along with the Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka.  In fact he is more dependent upon them to carry out his agenda than his unwieldy cabinet of ministers. This style of personalised governance focuses on results rather than accountability and suits war situations. However, the style comes with a cost because it inevitably gives rise to many acts of omission and commission. This is what is happening in Sri Lanka. Though the war is over, the Army Commander General Fonseka has said that armed forces strength would be increased by 50 percent to 300,000 (nearly one fourth the size of  Indian armed forces’ strength of 1.13 million). This is ostensibly to eliminate the last vestige of LTTE from the Sri Lanka soil. While the intentions appear logical, the question arises whether such a huge army is required for counter insurgency after armed forces of a much smaller strength had defeated the LTTE and regained territorial control of insurgent-controlled territory.  Oversized armies tend to grow into power centres that influence political decision making either indirectly or directly for decades. Turkey and Indonesia are good examples of this phenomenon. Big armies usually find issues and rationale to justify their existence. Pakistan is a shining example of this home truth. And in counter insurgency operations they tend to cloud political judgement because military option is more easily exercised than protracted peace parleys. Though Sri Lanka armed forces have excelled in warfare, they and the civil society will have to ensure that militarism does not become part of national life.  On the current line of thinking the counter insurgency operations in the coming years in Sri Lanka would probably be based on a network of garrison towns established in major communication centres and towns in north and east. They would probably make endless forays of patrols on search and destroy missions in the interior. There are two problems with this process. Sri Lanka armed forces are manned by the Sinhala community. Unless the armed forces take pains to induct sufficient Tamil speaking recruits and employ them for operations in north and east it will not gain the trust and confidence of demoralised Tamil people. If Sri Lanka attempts to rush through the operation, without undergoing the painful process of turning the armed forces truly national in character and composition, it would only hasten the birth and growth of another Prabhakaran. Secondly, does the Sri Lanka government expect Tamil militancy as a permanent feature of Sri Lanka life?   (To be continued)

01 June 2009

Sri Lanka Tamils 'facing misery' 
 
A senior Sri Lankan Tamil political leader has urged the government to resettle civilians back to their homes as early as possible.V Anandasangaree described conditions in camps for civilians displaced by the country's war as "horrible". The head of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) said hundreds of thousands faced misery and hardship. He said there were food, health and sanitation problems in camps set up for Tamil civilians in northern Sri Lanka. The United Nations says nearly 300,000 people have been displaced by recent fighting between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. The civilians have been housed in various camps, most of them in Menik Farm, near the northern town of Vavuniya. The Menik Farm camp site, which is described by the UN as the world's largest displacement camp, houses around 220,000 people displaced by the fighting.

Health fears

Mr V Anandasangaree, the TULF leader, is one of the few remaining long-serving moderate Tamil political leaders in Sri Lanka. He has strongly supported the government's stance against the rebels. "From the reports I get from the people [in the camps] they are good in some areas and horrible in many," Mr Anandasangaree told the BBC. "Health, water and sanitation situation is horrible. Many people are having skin diseases as they didn't get a chance to have a shower for days because of water shortage. "Pregnant mothers and newborn babies go through a harrowing time in the camps due to scorching heat," he said. The Sri Lankan government accepts that conditions in some of the camps are not ideal but says facilities have been improved in many other camps. It says more land is also being allocated to build new camps to decongest those already full. The United Nations and other aid agencies have also demanded better access to the camps to carry out humanitarian work. Sri Lanka's government is wary of aid agencies and has complained that the agencies had helped the Tigers in the past. Sri Lanka says it plans to resettle most of the refugees within six months. Mr Anandasangaree, a well-known critic of the Tamil Tiger rebels, the LTTE, also faulted the government for viewing every Tamil civilian in the camps as a possible Tamil Tiger suspect. Sri Lanka has said it needs time to weed out potential Tamil Tiger infiltrators hiding in the camps. "The civilians risked their lives while fleeing from the LTTE-held areas as the rebels were shooting at them. If the government suspects such people as Tamil Tigers, then the entire population of the two districts - Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu - should be the suspects," he said. "Then the government will never solve the problem." Sri Lankan officials say they have been overwhelmed by the sudden arrival tens of thousands of civilians from rebel-controlled areas since the start of the Sri Lankan military's final battle against Tamil Tigers a few weeks ago. The government says it also requires help from the international community for post-war resettlement and reconstruction. The TULF leader also challenged the official view that de-mining needs to be carried out before the resettlement of civilians can begin in the north. "The theory that the area is heavily landmined cannot be accepted because I am in touch with a number of people. So, when I ask them they tell me where the landmines are placed. They are local people. According to them, 75% per cent of the area is not at all landmined," the Tamil leader said. Mr Anandasangaree said Sri Lankan security forces were doing a commendable job in carrying out relief work for the displaced civilians, but said that was not enough. "The government cannot address the problem fully on its own because of the size of the displaced population."

Sri Lankan Tamil lawmaker seeks amnesty for surrendered LTTE

R Sambandan, a lawmaker of Sri Lanka now on a visit to India has sought amnesty for surrendered Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The leader of Tamil Nationalist Alliance said this while speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday.Sambandan said that the Tamil rebels should be provided with opportunities so that they can lead normal life in the mainstream of society. "Even the legitimate rights of these people, in a situation when the war has come to an end, has got to be seriously considered. Normally in any situation they are given amnesty, and they are granted pardon, and people will be with opportunities to return to normal life," he added.Sri Lanka on May 18 declared victory over the LTTE after 26 years of insurgency and fighting the rebels in northern part of the island nation.However, according to officials of the United Nations, this victory has come at a cost. Human rights groups have repeatedly criticised the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE for causing the death of a large numbers of civilians.

Two Army HQs in Mullaithivu & Killinochchi       

Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka said that SL Army has established two Security Forces Headquarters in Mullaithivu and Killinochchi to oversee the overall security plan of the two districts. These two head quarters hare being established in addition to the one that exists in Vanni at present. Major General Nandana Udawatta, presently the Overall Operations Commander, Anuradhapura has been appointed as the Security Forces Commander, Mullaithivu while Major General Channa Goonetilleke, presently the General Officer Commanding of the 56 Division in Omanthai has been appointed as the Security Forces Commander Killinochchi.With the establishment of these new Security Forces Headquarters in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu all the offensive Divisions and the Task Forces except for the 53 and 58 Divisions will be deployed in the respective areas they are now operating for defensive operations. The 53 Division under the command of Major General Kamal Gunaratne and 58 Division under the command of Brigadier Shavendra Silva will be kept as two reserve Army Divisions for offensive operations directly under the command of the Army Commander. These two Divisions will be located in Mankulam and Paranthan respectively.

How a British medic got access to LTTE-controlled areas

“At least three shells fell inside or around the hospital this afternoon. It’s a disaster here. Really afraid to get out of the bunker. People do not want to move,’’ Damilvany Gnanakumar, a British citizen of Sri Lankan origin, told HT over phone (060-2244029) from the ‘no fire zone’ (NFZ) on May 13.Gnanakumar, a bio-medical sciences graduate from the Greenwich University in UK, was among the last group of civilians inside the NFZ. In the background, sporadic sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard.Vany, as she introduced herself to HT, was speaking English with a distinct accent.  She had added that a lot of people were “dying or losing their families. We have to make a choice…a decision...whether a patient can be saved or not. It is a difficult decision,’’ she had said when asked about medicine shortage, adding that the “International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) ship could not send the supplies.’’ “Why are international aid agencies not allowed inside if the government claims we are lying,’’ she said before the line got abruptly cut. That was the last time anyone picked up the phone.Vany was among the last few to come out of the NFZ alive but is now in one of the many refugee camps in Vavuniya district.Questions are now being raised about how Vany got access to LTTE-controlled areas in the North after returning to Sri Lanka in 2008. The ceasefire was broken in January 2008 and access to the north was barred other than with permission from the defence ministry.“If you are a (bio) medical graduate but get caught in LTTE-controlled areas, there must be some reason. It suggests sympathies for the LTTE,’’ foreign secretary, Palitha Kohona told HT. “How did she land up in Tiger territory? Did she come on a tourist visa?’’ an official asked.Vany returned to Mullaitivu from UK in 2008 and was among the Tamil civilians to move with the LTTE as it gradually got cornered into the NFZ on a coastal strip of land in Mullaitivu. In the last few weeks of the war, she was a volunteer at the makeshift hospital inside the NFZ. HT was in touch with her over phone on several occassion; her descriptions were grim. The Guardian newspaper has reported: “diplomatic efforts to secure her release have so far been unsuccessful and last night her family appealed to the Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to allow her to return to the UK.’’

India prepared to face any Chinese threat’

MM Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Defence after taking charge of his office on Monday said that India is keeping an eye on growing influence of China in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries and steps are taken that it does not pose a threat to India. "There is no shortfall in preparedness from our side in this regard. Chinese influence is not just in Pakistan. They are trying to develop a port in Sri Lanka and in Myanmar. And we are well aware of all these developments. We are taking steps that Chinese influence does not pose a threat," said Raju. China and Pakistan have helped Sri Lanka in its action against the LTTE. China is also helping Sri Lanka build the Hambantota port, which many see as part of Beijing''s "String of Pearls" strategy of building relations with countries along sea-lanes from the Middle East to the South China Sea.  China recently built a Civil Service Hospital in Nepal and said that would continue the economic and technical assistance to Nepal. India concerned over Pak's N-arms stockpile Raju also expressed concern over US reports that Pakistan was having a large nuclear weapon stockpile and wanted the international community to exert pressure on it to cap its nuclear capability. "We (India) are concerned because they (Pakistan) are crossing the minimum deterrent threshold. We hope that the international pressure will be exerted on Pakistan to make sure that they retain only minimum deterrence levels," Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju told reporters here, soon after assuming office for the second term. "We (India) also have the second strike and deterrence capability. But our stated policy is no-first-use as far as nuclear weapon is concerned. Only retaliatory strike. I am glad that Pakistan is also thinking on the lines of second strike and are behaving like a responsible state," Raju said to a question.

SRI LANKA: India's Role By B. Raman

Many Sri Lankan Tamils were killed during the anti-Tamil riots in Colombo in 1983. In their anxiety to suppress details of the exact number of fatalities from being known to the international community, the Sri Lankan authorities allegedly decided to secretly burn the dead bodies of the Tamils killed in mass cremations without informing the relatives. Much before any agency of the Government of India, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, came to know about it and took action to stop it.

2. Her information came from Tamil families in Tamil Nadu with links or contacts with Tamils in Sri Lanka, I am mentioning this to underline that if there is any large-scale massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka by State agencies, Tamil families in Tamil Nadu would generally come to know about it much before anybody else in India or in the rest of the world. The fact that there has been no such tom-toming across Tamil Nadu of independent stories----- and not stories disseminated by Western sources--- about large-scale massacre of Tamil civilians in the Northern Province by the Sri Lankan security forces would underline the need for caution in accepting stories being disseminated by Western media and human rights organisations about the alleged massacre of nearly 20,000 Tamils during the final weeks of the Sri Lankan Army's counter-insurgency operations against the LTTE.

3. Had there been really such massacres as alleged by Western sources on the basis of purported leaks from unidentified members of the junior staff of the United Nations, people in Tamil Nadu would have come to know of these alleged massacres long before anybody else. Yes, there was concern over the use of air strikes and heavy artillery by the Sri Lankan security forces. These concerns were voiced by political and non-political elements in Tamil Nadu. There was equally a feeling in Tamil Nadu that the number of casualties suffered by the civilians during the final days of the fighting must have been more than the figures given by the Sri Lankan Government. In counter-insurgency situations, it happens often that the authorities tend to underestimate civilian casualties. We saw it in Iraq and we have been seeing it in Afghanistan. The debate regarding the number of civilian fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan goes on without anybody being to establish the exact figure. But nobody accuses the US-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan of deliberately indulging in large-scale massacres of civilians. Nobody is asking for an international tribunal to try those in charge of operations in those two countries.

4. A campaign has been started in the West to embarrass the Sri Lankan Government and to put its senior officers, who were in charge of counter-insurgency, in the dock by disseminating unauthenticated high figures of civilian fatalities in the Northern Province. India should keep away from this campaign, which seems to be motivated not necessarily by wholly humanitarian considerations. India is uniquely placed in having a better and more objective idea of what happened in the Northern Province and should act according to its judgement without being influenced by the anti-Colombo campaign mounted in the West.

5. Now that the LTTE's insurgency is over, three issues have acquired priority. The first priority is relief and rehabilitation of the Tamil civilians affected by the counter-insurgency operations. The second is post-conflict economic reconstruction in Sri Lanka as a whole and in the Tamil areas in particular. The third is addressing the Tamil anger through an appropriate political package. The LTTE may be gone, but not the Tamil anger.

6. Since the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and more particularly since 2002, India has been playing second fiddle in Sri Lanka. It has left it to Western powers such as Norway and the US as well as to Japan to play an activist role in helping Sri Lanka. The time has come for India to once again play an activist role in respect of all the priorities cited above. India should assume the leadership role in helping Sri Lanka in its relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction tasks.

7. The goodwill for India in Sri Lanka has never been higher than it is after the defeat of the LTTE. It is not because India played any active role in its defeat. It is because India did not try to hamper the counter-insurgency operations of the Sri Lankan security forces. This was interpreted by them as India's moral support for their operations. Many Sri Lankans with whom I have interacted in recent weeks have frankly admitted that India's moral support was much more crucial than any material support from Pakistan or China in their counter-insurgency operations.

8. India should try to build up on this goodwill and strengthen it further by taking the leadership role in international efforts to help Sri Lanka after the conflict. If this goodwill is not frittered away and is strengthened further, that could give India a moral authority to nudge the Sri Lankan Government towards a politicasl solution which would be meaningful to the Tamils and acceptable to the Sinhalese.

9. In many articles in the past, I had expressed my fears that once the SL security forces win against the LTTE, the SL Government would try to impose a dictated peace on the Tamils. Those fears remain. All the more reason for India to play the leadership role to ensure that these fears are belied. These fears, even if valid, should not be allowed to inhibit our initiatives in Sri Lanka.