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Srisaba's 24th anniversary Day - 06/05/2010 TAMIL UNITED DAY |
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31 May 2010 India plans to construct its Sub- High Commission in Hambantota Reports states India had planned to construct a Sub- High Commission in Hambantota. The decision had been taken after Chinese had increased their authority in the Southern Sri Lanka in the area of Hambantota. In this regard discussions will be held by India with Sri Lanka is much expected. Most probably, when President Mahinda Rajapakse visits India within some days, the request in regard to this will be submitted is according to diplomatic circles. The Indian High Commission which is located at Colombo opened its branch office at Kandy. They also offered the opportunity to construct another branch office at Jaffna and now India has shown its desire to open a branch office at Hambantota. Minister Douglas Devananda to launch a new Tamil daily in Jaffna The leader of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Douglas Devananda, a cabinet minister in the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), who continues to publicly accuse the three Tamil dailies published in Jaffna of having denied him and his party equal opportunity and sufficient cooperation during the last parliamentary elections, is actively engaged in launching a new Tamil daily in Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Minister Devananda had in person offered higher wages to the members of the editorial boards of the three dailies published in Jaffna in an attempt to lure them to his new daily, the sources added. Minister Devananda had accused the three Jaffna dailies, particularly the ‘Uthayan’.Uthayan's Administrative Manager, N. Saravanabavan of Ilangkai Thamizh Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) had won in the last parliamentary election contesting in Tamil National Alliance (TNA) ticket in Jaffna electoral district.Meanwhile, Devananda is casting his net wide among the media persons from Vanni now resettled in the peninsula, offering them higher salaries.The minster’s political party already publishes a weekly paper in Jaffna called, ‘Thinamuarasu’.Thinamurasu had been recently strongly criticized for an article published on the actions of Chaavakachcheari magistrate who had been allegedly threatened to death by a key EPDP operative, now in Jaffna remand prison for the suspected involvement in the abduction and killing of a student in Chaavakachcheari. The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs has warned former ministers and Members of Parliament (MP) occupying state owned houses at Summit flats in Jawatta to vacate the premises within two weeks or face legal action.Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, D. Dissanayaka, speaking to Daily Mirror online, said that eight former Members of Parliament including former Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, M. S. Sellasamy, Ranjith Alavihira and Amiri Ali have already been given time to vacate Summit flats.He said that the former MPs had requested two weeks time to vacate the premises but had failed to do so and had subsequently requested two months time to leave. The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs says it has now given another two weeks time for the former ministers and Members of Parliament to leave the Summit flats or face legal action.Meanwhile Ministers who have replaced the former ministers are being paid Rs. 50, 000 by the respective Ministries as a house rent until they get their official residence back Recruitment scaled down but still higher than pre-2005 level Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe says a fresh opportunity will be given to deserters to leave the army in June.With the conclusion of the war, the Army has sharply scaled down recruitment to fighting elements, though thousands will have to be taken in to maintain the existing strength of over 200,000 officers and men.Responding to a query by The Island, Military Spokesman Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe said that the recruitment in the post-LTTE era would have to be more than the pre-2006 period. He pointed out that the Army had had a strength of about 120,000 before the outbreak of eelam war IV in mid 2006.During Gen Sarath Fonseka’s tenure as Commander, the army recruited over 80,000, mostly to the infantry to meet the conventional LTTE threat. The Navy and the SLAF, too, increased their strength, while the government authorised the Civil Defence Force to double its strength.Maj. Gen. Samarasinghe said recruitment would continue to retain the existing strength.A high ranking official asserted that once the rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement process was over the government would review its position. He said that there would have to be major changes in the disposition of the armed forces and police, including the STF in a post-war era. He pointed out that the concept of deployment of troops on a holding role, too, would have to be reviewed.An Army headquarters official said that they were in a position to deploy additional forces under UN command. Recently, a small contingent of troops joined a UN mission in Chad, while Sri Lanka continues to maintain about 1,000 troops in Haiti.Maj. Gen. Samarasinghe said the Army would give another opportunity to deserters to leave the service next month. According to him, deserters could report to the Panagoda cantonment between June 7 and June 30. The Army will ask deserters to surrender their national identity cards if they were categorised as soldier/officer and all other forms of identification. Respect Fonseka’s rights US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake says the US has consistently stressed that it is important that detained General Sarath Fonseka’s rights be respected and that he be accorded a full due process.When asked by reporters about Fonseka during a press briefing in Washington which focused on India and the US, Blake said that the US welcomes the fact that the Sri Lankan Government has said that whatever decision is made in the military courts will be reviewed in the civilian courts.“We haven’t seen the specifics of the charges, but we have consistently stressed that it is important that General Fonseka’s rights be respected and that he be accorded a full due process. And we welcome the fact that the Sri Lankan Government has said that whatever decision is made in the military courts will be reviewed in the civilian courts, so that there will be greater transparency about not only the charges, but the process that has been followed in these cases. So, again, we’ll follow the process of these cases very carefully,” Blake said, according to the US State Department. The briefing by Blake came just hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris met in Washington and later briefed the media on their talks. More battlefield promotions for army, further wait for sailors Among 53 Majors promoted to the rank of Lt. Col were some involved in action and recommended for promotions by senior officers.Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Prasad Samarasinghe told The Island yesterday that they were a mixture of special promotions and routine ones.The promoted officers are Bhathiya Madanayaka (Gemunu), W. M. R. B. Walisunedera (Sinha), W. J. Wijesiri (Gemunu), J. S. Weerakoon, N. K. Jayasundera (Gajaba)C. K. Peiris (SLLI), L. R. Bamunusinghe (Military Police), H. M. Ratnayake (Gemunu), A. P. Ubesiriwardene (Commando), D. A. Wijegunaratne (Commando), R. B. Ratnayake (Gajaba), M. S. Premawansha (Gajaba), T. K. Hewa (SLLI), S. M. Atukorale, G. S. Fonseka, A. U. Kodituwakku (Artillery), C. L. Gunawardena (Gemunu), P. G. Gamage (Engineers), L. T. Raymond, N. J. Ariyasena (Mechnaical Engineers), G. A. Ambanpola, C. L. Galapathy (Gemunu), G. S. Fernando (Artillery), U. N. Serasinghe (Gajaba), N. K. Perera (Sinha), M. A. Bandara (Military Police), P. K. Madurapperuma (Enginners), Mohan Kumara (Engineers), G. A. Gunasekera (Signals), G. D. Ranasinghe (Vijayaba), N. A. Muthumala (Sinha), J. D. Jayawardene (Gemunu), G. K. Balasuriya (Military Intelligence), N. P. Hennadege (Gajaba), T. S. Nanayakkara (Military Intelligence), M. M. Salwathura (Gemuhnu), P. K. Navaratne (Gemunu), M. N. Samaradivakara (Engineers), D. P. Gunatunga (Military Intelligence), K. B. Senanayake (Artillery), A. D. Ariyasena (Military Intelligence), W.K. Hewage (Sinha), S. S. Sanjeeva (Vijayaba)U. D. Thbrew (SLLI), R. S. Medagoda (Artillery), M.N. Fernando (Gajaba), L. S. Perera (Commando), I. P. Perera (Military Intelligence), L. C. Liyanage (Vijayaba), S. N. Eragoda (Gajaba), U. K. Rajapaksa (Medical Corps), D. R. Waidasekera (Gajaba) and S. K. Dharmasena (Armour) Their promotions are effective from April 11, 2010. Immediately after the end of war, about 700 army officers and men received promotions, though Navy personnel recommended for promotions for their role in the Eelam war are yet to receive them. About 50 officers and men serving the OPV fleet, FAC squadron, Special Boat Squadron and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron received recommendation from the then Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda Apsara hands over letter to Hillary A further boost to Commandos in post-LTTE era Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva, Colonel of the Commando Regiment says expansion of the elite fighting force is part of overall strategy to meet the LTTE’s conventional military challenge. Over one year after the defeat of LTTE terrorism, 675 commandos, including 20 officers have joined the elite fighting regiment, which played a pivotal role in the bloody ground offensive. They were among 1,000 personnel, who had joined the Uva-Kuda Oya Commando Training School during the eelam war IV, but by the time they received the coveted maroon beret, the LTTE was history.Colonel of the Regiment Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva says those who had failed to achieve the standards set by the Regiment will join other units, while some can be accommodated on administrative duties at Commando Regiments. In a brief interview with The Island, former General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 58 Division said that they had never taken 1,000 men to the commando training facility. The maximum number the army had taken previously was 500, he said, adding that they decided to double the intake as part of the rapid expansion of the army. Army Chief Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya attended the passing out parade of the 40th batch on May 22. He was the first Army Commander to attend a commando passing out parade, though the regiment is 30 years old. The Lt. Gen. awarded the maroon berets to officers, while Maj. Gen. Silva, Maj. Gen. Chagi Gallage, another veteran and several other senior officers awarded maroon berets to men. Maj. Gen. Silva said that the commandos comprised five Regiments. Of them the First, Second and Fifth Regiments are deployed on what Maj. Gen. Silva called their classic role. According to him, the Fourth Regiment had been engaged in VIP security and an anti-hijacking role, while the Third involved men specializing in diving, boat operations as well as missions behind enemy lines.The newly passed out commandos are expected to join the First, Second and Fifth Regiments before being moved to the Third and Fourth.Maj. Gen. Silva said that the 1000-man strong Sri Lankan military mission in Haiti included a platoon of commandos. The Gajaba veteran is credited with leading the Task Force I/ 58 Division from Mannar along the north-western coast, liberating Pooneryn and turning eastwards, which secured Paranthan and fought its way through LTTE defences to reach the east coast.The outspoken officer said that they had to be ready to meet any eventuality, though the LTTE posed no conventional threat. As Director General of Operations, a post Maj. Gen. Silva received immediately after the end of the campaign, he oversees Commandos, Special Forces and the mechanized infantry. According to him, the 53 and 58 Divisions would be their ‘striking’ elements, though during the fourth phase of the war (August 2006-May 2009), there were many offensive formations. The 53 and 58 are directly placed under the Army Headquarters. 30 May 2010 UN to pursue forming the expert panel to advise the Secretary-General on Sri Lanka's accountability issues The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon is in the process of naming members to the panel of experts he will be establishing to advice him on the accountability issues of Sri Lanka's war. "We are in the process of choosing the panel members and once that has been completed we will make an announcement," UN chief's spokesperson Martin Nesirky told the reporters at the media briefing on Friday (28). The spokesperson said that the process was moving forward. According to Nesirky the panel will be advising the Secretary-General, based on international standards and experiences, on implementation of the commitments the government made in the area of human rights accountability during the visit of the Secretary-General to Sri Lanka a year ago. Sri Lankan government vehemently opposed the UN's move to appoint the advisory panel on the basis that infringes on the country' sovereignty. However, the UN Chief had dismissed the Sri Lankan government's objections. Nesirky said the importance of an accountability process to address allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed during the final stages of the conflict was emphasized at the time and Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has agreed to take measures to address these grievances. However, President Rajapaksa recently appointed his own Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation to examine key aspects of the conflict in Sri Lanka that ended a year ago. The United States has expressed its support for the creation of the President's reconciliation commission and urged Sri Lanka to make the findings public. On Friday Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris urged the United Nations to give Sri Lanka space to allow the commission to begin its work without impediment or without hindrance. "And certainly, along the road, if we feel that there is a need for support, then we would certainly be happy to engage in a dialogue with the United Nations to get the benefit of the wisdom and the experience of the United Nations," Minister Peiris said addressing the media after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton. The Spokesperson said the Secretary-General strongly believed that there should be a serious and credible accountability process for human rights violations alleged to have been committed by both sides to the conflict. He said the Secretary-General has been very actively pursuing that, based on the commitment made by President Rajapaksa. “No Secret Deal With Ranil” Says Sajith Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa vehemently denied rumours that he had struck a deal with UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for the post of Deputy Leader. “That rumour is absolute and utter rubbish. I totally reject the innuendo that has been manufactured and instigated by interested parties, who aren’t keen on looking at the wishes of the party,” Premadasa said.Although Premadasa said the rumours were baseless, he did not deny his ambition to one day lead the main opposition party.“I have never hidden my intentions to lead the party, maybe even the country one day. But both dreams will only be realised if the people give their full consent and acquiescence to them,” Premadasa said.Speculation has been rife as to why Premadasa has remained so quiet after the much-anticipated reforms were announced last week. It has even been said that Premadasa is waiting for the reforms to be implemented, before coming forward to make a bid for a leadership position.“This idea that there is a ‘grand strategy’ on my part is again, absolute rubbish,” Premadasa insisted. The popular MP said that he had almost decided to give up on pushing for party reform after the 2010 general elections were concluded. However, he said there had been “such a dreadful situation at the grassroots level,” that he had decided it was his duty to intervene.“During the general election campaign, I had around 800 meetings. I made promises to the people of Hambantota. My priority lies with the people who voted for me, and delivering on those promises,” Premadasa said. As such, he said, he remained no less interested in party reform. “In fact, I am taking a frontal role when it comes to issues that concern the common people and supporters of the party,” he said. The recently announced party reforms put forward by a special committee suggest that all leadership positions, apart from Treasurer and General Secretary, be elected through an internal election. Basil uncle and Naamal sonny in stiff competition Left parties in Sri Lanka's governing coalition to decide on alternative proposals for constitutional amendments The left parties in Sri Lanka's governing (UPFA), are to meet tomorrow (31) to discuss the proposed constitutional amendments by the government and to decide on a separate set of proposals that will include abolishing the Executive Presidency among other reforms. Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera has said that the leftist parties in the governing UPFA, the Communist Party (CP), Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and New Left Front (NLF) wanted the Executive Presidency abolished and did not want an extension of the terms of office held by the current President. He has said that the Communist Party had always called for the abolishing of the Executive Presidency since its formation by former President J.R. Jayewardene, adding that an executive prime ministerial post should be created. "Since the governing party has come up with several proposed constitutional amendments, we need to meet and decide on a separate set of proposals to be handed over to the SLFP," Gunasekara said. He has noted that once the proposals were handed over to the SLFP, the leftist parties would initiate a dialogue on the matter with them. Vesak In Jaffna I’m in Jaffna for Vesak. Every military and government institution is bedecked with lanterns, lights and flags. Each Army outpost is flanked by Buddhist flags. I can see how this might be disconcerting for the majority Hindus. Hinduism, being the supple faith that it is, can surely subsume even this encroachment, in time. The question is whether feelings here will be hurt, and whether there is that intention.Vesak could even be a Hindu festival, if you look at it askance. Hinduism absorbed Buddhism into its millions of Gods by deeming him the ninth incarnation of Vishnu, the creator in the trinity. This is curious because the being who defeated rebirth therein still has one more incarnation to go. Look out for a guy on a white horse, and look busy.Vishnu is one of the four guardians of Sri Lanka along with Kataragama. He supposedly returned as Rama to give us a divine and just thrashing. Then as the Buddha to give us enlightenment. He hovers in our temples and protects us still.I’m just not sure that bit of theological detail makes anyone feel better about the Buddhist flags waving in front of the guys with guns. Jaffna Jaffna is sensitive. Sometimes too much so. I still hear of families where low caste people aren’t allowed to drink the same water. Colonization is a constant fear, not so much in Jaffna but all along the North and East. It’s a strange concept for one country, that the movement of races would be restricted, but it makes sense. I’ve yet to meet a Tamil who says I can’t move where I want. They’re just concerned about government sponsored changes of local demographics. Like Palestinians are concerned about settlers. There is the difference that Sri Lanka actually is one country, but I guess that’s still a touchy subject.The celebration of Vesak here, led by the military, looks a bit out of place. It is not like Colombo or outstation where people organise spontaneous dansalas handing out food and treats of their own accord. It is not like the southern streets where thousands travel in the back of trucks, waving and stopping to look at the light displays, and each other.In Jaffna, Vesak is a series of flags and decorations around military and government buildings. It is government sponsored. I suppose that’s the rub.Can’t Go Back, May As Well Go Forward Yet there is nothing inherently wrong with celebrating Vesak here. I like Vesak. It’s a holiday for one. I like lights, who doesn’t like lights? Et cetera. As a holiday-goer myself, however, I can only ask that we now reserve the same level of government sponsorship to Hindu holidays like Thai Pongol, Dussehra and Diwali. The last I would like very much. It would be like the Rupavahini Mervyn colour-pelting incident, except everyone gets to do it.I then suppose also that Christmas and Muslim holidays should be government sponsored as well. The government currently celebrates these, but it would be good to see the orange Hindu flag in front of military outposts for Thai Pongol. We Can Get Along It probably won’t go that way, but it can. For all the acrimony of war, our religions have always got along. Not our monks, necessarily, but if you visit any Buddhist temple there is either a connected Hindu temple or at least a deity. Many families often worship a Hindu God and there is an ancient Hindu caste that still performs Hindu-style rituals at the Sri Maha Bodhi.Despite the flag waving and posturing tone, the religions can actually get along. As can the people. With mutual respect. Through all of this, we have managed to keep this from becoming a holy war. That feeling may be a bit lacking in the execution this weekend in Jaffna, but one hopes for a bit more subtlety and equality in time. It’s at least more fun holidays for us all. Under registration of Tamils in South The Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) has written to the commissioner of elections yesterday saying that while the department was trying regularize statistics in the north and the east to combat the over registration of voters during the LTTE administration, it is doing nothing about the under-registration of Tamils in the South. He added that over 300,000 eligible Tamil citizens have been excluded from the 2008 electoral registers compiled by the department of elections.“We are aware that voter numbers in certain districts in the north and east are over registered. We are aware that your department is planning to regularize statistics in the north and some areas of the east. But, no progress is visible on the issue of under registration of prospective Tamil voters in the southern districts. This tends to become a more sensitive issue in the context of the proposed electoral reforms,” the letter stated.Mano Ganesan also criticized the Department for their outdated operational methods and the inefficiency of officials regards this injustice. He added that the department should rectify this matter before the government brings in any electoral reforms.“Your traditional methods used in the electoral register revision processes have failed. Performances of certain officials and enumerators in this process are not satisfactory”, the letter added. Ganesan claimed that although they discovered that 300, 000 Tamil plantation workers and urban residents have been deprived of their voting rights, the DPF had waited until the completion of the war to raise this issue. He added that despite their requests the Department used the 2008 voter registry, which is an incomplete one.“We waited all these years until the war was over. The current post war era demands free and fair and equitable democratic representation for the Tamil community at all legislative tiers. The estimated national population in year 2008 is 20,217,000. The registered voters in 2008 are 14,088,500. This is 69% of the population count. This is not in anyway reflected among the Tamil community living in the above southern districts,” Ganesan stated in the letter General’s Army loyalists quit DNA The 14 Army officers, who unsuccessfully contested the April 8 general election on the DNA ticket under the leadership of General Sarath Fonseka, have taken a collective decision to quit the party, informed sources said yesterday.Among the Army officers set to sever all ties with the DNA is Captain Senaka Silva who functioned as the Secretary of General Fonseka during the latter’s brief political life since retirement.“The JVP leaders gave these Army officers the cold shoulder during the general election and deliberately kept from campaigning to win votes for the latter. The JVP holds the whip hand in the DNA and those who have been close to the General, have no place in that party,” a source close to the disillusioned officers told The Nation.The Army officers are also unhappy that they were completely ignored by the General’s family after the general election. “None from the family had made inquiries about us nor could we communicate with General Fonseka or any of his family members, the source explained. The group of Army officers at long last had a discussion with Anoma Fonseka at the Rajakeeya Mawatha office of the DNA. DNA MP Tiran Alles too had been present at this meeting. “At this discussion, the Army officers had recounted how the JVP leaders had sidelined them and did no campaigning for them at all. And they had been taken aback by the way Anoma Fonseka had reacted to their grievances. She had said, “Don’t say anything against the JVP. There is no political journey for us without the JVP,” the source said.The Army officers had in reply said, “We are not of the JVP. We, as Army officers, are not interested in politics either. We came into politics because of the General. People voted for the General because he is a war hero responsible for rescuing the country from the clutches of terrorism. We could win more votes if the JVP talked more about the service rendered by the General and Army.”The Army officers had decided to quit the DNA after this discussion.Meanwhile, Captain Senaka Silva who was arrested while being in the thick of election propaganda for General Fonseka is now undergoing treatment at the Prisons Hospital. None from the General’s family or from the DNA have visited him so far. CEPA go-ahead likely now Despite media reports which claimed that the president will not sign the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India, president’s secretariat officials claim that the government is studying the proposals in order to suggest several amendments before signing it.Under the negotiated CEPA, Sri Lanka is expected to open 32 new tariff lines, while India would open trade on 114 items. In the area of services, India will open around 80 sub-sectors, while Sri Lanka will open about 20 sub-sectors. India will also allow unlimited number of visas to executives, managers and specialists to work in India, sources said. “The government is studying the agreement and they want to make some changes before signing it. We have been told that this is the official stance at the moment,” said an official. But another senior government official stated that the President might sign the agreement on his visit to India early next month after suggesting amendments.“Despite what the media says, the President might sign the agreement next month and claim that Indian officials agreed to revise the disadvantageous conditions”, he said.Meanwhile, Democratic National Alliance (DNA) parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake will request an adjournment motion on CEPA in the coming parliamentary week. Speaking to LAKBIMAnEWS the DNA MP said that they have received information that the government will sign the agreement in the coming weeks.“So far the government has not stated whether they will sign the agreement or not. While they are saying now that they will not sign the agreement, we have received information that the government plans to go ahead with the deal anyway,” the DNA MP said. A DNA source claimed that in his recent visit to India, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe held discussions with Indian officials about the CEPA agreement. Issuing an official statement on May 23, Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga said that the UNP is not in favour of abolishing CEPA altogether, but called for some amendments that would maximize benefits for local industries. Tsunami warning system to reach North & East The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) will fully expand its tsunami warning system within this year. According to DMC Early Warning Division’s Assistant Director Pradeep Kodippili, they will expand their network to the North and the East completing the island-wide grid. “There are already 52 early warning towers active in Sri Lanka. We will erect towers in Jaffna, Mullaithivu, Pudumathalan, Kokilai and several other areas. The newly-established towers will create a complete warning tower grid around the country,” Kodippili said. “Once completed, the system will be more effective than before. Even now we are able to alert the public within one and a half minutes after receiving the warning,” he added. The warning towers are used to alert all corners of the country during the threat of a tsunami. Other than the towers, the DMC also has divisional centres established to broadcast warning messages using mobilised loudspeakers. Kodippili added that at the moment the most effective method of alerting the public is through text messages. “Almost everyone in the country is now in possession of a mobile phone with text messaging facilities. So, it has become easy to communicate during disasters,” Kodippili said. The tsunami warning system was established after the massive tsunami disaster in 2004. Though there has been no real test for the effectiveness of the system the tsunami warning system is the only tool that stand in the way of a possible tsunami devastation. Land in the Eastern Province-Politics, Policy and Conflict The report ‘Land in the Eastern Province-Politics, Policy and Conflict’ outlines some of the causes which researchers felt were causes of the land conflict in the East. Listed are some of the key “challenges” which demonstrate how the various administrative, legal and access issues contribute to disputes on the ground:Issues over land documentation: The loss of land documentation means that land users and the state are unable to prove land ownership. There is significant room for conflict especially in a context where land is provided to ‘new’ users and those who used the land previously but lacked documentation to prove ownership.Failures in effective and fair administration: The land documentation problem is complicated by the role of the authorities, especially if they are ineffective or partial. A significant complaint made was that the relevant authorities were not granting land rights despite applications being filed by the potential land owner and low ranking officers. The restoration of civil administration remains a critical challenge in the post-war context, especially in areas which were formerly controlled by the LTTE and are being de facto administered by the military.Landlessness: While a significant proportion of people in the East may occupy a piece of land, they may not necessarily own it. There is a population of landless families in the East who do not have legal titles. Their efforts to secure land may result in disputes either with other land users or the authorities. Previous owners of land may now find themselves landless due to policies of the government which have earmarked the land for other purposes. Alternate land may be provided in such circumstances but those affected may not necessarily accept these plots due to the fact that they are not suitable. As a result of state occupation and acquisition of land, there is a population in the East who may be unable to secure sustainable livelihoods and economic security that in turn intensifies existing tension between civilians and the state.War related abandonment or non-usage: Land owners and users were forced to abandon the use of their land due to the war. Those displaced may have ended up occupying someone else’s land in another area, creating secondary occupation and thereby creating another land problem. In the post-war context, some of the restrictions imposed by the military such as High Security Zones (both official and unofficial) continue to thwart access and are a source of conflict between those who owned the land and the authorities. Encroachment: Defined as the illegal occupation and use of either state or private land, encroachment is a key cause of land conflicts. In certain instances the ‘encroachers’ may contend that they may have secured ownership and may even have documentation to prove it. In some instances, there are political and other factors that facilitate encroachment. Sri Lankan law grants the rights to long-term encroachers on private land and no policy or law has been enacted by the government which would recognise specific circumstances in conflict affected areas which would make this prescription inapplicable.Land grabbing and the involvement of powerful actors: Land grabbing can be carried out by private individuals who seize abandoned or even occupied land by chasing away the owners or users, or by militant and other armed actors who may use violence and intimidation to secure control over land. Armed actors may get involved in land grabbing and in some cases provide the land to communities they are associated with. Hence the LTTE was accused of taking land from Muslims who had fled and of handing it over to landless Tamil families, while state actors such as the army were accused of assisting Sinhala farmers to secure lands previously cultivated by Tamils. There are also allegations of land grabbing by the state on the grounds of military necessity, development, tourism, and land settlement. Tri-Star jobs for 1,500 LTTE combatants The government struggling to find employment for ex-LTTE combatants has been relieved by Desamanya Kumar Devapura, Chairman of Tri-Star Apparel Exporters (Pvt) Limited who has expressed readiness to recruit upto 1,500 currently held in military custody. Devapura will shortly establish a training facility at Vavuniya to accommodate one-time combatants. Although the war ended in last May on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon with the capture of about 12,000 LTTE cadres, there had not been a large scale initiative to find employment for them before Devapura stepped in. Former Justice and Law Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda spearheaded a government strategy which paved the way for the business community as well as the international community to help in rehabilitated LTTE cadres. He went to the extent of involving the All Ceylon Hindu Congress in the process, thereby giving the Tamil community confidence in the government. Addressing the media at the Nippon Hotel yesterday, Devapura said that the first batch would join the company tomorrow (May 31) as trainees at his main factory at Thelawela Road, Ratmalana. He said that altogether 1,500 would receive employment at his production facilities, including two new factories which would be set up in Jaffna and Kilinochchi, once the hub of LTTE operations.A smiling entrepreneur said that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had asked him whether he could accommodate some ex-LTTE combatants when Rajapaksa visited Polpithigama recently to open a Tri-Star production facility. Of the 600 workers employed at Polpithigama, 250 were close relatives of security forces personnel.Devapura emphasized the pivotal importance of finding ex-LTTE cadres employment as quickly as possible as part of the overall strategy to help them integrate with the society.Responding to a query by The Sunday Island whether he was taking an unnecessary risk by opening up factories and recruiting workers due to expected drop in trade caused by withdrawal of GSP plus concessions, Devapura asserted that the Sri Lankan garment industry could face that threat.He said that as several major buyers remained committed to Sri Lanka, including Marks and Spencer and Asda, people should not be unnecessarily worried about the GSP plus issue.When told that it was the government which discussed the issue regularly, he said that the production facilities were booked for the next two or three years. He had received an order for 15 million pieces from Asda and was confident of more major orders.He said political uncertainly and shortage of power, as in the case of one major competitor, would help Sri Lanka to secure more orders.Devapura was confident that foreign buyers would remain loyal to Sri Lanka saying it was up to the business community to take advantage of the political stability achieved due to eradication of LTTE terrorism. At the height of the war they had to struggle to ensure continuity, though the country had achieved unprecedented stability.He said that a factory he set up at Thambalagamuwa, Trincomalee, had accommodated about 400 Tamil and Muslim workers each and about 200 Sinhalese, thereby giving 1,000 families an opportunity to improve their living standards.Devapura owns 15 production facilities, where about 10,000 are employed.Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, Brig. Sudantha Ranasinghe, explained measures taken by the government to rehabilitate ex-LTTE cadres and help them resume normal life. He said that providing them with employment would be a major challenge and the government was grateful to Devapura for supporting their effort.Speaking to The Sunday Island after the press conference, Devapura said that the international community should take a fresh look at Sri Lanka now that the LTTE had been eradicated. He emphasized that his factories in Jaffna and Kilinochchi would be exclusively for ex-LTTE combatants and hoped the business community, which was one of the major beneficiaries of the eradication of the LTTE, would respond in a like manner.He said that the international community should not turn a blind eye to Sri Lanka’s efforts to provide a new life for ex-LTTE men and women and overall improvement in the situation here.Devapura is one of the major beneficiaries of a range of government concessions offered to the garment sector, particularly during President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s tenure. Wedding bells for 53 ex-combatant Sri Lankan couples The love of 53 couples, all former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), will culminate in marriage under the auspices of the state they once fought to overthrow. Rehabilitation Commissioner General Brig. Sudantha Ranasinghe said these lovers are now undergoing rehabilitation and will take each other's hands at a special collective wedding ceremony to be held at Pompemadu rehabilitation center on June 13. He said the couples will be given the opportunity to start a new life at the Kaithadi collective village, where they are to be settled. At the same time, the Rehabilitation Authority, the authority designated to rehabilitate and socialize Sri Lanka's child combatants, recently announced that the last batch of rehabilitated child soldiers - 108 boys and 90 girls - have been handed over to their parents. I Am Worried About The Tamil Community — Anandasangaree A veteran Tamil political leader known for his moderate stance in ethnic politics, TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree says that he is concerned about the plight of the Tamil people in the country given the outcome at the April general election. While Anandasangaree failed to secure a seat in parliament, the TNA managed to secure 12 seats in parliament. According to him, the current TNA is misleading the people as it is not the alliance that was initially formed in 2001 by the TULF, TELO, EPRLF (Suresh Premachandran faction) and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. Anandasanagree added that there was no longer a moderate Tamil voice in the legislature. Q: Why was the TULF unable to secure any seats in the North during the last general election? A: The TULF was confident of winning at least three seats at the last general election, but it did not happen. During the last few days of the election campaign certain sections of the media published stories saying that the TNA was the only option for the Tamil people. The TNA even paid money for the votes at the election. The people in the Wanni are poverty stricken and they had been paid Rs. 2,000 each for a vote for the TNA. I had to battle it on my own. The government did not support me, as they supported the likes of Douglas Devananda. The TNA even received large sums of money as campaign funds from the Transitional Government of Tamil Eelam and members of the Tamil Diaspora in Canada and France. Q: You are not a member of the TNA. How could you therefore speak about the funds received by the TNA? A: I know very well that the Transitional Government provided funds for the TNA because when I attended a convention in Vienna organised by an NGO on how the Tamil Diaspora could help develop the North and East, representatives from the Transitional Government who attended it expressed their willingness to give monies to the TNA. They said that they wanted to give money to the TNA to develop the North and East. I objected and asked them to either come out with their own programme or wait till the government presents its development plan. I said that they should not give money to the TNA. However, they received a large sum of money as campaign funds, but I’m not sure of the exact amount. Q: Doesn’t the TNA victory in the North at the elections indicate that the Tamil people have accepted the party as their representatives? A: The current TNA is misleading the people. It is not the alliance that was initially formed in 2001 by the TULF, TELO, EPRLF (Suresh Premachandran faction) and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. The TNA has split many times since then. I was the leader of the TNA in 2001. However, the LTTE and pro-LTTE elements in the party wanted to take charge of the party and in 2003, some TULF members stated to support the LTTE. They even tried to bring a no confidence motion against me. Finally, the TNA members who supported the LTTE broke away. It was at a meeting attended by the new TNA members and the late LTTE Political Wing Leader, S.P. Tamilselvam in Kilinochchi that it was decided to field six TNA candidates and six LTTE candidates under the TNA banner at the 2004 general elections.The LTTE took charge of the 2004 elections in the North and 20 TNA MPs were elected. However, the TNA split again during the last general election. R. Sampanthan and Mavai Senadhirajah handpicked the TNA candidates who contested the 2010 general election. I’m now concerned about the plight of the Tamil people. Q: Why do you say that you are concerned about the plight of the Tamil community given that there is Tamil representation in parliament? A: My worry is that I have been the only moderate Tamil political leader who is accepted by all communities, but now I have been cast aside. The Tamil people have to now depend solely on the TNA, which does not have any moderate thinkers. Most of the TNA members have had notorious pasts and are pro-LTTE elements. Q: You have at times been supportive of the government; did you not receive any government patronage during the general elections? A: I was never a stooge of the government. I only wanted to destroy the LTTE. The TNA has even accused me of being the main cause for the LTTE defeat. The government used my opposition to the LTTE. However, I never enjoyed any benefits or perks from the government. President Chandrika Kumaratunga offered me the seat that fell vacant following Lakshman Kadirgamar’s death and the present government offered me the post of Northern Governor, but I declined all these offers. I did not receive any support from the government at the elections because I opted to contest separately and not in alliance with the governing party. Racist gang attacked Tamil students in Sudbury Hill station A GANG of racist youths who beat up Tamil teenagers covering a tube station ticket hall in blood have been spared jail. A row started between the groups after one of the five defendants called a female friend of the Sri Lankan victims a “slag” at Sudbury Hill station at around 1am on June 6 last year. Harrow Crown Court heard today how her friends, who were celebrating the end of their college exams, tried to stand up for her but one of the thugs punched a member of their group on the nose. The gang initially left the scene heading up the road to a nearby chicken shop but continued the verbal abuse when two of the Tamil girls tried to get tissues to help stop their friend's nose bleed. After telling her to leave they returned to the station where they attacked the group a second time punching and kicking the men, leaving them with cuts, scratching and bruises. Daniel Hingerton, 20, Billy Hill, 19, Jake King, 20, Steven Ryan, 21, and Jason Wornes, 19, were handed six month suspended sentences and ordered to do 200 hours community service. Judge David Mole QC said the ten minute brawl “must have been terrifying for everyone about there”. Sentencing the group, he said: “At some times some of you were trying to restrain matters but there is no one who was always trying to restrain matters. “At various times you all take a violent part in the situation. It must have been extremely threatening. It lasted for quite a considerable amount of time. “When people are being violent, ten minutes can seem like a very long time indeed.” Barristers for the defendants all said the attack was out of character and stressed the fact only one, Ryan, had a past conviction for burglary. Wornes has learning difficulties and once featured on the BBC where he was held up as an example of the progress challenging pupils can make. Judge Mole said: “Although there was no great injury, if you go around and start kicking people on the ground and start punching people on the ground or back kicking them on the ground you run the risk that you will do very serious injury indeed. “That is why a matter like this must be considered a very serious matter.” He added: “You have been given, all of you, another chance and I hope you take it.” 29 May 2010 Call for a UN commission Reform Justice Sector Amnesty calls for an immediate reformations in Judicial Sector and expresses concerned about the concentration of power with the executive, "striping away checks and balances within the system that safeguards democratic values". Custodial torture, disappearances and civilian protection are other key human rights issues in Sri Lanka the Amnesty said “Sri Lanka is not making human rights a priority”. It is also concerned about the ‘shrinking space for human rights defendants to speak out on human rights issues'. “It is important to implement the Seventeenth Amendment, safeguard the independence of institutions and rebuild Sri Lanka with human rights as the priority” Yolanda Foster said. Local govt polls in North soon The Government will restore democracy in the North by conducting local government elections shortly. This opportunity will allow northerners to elect their representatives to the local bodies as in other regions, Senior Presidential Advisor and Uthuru Vasanthaya Presidential Task Force Head and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said. Presiding over the function held to start the reconstruction of the Vavuniya-Chunnakkam electricity transmission line in Kilinochchi yesterday, the Minister said the Northern Province was completely liberated from terrorists by the Security Forces achieving the nation’s primary objective. Local Government elections would consolidate democratic rights of the northerners in the aftermath of the war; he said. The Government has restored normality in the region by sacrificing war heroes’ lives and has created a conducive environment for the public to enjoy freedom and democracy, he said. The Government’s greatest challenge is the management of post-development activities. Despite the challenges, the development drive in the north has been accelerated to pass all benefits to uplift the northerners’ livelihood, Rajapaksa said. He said constructing of the power transmission line from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi at a cost of Rs. 3,200 million provided by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) and constructing of the transmission line from Kilinochchi to Chunnakkam at a cost of Rs. 3,559 million provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will mark the historic moment connecting South to the North. The people of the North will have electricity denied to the north for three decades due to tourist activity with the reconstruction of the transmission line, Minister Rajapaksa said “The Ceylon Electricity Board provided electricity to the North on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s instructions as an urgent need. We gave equal priority for reconstruction of electricity transmission lines and demining which are important to sustain normal livelihood of the people,” he said. He said it is significant that foreign countries and donor agencies are willing to help Sri Lanka despite propaganda by some elements locally and internationally. “We are grateful to JICA and ADB for their support for this vital reconstruction effort,” he said. Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said the Government understands that there is a necessity to implement an urgent development of restoration, reconstruction, confidence building and accelerated development in the North. “We have identified major areas such as resettlement of displaced people, restoration and development of the productive sectors, economic infrastructure and the capacity building of public and other institutions as activities that need urgent attention,” he said. “We provided electricity to the Jaffna peninsula by using stand alone generators in the absence of the main electricity grid and the destruction by terrorists. This practice was very expensive and less reliable. But with the re-construction of transmission line, we hope to extend the grid into these areas to establish a dedicated and more reliable supply of electricity in the long term,” he said. Government refutes TNA(TELO,ITAK and EPRLF) claim Government, refuting allegations by the TNA that there were shortcomings in the resettlement drive, said yesterday resettlement follows a proper procedure which involves clearing of village access roads, drinking water wells, establishment of co‐op city shops.Presidential Advisor on the North‐East Development Chandra Fernando told there were still 54,000 such persons to be resettled. Asked for comments about the TNA allegation that some resettled families had not received compensation, Mr. Fernando said there could be a slight delay in the process. “This is a political allegation. We gave Rs. 5000/‐ to each resettled family. Besides, the UNHCR gives each of them Rs. 20,000/‐ in bank deposits. For that, the UNHCR has to go through a process. They have to gather particulars from the people concerned, and open bank accounts. Only then can money be deposited,” he said. He said they were planning to complete the resettlement of the remaining 54,000 persons by July, and close down the relief villages set up in Vavuniya to accommodate them. “We and planning to resettle them by July,” he said.These people were displaced from their original residential areas ‐‐during the last stage of the war last year. After that the government established transit camps and relief villages in Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna and Trincomalee to accommodate them. So far, 220,000 of these persons have been sent out of the camps for their villages in different parts of the north. Indian Observers states, towards Sri Lankan Tamil’s solution, Sri Lankan President should be given pressure Indian Public Human rights Observers had insisted the Indian Central Government should expedite in providing an immediate political settlement to the Sri Lankan Tamils. President Mahinda Rajapakse will be on a visit to India on the forthcoming month of June 8th. He will meet Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh including many, hence this was appealed by them. They submitted their appeal that both countries parliaments, the nongovernmental organizations including the government by merging, should take action to provide assistance to the displaced people in Sri Lanka. They further appealed all the Sri Lankan Tamils should be given equal rights with same conditions and a political solution. The movement said, the pressure given by the Tamil nadu Government, should activate the Indian Central government to settle the Sri Lankan Tamils issues. 'Not looking for the guilty' - Kohona International body will confuse “It will be a confusing thing to have another international body to investigate these claims” said Dr KohonaPointing out that there is no precedent any where in the world where enquiries had been established by anybody on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations Dr Kohona said “even the ICG report refers to this that and another thing but there is no just substantiation with accurate evidence”. No evidence Causes of the conflict According to him the commission will also look into all aspects, breaches of humanitarian standards and human rights and will make recommendations on parties who may be responsible. The commission may recommend restitution to individual or groups who may have suffered in the process. The human rights campaigners say another commission appointed by the government will not deliver justice for the victims of war. The commission has no mandate to prosecute or bring any charges against perpetrators. Own approach Dr Kohona who claims the commission as a comprehensive process also said that this commission is similar to South African Truth and Reconciliation commission but not be the same. “This is our own approach, this is our domestic process and we take responsibility for it” he said Ambassador Kohona argues that the recommendations by the commission will direct the authorities on how to deal with individuals and groups who may have been responsible for certain acts. He also reminded that one party to the conflict no longer exist thus this is an exercise not finding guilty party to punish. “We have established a commission and we are fully confident. So we can deal with our own issues in our own way” he said. Former UN High Commissioner Louise Arbour, current President of the International Crisis Group [ICG] told the BBC Sinhala Service that the Commission appointed by the government is unresponsive to the allegations of violations raised by the human rights organisations. East gets software developer with US support For the first time, a multinational IT company will open a major production center in the Eastern Province. With financial and technical support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a new software product development center, Advanced Information Consulting (Pvt) Ltd., has been established in Akkaraipattu, in the Ampara District. The center will create employment opportunities for youth graduating from local educational facilities in the Eastern Province. This pioneering initiative, led by Kingslake Engineering Systems (Pvt) Ltd. through its subsidiary Advanced Information Consulting (Pvt.) Ltd. (AIC), will help build the professional capacity of youth living in a post-conflict environment. USAID/Colombo, the development office of the U.S. Embassy, assisted AIC by mitigating the risk of starting a private enterprise in a fragile region still recovering from the conflict. The Managing Director of AIC Dr. S. Dharmavasan said, " Even though we had plans to implement this project, as it is a new initiative we were worried about the risk until USAID offered assistance through its Connecting Regional Economies (CORE) Project. Thanks to their support, we were able to expedite implementation of the project." USAID's economic growth programmes in Sri Lanka focus on partnerships which will foster stability, create sustainable jobs, and jump-start much-needed economic development, particularly in post-conflict areas. The opening of the AIC software product development center will create jobs for residents of the area near their home and will augment the region's economic growth. USAID Mission Director, Rebecca Cohn said, "USAID is partnering with the strong Sri Lankan private sector to ensure both short and long term economic recovery. IT enterprises are the wave of the future and this partnership is particularly important for the young people in the Eastern Province. I am very pleased that USAID can contribute in addressing some of the needs in the East." AIC will recruit potential candidates to participate in a training programme which will prepare the candidates to become professional software engineers. The participants will be trained on the latest technologies, presentation and communication skills and quality management. This will increase the participating youths' technological and commercial knowledge so that they can confidently face challenges in the industry, including those of local and offshore projects. The project will employ youth residing in the Eastern Province who qualify and have graduated from educational institutes, such as the Eastern and South Eastern universities. This will ease the pressures on rural youth to migrate to the Western Province in search of employment. USAID's partnership with AIC will create professionals in software product development. The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries worldwide for nearly 50 years. Since 1956, USAID/Sri Lanka has invested nearly $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka. Child malnutrition high in N-E Child malnutrition is considerably high in the North and East Provinces and has reached 46 percent out of a national average of 29 percent, a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) revealed. In two provinces the prevalence of malnutrition is significantly greater among boys, (50 percent ), than among girls (42 percent). This gender differential is in sharp contrast to the malnutrition pattern in the rest of the country, where malnutrition rates are very similar among boys and girls. The age pattern of malnutrition shows that children who are underweight reaches a peak in the age group 12-35 months, and then tapers of slightly to 36-59 months. This age limit is similar to the rest of the country, according to the survey. The differences in malnutrition in urban and rural areas are small, varying by one percentage point. The survey found that the lack of maternal education is strongly associated with the lower levels of malnutrition. The prevalence of child malnutrition among uneducated mothers is 63 percent. As the education level of mothers rises, the prevalence of child malnutrition declines to 54 percent for primary educated mothers, 42 percent among secondary educated mothers and 36 percent among tertiary educated mothers. This pattern is consistent with evidence from the rest of the country which also shows a favourable association between maternal education and child malnutrition. At the district level, within the Northern and Eastern provinces, Batticaloa 53 percent and Vavuniya 51 percent shows the worst levels of child malnutrition. The child malnutrition in Trincomalee is 45 percent, Ampara 44 percent and Jaffna 43 percent is the best among the Northern and Eastern provinces . ‘War leaves 42,000 women widowed in East, 12,000 of them have 3 children each’ Minister Karaliyadde on Wednesday pledged to strengthen the financial position of women affected by war. He said he would introduce self-employment schemes for them so that they would be able to support themselves and their families.Handing over cattle to eleven women in the Anuradhapura Rajanganaya Divisional Secretariat area, on Wednesday (26), Minister Karaliyadde said that women having lived in the war torn North and East had suffered financially as well. The Ministry would take steps to re-strengthen their earning capacity by introducing self employment schemes, he said.Steps had been taken to commence animal husbandry in Anuradhapura, Trincomalee and Baticaloa areas. Farming families were being given loans to purchase cattle, goats and chicken, the minister said. The Minister said there were 42,000 women widowed by the war in the East while twelve thousand of them had three children each. However, a total count of the number in all areas was yet to be taken, he said. Persons arrested of possessing the video clips linked with TamiL Eelam Liberation tigers Two Tamil persons who had the video clips linked with TamiL Eelam Liberation tigers in their mobile phones were arrested in the eastern province. Such arrest had taken place at Kalmunai Police division; Pandiruppu 2 locality. The arrested persons are interrogated by the Kalmunai police for further investigation. In the meantime another person was arrested at Kaluwanchikudy Poratheevu for similar accusation is according to reports. Video clips created against the government and functions of Liberation tigers were in the mobile phone which was owned by the said arrested person was stated. He is presently investigated by the Kaluwanchikudy police. Sri Lanka Inforamtion Department states, the Tamil Eelam Liberation tigers are originating again in Tamil Nadu. “The Hindustan Times” was quoted by the Sri Lankan Information Department and had published a news item that until Tamil Eelam demand is achieved the Tamil Eelam Liberation tigers are resuming to originate In Tamil nadu. The banning of Tamil Eelam Liberation tigers in India has been extended, but to fulfill the Eelam demand, it is using the important political leaders in Tamil Nadu was mentioned by the State Information Department. It further quoted the migrant Tamils living in abroad are creating a hatred amidst the Tamils. Such activities are processed through websites including many medias was indicated in the news item. Most surrendered LTTE cadres uneducated Minister Almost ninety per cent of the surrendered cadres of the Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam were uneducated. “They have not even completed their secondary education,” said Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms D.E.W. Gunasekera.Minister Gunasekera said initially nearly 11,000 LTTE cadres surrendered after May 19 last year.The last batch of rehabilitated LTTE child soldiers, 108 boys and 90 girls, were handed over to their parents.He said Government had already released 294 child soldiers and also had released 96 children back to their parents earlier.Minister Gunasekera said out of the remainining cadres 1000 were hard core cadres against whom there were allegations of murder and other criminal charges.“The government is making arrangements to rehabilitate the balance cadres by providing training in some form of a craft” the Minister said.Surveys carried out revealed that 10 per cent of the cadres did not have any education at all, eighty percent of the cadres had not even passed 8th standard. He said around 4 percent had passed their G.C.E. Ordinary Level and another 4 percent had passed their Advance Level examination, of the balance a sizeable percentage were university drop‐outs and a few had completed their university degree.The Minister said except those identified in the hardcore category, they had already released those who obtained university entrance and were unable to continue their education,. 28 May 2010 Sri Lanka: New Panel Doesn’t Satisfy US Concerns Sri Lanka's new Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, to look into the armed conflict that ended last year, falls far short of minimum standards sought by the United States, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On May 28, 2010, the Sri Lankan external affairs minister, G.L. Peiris, is scheduled to meet with Clinton. In the letter, Human Rights Watch urged Clinton to call for an independent international investigation into violations of the laws of war committed by both government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "Sri Lanka has geared up its propaganda machine to dissuade the United States from supporting an international investigation," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Clinton should not accept this blatant attempt to avoid accountability, but instead should endorse an international investigation." On May 10, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, while welcoming Sri Lanka's intention to establish a commission on the war, listed several criteria that would need to be met for the commission to play a valuable role in advancing accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. These criteria include independence, the impartiality and competence of the members, a proper mandate, adequate and effective protection for witnesses, adequate resources, and serious government consideration of the commission's recommendations. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, which President Mahinda Rajapaksa established on May 15, falls far short of these criteria and is an inadequate response to the many serious allegations of wartime abuses, Human Rights Watch said in the letter. In an interview today with the BBC Tamil service, Sri Lanka's ambassador to the United Nations, Palitha Kohona, defended the approach of the Sri Lankan government while dismissing calls for an international investigation. In its letter, Human Rights Watch set out its concerns regarding the commission. The commission's mandate – focusing on the failure of the 2002 ceasefire – is very limited and does not explicitly allow an investigation into alleged violations of international law. In addition, the commission's chairman, Chitta Ranjan de Silva, has stated that proceedings will not be public, raising concerns that the findings and recommendations will also not be made public. And there are concerns about whether the commission will be impartial and independent. Among them is the chairmanship of De Silva, a former attorney general who came under serious criticism for his office's alleged interference in the work of the country's 2006 Presidential Commission of Inquiry. "Thousands of civilians were killed in just a couple of months last year as a result of grave violations of international law by both government forces and the Tamil Tigers," Pearson said. "By setting up a commission that won't investigate alleged crimes, Sri Lanka is publicly conceding that it has no intention of meeting its international obligations." Sri Lankan President not ready to punish any one for defeating terrorism to please the international community Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he would take action against those who have committed war crimes, but would not punish them for defeating terrorism. In an interview with Al Jazeera television program the President said that he would not punish a person for defeating terrorism because the international community wanted it. When questioned by the journalist if he would take action against those who have committed war crimes even if they connected to him the President said, "If it is a crime, whether it is my relation, or my army commander or anybody. It is immaterial. It's a crime, crime is a crime, so we have to punish them. We can't punish a person for defeating terrorism. So if the international community wants to punish Sri Lanka for defeating terrorism, I'm not for that." The President has also said that the grievances that started the war have been addressed and the Tamil community is not marginalized. Responding to a question on the issue, the President said the Tamil people want the basic facilities first. The politicians and the non-governmental organizations are the ones making the issues. "Now if you go to the camps and if you ask them what do you want first, they will say I want my house back, I want a job, I want to educate my children. They will not ask for anything else. So first what we must do is resettle these people. Give them the facilities; give them the things that are enjoyed by others in the south. Why not? So let them enjoy that first, then the people will once they elect their own people, their representatives, into parliament, into provincial governments. And then we can discuss with them, we can have a dialogue," he said. When asked if any civilians were killed during the final phase of the war, Rajapaksa has denied it and said the civilians trusted the Sri Lankan Army and came to the government controlled areas. "It's a war, you're right. By the way the people came to this side, to the government-controlled areas, you can see. If Sri Lankan army acted in a different way, against the civilians, they would never have trusted us. They wouldn't have walked into our camps. 300,000 people. So that shows our army, they trusted our army. Otherwise they wouldn’t have walked in. This is why I’m saying this," the President stressed. When asked about appointing his family members to high posts, the President replied the Rajapaksas are delivering and if the people are not satisfied with them the public will vote them out. On the subject of abolishing executive preidency the smiling President said he is very confident of winning another term. "Presidential system or prime ministerial system I have no problem, because I am going to win again," he said. "People will trust me, I know that," he added. President Rajapaksa said the reconciliation and rebuilding should happen faster, as soon as possible. Amnesty's report condemns 'politicisation of justice' Amnesty International has criticised the "politicisation of international justice" in its annual report, which documents torture in 111 countries. The human rights group accuses powerful governments of subordinating justice to political self-interest and of shielding allies from scrutiny. It expresses particular concern over possible war crimes committed during fighting in Sri Lanka last year. The report also criticises the UN for its failure to intervene. Thousands of people were killed during the war, and a UN spokesman described the situation in northern Sri Lanka at the time as a "bloodbath". But Amnesty says that "power plays" at the UN Human Rights Council led to member states approving a resolution drafted by the Sri Lankan government, complimenting itself on its success against the Tamil Tigers. "By the end of the year, despite further evidence of war crimes and other abuses, no-one had been brought to justice," Amnesty's Secretary General Claudio Cordone says. "One would be hard pressed to imagine a more complete failure to hold to account those who abuse human rights." 'Landmark event' Pressure on Britain Amnesty has welcomed Mr Hague's pledge. "We look forward to an inquiry that is truly independent and looks not only at potential criminal responsibility but also at Britain's co-operation agreements with the United States and other countries," says Mr Cordone. "It should leave no stone unturned." India to Assist Lanka in Development of Air Base in Jaffna COLOMBO - India will assist Sri Lanka in the development of the crucial Palaly air base and the Kanakesanthurai port in Jaffna peninsula, as the country works to rebuild the war-torn Tamil-dominated North.India is also willing to assist Sri Lanka in its resettlement program in the North.Sri Lankan Prime Minister D M Jayaratne also recalled with gratitude the timely assistance given to Sri Lanka by India.It may be recalled that recently the Sri Lankan authorities put in place a refurbished 12000 ton capacity fuel storage tank at Kankesanthurai port.This was to enable cutting the costs previously incurred by the government as a result of long delays in the turnover of ships in Kankesanthurai due to the lack of a fuel storage tank facility. Sri Lankan Minister Leaves National Press Club Without Addressing Journalists Sri Lanka's minister for external affairs, G.L. Peiris, left a scheduled meeting with journalists at the National Press Club Thursday morning without speaking.He had been slated to address them as a precursor to his Friday meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Peiris arrived at the building with a Secret Service security detail, but left without explanation after going to the 14th floor where he was to speak.No reason for his departure was given by his spokesman, but the National Press Club recently awarded the organization's 2009 International Freedom of the Press Award to slain Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga, editor of the Sunday Leader.His widow, journalist Sonali Samarasinghe, accepted the award at a function on April 21.Samarasinghe is a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and said when she accepted the award that she cannot return to Sri Lanka as long as the government of Mahinda Rajapakse is in power.Her husband was the 14th journalist murdered in Sri Lanka in the last five years. Some 15 senior journalists from that country are now in exile and at least 20 more are waiting to be evacuated to safety, she said. Tamil American Peace Initiative Responds to SL Foreign Minister’s US Visit Tamil American Peace Initiative Responds to SL Foreign Minister’s US Visit and Calls for International Investigation into War Crimes With the arrival of Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris in Washington this week, Tamil American Peace Initiative (TAPI) urged members of Congress and the Obama Administration to press the international community to pursue independent investigations into the alleged war crimes that occurred during Sri Lanka’s twenty-five year Civil War.“Many in the international community have been calling for an investigation since the end of the war,” said Dr. Karunyan Arulanantham, a TAPI spokesperson. “The Sri Lankans who suffered abuse and lost family members and livelihoods can no longer wait. Justice must come to Sri Lanka.”The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union have already called for independent investigations. Additionally, various human rights groups, including the International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have also called for an independent investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights violations. Despite these calls, UN efforts to investigate have been stalled.The groups cite violations on both sides in the war, however they present evidence that places most of the blame on the Sri Lankan troops. The alleged crimes include intentional bombings of civilians and humanitarian organizations; extrajudicial abuse and detention of unarmed civilians and former combatants; the use of child soldiers; harm to civilians and civilian objects; the killing of captives or combatants seeking to surrender; individual disappearances; and inhumane conditions.TAPI is particularly concerned with the Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris’ recent request for the UN to refrain from appointing a panel to advise the Secretary General concerning an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity. Peris has demanded that the UN allow the Sri Lankan government to handle all such investigations.This demand is particularly disturbing because the government-appointed chairman of the commission, Chitta Ranjan de Silva came under serious criticism for alleged interference with a similar investigation in 2006. As Arthur Dewey, former US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration has said, “De Silva was the architect and enforcer of the attorney general’s conflict of interest role with respect to the 2006 commision… nothing good for human rights or reconciliation is likely to come from anything in which De Silva is involved.”TAPI is urging law makers to raise these issues and to push for an independent international investigation into crimes committed during the war.TAPI agrees with the Congressman Hon. Danny Davis, who stated in a Floor Speech commemorating the one-year anniversary of the end of the Sri Lankan war that “All parties complicit in violating human rights must be held accountable. Only then can the Sri Lankan people really move forward in trying to achieve peace and stability on the island.” About TAPI The Tamil American Peace Initiative was formed by a group of Tamil Americans to help bring lasting peace, justice, democracy, good governance and economic development to Sri Lanka; to focus attention on the destruction of Tamil communities and culture caused by 30 years of war; and to demand an end to the continuing oppression of Tamils on the island. UNICEF helping renovate hospitals in former LTTE areas A year after the defeat of the LTTE, the United Nations children's fund is actively assisting in reviving the hospitals and health facilities in the war ravaged areas of northern Sri Lanka once dominated by the Tiger rebels. The UNICEF is refurbishing and renovating four Gramodaya Health Centres in the Northern Province and is also modernising and equipping the obstetric and paediatric units of the Mullaithivu General Hospital. The UNICEF today re-establish emergency obstetric and paediatric care at the Kilinochchi General Hospital damaged during the conflict. In a special event, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, along with UNICEF Representative Philippe Duamelle, re-opened the new facility. The hospital is now equipped to handle complicated obstetric procedures and allow pregnant mothers to deliver their babies safely, says a UNICEF release. Besides providing assistance for the operation theatre, labour room, maternity and paediatric wards that were refurbished and equipped, UNICEF will also help provide a special baby care unit in the Kilinochchi hospital. As a result, pregnant women, mothers and children will no longer need to travel long distances to access specialised health care, the release said. "This project will serve the health needs of thousands of women and children now returning back to their homes" said the UNICEF Representative Philippe Duamelle at the opening. While Sri Lanka is doing well in preventing maternal deaths with 37 per 100,000 live births, there are regional disparities in maternal mortality across the country, the UNICEF release said. This were further affected by the conflict in the north and east, it said. "UNICEF is committed to continue supporting the restoration of quality health and nutrition services in these areas," Duamelle said. In addition to the Kilinochchi hospital, Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Philippe Duamelle also opened the Musali maternity building in Mannar district constructed by UNICEF. The total estimated cost of Rs 154 million for restoring these health facilities is funded by UNICEF, the release said. Contributions for the facilities were also received from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), UK Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Spain, it said. Sri Lankan government commences electrification project in the North The Sri Lankan government commenced a new project yesterday to provide electricity to the war-torn Northern region with the assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Japan. Sri Lanka's Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa inaugurated the project at a ceremony held yesterday (27) in Kilinochchi with the participation of the visiting ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda as the chief guest. Speaking at the ceremony, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said the top priority of the government is rebuilding the damaged infrastructure in the North and East and it hopes to strengthen relations between the North and the South of the country through the restoration of the Jaffna-Vavuniya main power line that was destroyed by the rebels during the three decade long war. The electricity supply will be extended in two phases, one from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi, and the other from Kilinochchi to Chunnakkam in Jaffna. The Vavuniya-Kilinochchi phase is funded by the Japanese government while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to fund the second phase of the project from Kilinochchi-Jaffna. The project is expected to be completed in 2012. The project carried out under the 'Uthuru Wasanthaya' programme is estimated to cost 2 billion rupees. Germany-based LTTE fund raiser arrested Police on Wednesday arrested a key supporter of the now defunct LTTE, on her arrival in Colombo.Well informed sources said that she had been instrumental in collecting funds in Frankfurt for the terrorist organisation and played a key role in the anti-Sri Lanka demonstrations held in the German Commercial Capital during the final stages of the ‘humanitarian operation’ launched by the security forces. "She was a key member of the pro –LTTE group who sat across railway lines and blocked the movement of trains in Frankfurt demanding the Sri Lanka government to halt the operation against the LTTE," sources said.The woman, who had lived in Germany for a considerable period, was also one of the main organisers of the anti-Sri Lanka demonstration held opposite the Indian Consul General’s office in Frankfurt, sources said.The suspect is a native of Chilaw and is around 50 years of age.Some of her close relatives too had been involved in the demonstrations against Sri Lanka and had raised funds for the LTTE in Frankfurt, the sources said. Her family owns the GS Traders in Frankfurt and her son-in-law who is also an LTTE supporter is looking after the business, the source said.She is being interrogated by the CID, sources said. Sri Lanka plans to provide bunkering facilities at competitive rates to ships from the Hambantota Port The Sri Lankan government is to continue with the preparation of bunkering facilities at the Southern Hambantota Port in order to provide fuel to ships traveling along the Indian Ocean at competitive rates. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has dismissed concerns that the Hambantota Port would be affected if India developed new bunkering facilities within its territorial waters. SLPA Chairman Priyath B. Wickrama has been quoted in the local media saying that despite Indian presence in the market for such facilities, Sri Lanka is to supply fuel to ships at competitive rates and with this in mind the government had held negotiations with several international shipping companies. "We will not be affected as much as some think we will be. At the moment we handle only 18 to 20 percent of Indian cargo. We will continue to maintain that level in a competitive environment. Singapore and Dubai harbors will be the ones to be affected with India providing bunkering facilities," he has said. The Hambantota Port is to have both onshore and offshore bunkering facilities. STF under Defence Ministry The Special Task Force (STF) of the police which is under the direct purview of the Inspector General of Police, has been taken over by the Defence Ministry, informed sources said.The Cabinet has given the approval for the Cabinet paper in this regard put forward by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to the Cabinet paper, the STF now comes under the direct purview of the Defence Minister with effect from May 12 this year, sources said.This decision has been taken to ease the relationship with the STF and the ministry, the paper said.The STF unit of the Sri Lanka Police specializing in Counter-Terrorist and Counter-Insurgency operations, was formed in 1983 not as a military force but rather as a highly-specialized police unit by then President J.R.Jayawardane. The STF heads Counter-Terrorist missions and – as the most highly trained police organisation in Sri Lanka. The STF is mainly trained to provide VIP security. In 1996, the STF was taken over by the IGP. Subsequently in July 2006, the unit was taken over by the Defence Ministry. Again in 2007, the STF was taken over by the IGP until May 12, this year. 27 May 2010 Challenge for the Sri Lankan government is to offer opportunity to all citizens, U.S. says Sri Lanka was given a historic opportunity with a strong electoral result and the real challenge is how the government uses it to heal the divided society and offer equal opportunity to all the citizens, the United States said Wednesday. In response to a question on Sri Lanka External Affairs Minister's scheduled meeting with Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton on Friday, U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley at the media briefing on Wednesday said the U.S. will reiterate its stance towards reconciliation among the ethnic communities. When asked what Secretary Clinton would tell the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister the spokesman said the "Secretary will tell him and reiterate what we have said publicly for the past several weeks, that with the recent end of the conflict between the government and the Tamil Tigers, and the recent electoral result that gives a strong mandate to the Sri Lankan Government, the real key is how the government uses that mandate to heal Sri Lankan society and help move the country forward." "There is a historic opportunity here and the real challenge will be how Sri Lanka seizes that opportunity, the measures it takes to heal the divide that has existed within Sri Lankan society and offer opportunity to all of its citizens," Crowley emphasized.Sri Lanka External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris is scheduled to meet Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on Friday (28). Minister Peiris who is on a four-day tour in Washington, D.C., Tuesday met with California Congressman and Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Howard Berman and Chairwoman of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee Congresswoman Nita Lowey. The Minister has apprised the members of U.S. Congress of the current situation in Sri Lanka and the measures his government has taken for economic development and reconciliation. Prof. Peiris has also given a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Tuesday, a Washington think tank specializing in foreign affairs and security issues on the current developments in the country to an audience comprising government officials, members of non-governmental organizations, the media, and academics. JVP's Chandrasekaran quizzed after meeting with missing Tamils' relatives Former JVP Parliamentarian and Deputy Chairman of Committees Ramalingam Chandrasekar, who has had discussions with relatives of Tamil residents who had disappeared during the war, has been questioned for more than an hour by security sections. Mr. Chandrasekar was questioned after he had discussions at Narayanan Guru Hall at Grandpass on Wednesday (26th) morning with relatives of the disappeared in the North. About 60 such relatives have participated in the discussions. They have apprised Mr. Chandrasekar regarding their issues in a two hour discussion. They have said despite appealing to security sections, responsible state institutions, the President and ministers, they have not received any information regarding their relatives. Later they have left to the CID to complain regarding their disappeared relatives. Following this Mr. Chandrasekar was questioned. First a group of officials from the CID has questioned Mr. Chandrasekar. Later several Army officers and the police have questioned Mr. Chandrasekar. After questioning him for nearly one hour they have let Mr. Chandrasekar leave the place. Report will be submitted at Parliament The Tamil National Alliance will submit a report in regard to their Vanni visit at the Parliament. While the parliament assemble on the forthcoming 8th, the Alliance Leader R.Sambanthan will submit at the assembly was stated by Parliament Member P.Ariyanenthiran.Action will be taken to submit the report to the International society was further mentioned by him. Meanwhile in regard to this visit, the TNA members will have a meeting next week. After the meeting the objective of the Alliance will be informed was stated by Parliament Member P.Ariyanenthiran. Indo Lanka leaders in touch over CEPA Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured President Mahinda Rajapaksa that there is no hurry to finalise the CEPA agreement, according to a spokesperson for the Presidential Secretariat. He told The Island that the President had received a guarantee that the proposed pact would not be detrimental to Sri Lanka and local business community. He said that the two governments would continue discussions in this regard to work out modalities to the satisfaction of both parties. U.S. State Dept lifts travel warning on Sri Lanka The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday it had canceled a travel warning for Sri Lanka, in a boost for the Indian Ocean island state that ended a long war last year and hopes to draw more tourists.The end of the travel warning comes just over a year after Sri Lanka declared victory over the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following 27 years of civil war.The LTTE had not staged any attacks in the capital Colombo or elsewhere in Sri Lanka since then, the State Department said in a statement.Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris is scheduled to hold talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Friday. 50 more Bank branches to come up in the North and East Posted by author 1 day ago on May 26th, 2010 12:53 PM and filed under Business & Finance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry With the end of the conflict local banks are showing a greater interest to expand to the North and Eastern regions of the country. Central Bank says since the end of the conflict in May last year, it has given approval to open 81 Bank branches and 41 extension offices in the North and Eastern provinces.Approvals have been given to open 51 new branches and 24 extension offices in the Northern Province, which experienced an intensified armed conflict during the early parts of last year.A Central bank official said “already local banks have opened 19 branches and 23 extension offices in the North”6 more banks also will be added to this lot on the 7th of June with the new branches coming up in Kilinochchi, Mankulam, and Paranthan.Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal will take part as the Chief Guest at these occasions.Meanwhile 17 new bank branches have started operations in the Eastern province during the last 1 year’s time. Central Bank has already given approval to open 32 branches in the region.The East also saw the opening of several extension offices.Local banks such as BOC, People’s Bank, Sampath Bank, HNB and Seylan are the ones who have primarily ventured into these regions to tap the potential. Gen Fonseka to be produced in court on June 7 Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Champa Janaki Rajaratna directed the Army Commander to produce General Sarath Fonseka in court again on June 7. Deputy Solicitor General Wasantha Navaratna Bandara who appeared for the Attorney General said the CID investigators had recorded a statement of Kshenuke Seneviratne, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to Geneva in connection with a statement made by General Sarath Fonseka to a week-end English newspaper. Deputy Solicitor General Bandara in his lengthy submissions emphasised that the Officials of the UNO had also inquired about this statement from the Sri Lankan Ambassador. The CID investigations had revealed that General Fonseka had made a false statement to the English week-end newspaper. He will be charged under the Criminal Procedure Code and under the Emergency Regulations, Sections 28 and 29, the DSG said. The CID had also recorded two statements from a journalist who had recorded General Sarath Fonseka's statement and the proprietor of the newspaper organisation. These two statements had been forwarded to the Courts, the CID said. Attorneys Gunaratne Wanninayake with Ajith Pathirana and Nilanthi Pieris appeared for General Sarath Fonseka. The case will be called again on June 7. ICE Factories in the North East BOI recently approved a project to establish 3 ice manufacturing plants in the North and East provinces.Accordingly the “Lanka North Eastern Ice Company” will set up the proposed factories in the Kalmunai, Mannar and Gurunagar in Jaffna.These plants will see an initial investment of Rs. 60 million and will generate 70 direct jobs The manufactured ice will be supplied to the local fishing industry. Thousands of vehicles unclaimed in North Lanka The land opposite the public playground in Kilinochchi, the former capital of the LTTE in north Sri Lanka, is now a dumping ground for over 17,000 civilian vehicles which government troops had recovered from the war zone last year.At the last count, there were 6,250 motobikes, 11,000 bicycles and 45 other vehicles parked there. Though it is a year since the war ended, most of the vehicles are yet to be reclaimed by their owners.Many of them are dead. Most of those who are alive, have no documents now to prove ownership. These were lost or abandoned in the desperate rush to quit the area in the closing days of the war, when the LTTE had suddenly loosened its grip on the 280,000 civilians it had held hostage, and the Sri Lankan army was poised to deliver its knockout blow. Braving deadly crossfire, the frightened civilians had treked to the army’s line, with little other than the clothes they were wearing. Most of the 50,000 families in the battle zone had to abandon their gold jewellery and property documents to make the most of the fast dwindling opportunity to get out of the LTTE’s tentacles and save their lives.But now that about 210,000 refugees have returned to their native villages, and are trying to restart their livelihoods, thousands of them flock to the Kilinochchi grounds daily, to see if their motobikes, bicycles, vans or tractors are there, and if so, if they are in a usable condition.But most go back disappointed. They either cannot locate their vehicles, or if they do, they do not have the documents to claim them. According to the Tamil daily Virakesari some refugees show pictures of their vehicles in the hope that the authrorities would accept them as valid identification.“If a person shows his vehicle registration papers or any other acceptable document, we will hand over the vehicle,” the Government Agent of Kilinochchi, Rupavathi Ketheewaran, told Express on Tuesday.Government has apparently made up its mind to overlook the fact that in most cases, the vehicles would have been registered by the LTTE’s Tamil Eelam Transport Department, with number plates carrying the letters “TE”.Virakesari pointed out the significant absence of tractors among the abandoned vehicles. The Wanni being an agricultural area, there were a large number of tractors, the paper pointed out. Throughout the Eelam Wars, both the LTTE and government troops had extensively used tractors to negotiate the difficult terrain. Vanni in the year after war: Tears of despair and fear-Source:Ground views| by Ruki About six months after the end of the war, in November 2009, the government of Sri Lanka relaxed restrictions on travel to the Vanni[1] and started to allow some of the displaced people to go back to their villages.Although the government still maintains some restrictions on travel, I managed to visit these areas many times. My visits including overnight stay in Vanni without beds, attached bathrooms, running water, electricity, helped me to better experience and understand life there after the war. It also increased my admiration for some of my friends, Catholic priests and sisters, who warmly welcomed and hosted me and my friends every time we visited, despite the very basic and difficult life they had opted to live.My visits took me to interior villages deep inside the Vanni. From Paranthan on the A9 road to Ponneryn, and then further south on the A32 road, down to Vidathalthivu, visiting villages such as Mulangavil, Thevanpiddy. We also visited villages and towns such as Mallawi, Thunukai, Uruthirapuram Sannar, Eechalavakai. In the Mannar district, we went to Adampan, Alkataveli, Uylankulam etc. East of the A9 road, in the Mullativu district, we visited places such as Oddusudan, Katsilaimadu and upto Vattapalai on the A34 road.The A9 road was crowded with buses, vans and even luxurious vehicles such as Prado, Defenders etc. I had talked with some and most appeared to be tourists from the south going to Jaffna. Name boards from buses indicated the variety of places they were coming from, practically all districts of Sri Lanka. Many were picnicking under shady trees on the roadside, others admiring war monuments built by the military.However, I saw no tourists and luxurious vehicles along the dusty, broken and bumpy roads beyond the A9 road. Every time I went in a van, after the journey, the drivers told me they will have to send the van for repairs and service! The times I went by motorbike, it was a bit easier to negotiate the gaping holes on the roads, though the dust, heat and sitting upright for hours was not so comfortable. What’s hidden beyond the A9? On most occasions as we turned from the A9 road or from the Mannar – Medwachiya road to go interior villages, it seemed to arouse suspicion and curiosity in soldiers. Familiar questions of earlier years, such as “where are you going?” “why are you going?” “who are you” were thrown at us. Our response that we are going to visit friends didn’t appear to be a satisfactory answer. In the Vanni, it seems to be considered something abnormal and suspicious to visit friends! My Tamils friends from the North found these questions offensive. “This is our land, our people are living here, these soldiers are from outside, how dare they ask us all these questions and stop us? Why can’t I visit my place? Why can’t I visit my relatives and friends? Why can’t I invite friends (meaning me)?” were the angry and frustrated refrain I was to hear often from my friends.Most of my friends were Christian priest and sisters, some of them were going to their own places, own land and houses. Places they had grown up, and their families had been living and still lived. These were also areas where they had served their religious and social ministries and their colleagues were now living and working in very difficult circumstances.The fact that I was Sinhalese from Colombo seemed to arouse further suspicions and curiosity amongst the soldiers. We asked why they were trying to stop us from visiting, especially as these were areas formally declared as areas cleared of land mines and people were already living there. “We don’t know, we just follow orders” was the inevitable response. Some of the soldiers were apologetic. On several occasions, it was mentioned that we have to get permission from the Ministry of Defense or that we should go to a nearby Brigade Headquarters and get special permission or a pass.My friends and I tried to maintain our composure and sometimes soldiers at the check points tried to help us by contacting their superiors while we waited patiently. Some occasions, soldiers did their best to sooth our frustration by offering us chairs, chatting to us and giving us tips about how bad the roads were! I didn’t think they had anything else to offer. On one occasion, we waited for about 30 minutes near Paranthan on the A9 road and one solider rode on a bicycle to inform the checkpoint that the commander had given a special permission for us to proceed to Uruthirapuram. On another occasion, me and a priest friend from Mannar waited in vain in the hot sun for about an hour at the Mankulam junction check point awaiting permission to visit the recently returned people in Oddusudan. The permission never came and we left the embarrassed and apologetic soldiers at the checkpoint and turned back. On yet another occasion, we waited patiently at a barrier in Vattapalai in the Mullativu district for about 30minutes, again while the officer on duty contacted his superiors and that superiors contacted his superior. We wanted to proceed to Killinochi through the shortest road through Puthukudiruppu that we learnt was already open, but not for civilians. Permission never came and we finally turned back and took the longer route through Mankulam. When we turned back and went, some officers on duty offered to call us on our mobile phones if they did get permission from their superiors to allow us through, but we never got a call. On several other occasions, the soldiers or officers at the checkpoints consented to allow us to proceed after some initial hesitation.Anyways, like we did with the LTTE during the time they were in control of the Vanni and restricting travel to Mullativu and other interior villages, my friends and I did manage to negotiate with those trying to stop us and visit our friends in the interior villages. Militarization On most roads inside the Vanni, whether on the A9 or interior roads, I felt as if we were travelling within a military camp. Military camps and check posts were along all the roads.In Pooneryn, the main road literally ran through a newly built Army camp. In several other places including the A9 road, army camps occupied the main tarred road and we as civilians were forced to take a roundabout route, on muddy dusty makeshift pathways. In the more bushy and jungle areas, sign boards on the roadside indicated military camps inside the jungles.Soldiers were everywhere with uniforms and with weapons. Some soldiers were in civil but were easily identifiable through the gun on their shoulders, even as they were walking or riding their bicycles. Other soldiers were relaxing, playing cricket and bathing in small streams. The buildings that were in the best conditions were all military and police structures. I could very well empathize with what one elderly gentleman in Mulangavil told me; “it looks as if it’s their (military) land and we are strangers, while the truth is they are occupying our land”.Clearly, the military has less to do on military matters now. I saw and heard in several places that the military is assisting with road construction, distributing water, organizing cultural and sports events etc. I also heard of efforts of some military officials to assist civilians in their basic needs. In view of the massive needs of the population for basic services and infrastructure, and the very weak civil administration and reluctance of the government to allow NGOs access to help those in need, people are compelled to depend on the military for even basic services like water. Security fears The huge military presence, with past experiences of abuses, has caused deep rooted fear amongst many of civilians I spoke to. “We are scared to have young girls and boys walk around in the dark” one mother told us.Catholic sisters who had gone to be with the people had sent additional reinforcements, as they didn’t want sisters to be alone.“I was accused several times by the Army intelligence of being in the LTTE. Another boy was also accused. The Army had also told a villager that I would be taken away. I’m scared and don’t go anywhere alone” was what one man in Kathalampiddy, close to Vidathalthivu told us. “Although only two people had been threatened, the whole village is now scared” another woman from the village told us. “Will the Army leave soon?” one anxious young man asked me, to which I had no answer.Snakes have also instilled fear in several villages in visited. In one village I visited, snake bites had caused two deaths and several injuries. Sexual abuse “In front of our own eyes, and inside our premises, the army was touching a young girl…so what would happen if we are also not there” one Catholic sister asked me when I met her in the Vanni.Amidst the huge military presence, one lady was raped in newly resettled area of Alkataveli, close to Adampan and north of Mannar and one person was killed in Killinochi. The checkpoint and soldiers with their guns had been unable to prevent or bring perpetrators to justice. An incident of sexual abuse by a soldier in Nachikuda was narrated to me. I heard of other incidents of rape, sexual abuse, killings, but could not get confirmation.Two young female students we spoke to complained that they felt they were being harassed by regular requests to see identity cards as they cycle to school in nearby Illupaikadavai. “They don’t ask the boys, they only ask girls, even when they know we don’t have identity cards at our age, and they know who we are. It seems they are trying to flirt with us” one girl said. Happy to be back…but incomplete return Most of the people I met would start conversations with bright smiles, saying they are happy to be back in their own land, despite all they have lost and the adverse circumstances.But as we continued to listen to them and be with them, we would often be left speechless and helpless, as tears welled up in their eyes.Most families had returned incomplete. Not just without properties, but also without their loved ones who had been killed, missing and detained. Discriminating the dead Many of the people I met in Vanni had parents, children, brothers and sisters, grandparents and other close family members killed during the final months of the war in 2009. It almost seemed normal and inevitable in most of the villages I visited in Vanni.Since 2006, I had met families of Sinhalese killed in claymore attacks, suicide bombings by LTTE in rural villages such as Kebidogollwe, Moneragela. The sorrow I experienced with them and with the Tamils in Vanni was not very different. The tears and sorrow didn’t seem to have an ethnic dimension.But how the society and government deal with these certainly seems to be on ethnic lines.Society and the government had been quick to condemn killings by the LTTE and mourn with the grieving families. Sinhalese people killed by claymore attacks, suicide bombings had got death certificates, compensation from government and even business groups. They all had funerals, often with media coverage, even state patronage. I had seen these on TV, in newspapers, and saw and heard from family members and villagers. I felt these were some basic measures, even though we all know lives lost can never be compensated.But there seems to be a reluctance of Sri Lankan society and the government to mourn and grieve with the Tamils who had lost thousands of loved ones within a few months. The large number of Tamils killed don’t have death certificates, no compensation, no funerals. “We had no time to mourn, leave alone a funeral. We had to run over the dead bodies, just to save our own lives” one woman whose two children were killed told us.“About 25 have been killed in this Grama Seweka division. I can easily collect the details of those who have been killed in the village, witnesses etc., and assist people to get death certificates and compensation. But I have not got any instructions from the government. I think the government wants to cover up that so many people were killed. Im scared to do anything by myself as I might fall into trouble” said one Gramw Seweka in a village in Manthai West division when I asked him about this.I tried to find out procedures for obtaining death certificates, but was not successful. In the Vidathalthivu area, I was told there was a mobile clinic to issue birth and death certificates, but that all applications for death certificates were rejected. Families of those missing, detained, injured Families of those killed were not the only ones who were crying.Many didn’t know where their loved ones were living or dead. And if they are living, where they are. Most had seen their children, husband, brother etc., go off with the army. Subsequently, they had searched in IDP camps, detention centres, hospitals, with relatives. Except few, many had failed to find their loved ones.“I live crying everyday, and searching for my 3rd son. He was injured and taken to a hospital by the armed forces. I heard that he was in Mannar hospital and I went there. With help of Police there, I could find the name of my son on the register. I was told by the hospital that the Army had taken him away after getting him discharged. But I couldn’t find the Army officers who had taken him. I can’t find my son. Who will find my son? There are so many mothers and fathers in this situation. Can those who have elections find our children?” was what a mother from Krishnapuram told us.In April, I and some friends joined an 67 year old man now in Zone 4 of Menik Farm IDP camp (Chettikulam, Vauniya district) to find his missing son. We went to Padaviya hospital where the son had been admitted after being evacuated from the Vanni by the ICRC in March 2009. Padaviya hospital records showed that the son, who was mentally retarded and unable to walk, was indeed admitted and had been transferred to Vavuniya hospital. When we came to Vavuniya hospital, there are no records of such a person being admitted. Many others I met had similar stories. In every village, I would also meet people whose children and family members are being detained, for almost a year and some for many years. They have not been charges in court of law. And have limited access to friends, family and no access to ICRC and lawyers.“I have come back to my village. I could probably build my house. But my son is a prisoner. I don’t know when he will be allowed to come home. First the LTTE took him and now the Army has taken him. How can I be happy at coming back when my son is still a prisoner and I don’t know what will happen to him” asked a mother with tears in her eyes.Each time I visit the office of the National Human Rights Commision (NHRC) in Jaffna and Vavuniya, I run into anxious families, glancing through the list the NHRC had displayed. This list has a round one thousand names of people being detained in Boosa detention camp and elsewhere. But the governments officials have claimed over 10,000 are detained in Vavuniya alone. Many thousands more are in detention facilities all over the country.But these helpless families don’t have access to a centralized list with any government or independent agency, to check and see whether their children or loved ones are in any official detention facility. Fear of Sinhalese domination In the interiors of Vanni, I could see many sign boards in Sinhalese. Despite the fact that almost all the civilians in Vanni are Tamil speaking now, Tamil language was visibly absent in many sign boards.Some places and names had been given new Sinhalese names by the military. As I took a photo of a signboard in Sinhalese marked “Ali handiya” (meaning elephant junction) Along the Mankulam – Mullativu road, an army officer rushed to stop us and asked us why were taking photographs. We asked in turn about this board. “The Tamil name is too long and complicated, so when we took control of this area, we put this name, as this is much easier for us” was his explanation. My friend from Mullativu was inside the van, but kept quiet, but he couldn’t hide his anger and hurt afterwards.Some of the signboards in Sinhalese are those with names of Sinhalese soldiers. Gamini Kularatne Mawatha in Pampaimottai and Ranawiru Abeysundara Mawatha in Kalliyadi are examples. When I asked a villager what this meant, he said he thought it was their village name written in Sinhalese, and was shocked when I told him that it was not the village name, but a Sinhalese soldier’s name.At the Mankulam junction on the A9 road, there is a signboard in all three languages. But in addition to the usual and accepted Sinhalese names, the board also mentions older Sinhalese names. “This is an attempt to show that these lands are Sinhalese lands” one Tamil priest told me. Foremost place to Buddhism even in Hindu and Christian villages A striking feature along the A9 road, in the Killinochi town is the large arch proclaiming “May Buddhism shine”. From what I understood from the civilians I spoke to, vast majority of the civilians were Hindus and a significant number Christian. However, there were of course no arches or boards proclaiming “May Hinduism shine” or “May Christianity shine”. The Lumbini Viharaya, the Buddhist shrine in Killinochi town was spick and span and was obviously being given a lot of attention.Compared to this, the Hindu kovils and Christian churches were visibly in bad shape, some were abandoned and buildings damaged.Along the A9 road and the smaller roads in the interior villages, new and shining Buddhist monuments and statutes were visible. All of these were villages with large majority of Hindu and Christian civilian populations. I saw soldiers cleaning up an area in Mankulam with a Bo Tree, probably to put up ayet another Buddha statue.There was even a Buddhist dagaba in the premises of a Catholic Church which was occupied by the Army when I first visited Manthai West AGA division in Mannar district, immediately after people were allowed to go back. 09.I have a lot of respect for Buddhism. But I wonder why Buddhism has to given such a prominent in villages where the civilian population is predominantly Hindu and Christian? Is it because our constitution has a clause saying “foremost place to Buddhism”? Or to show that Buddhism is the religion in Sri Lanka and people in Vanni had better learn to accept it now? New monuments for the Army and destruction of dead Tamil militants cemeteries Along the A9 road such as in Killinochi and Elephant pass as well as in interior villages such as Pooneryn, there were monuments built by the military. These symbolize victory for the military and the government, but for most of the Tamils I spoke to these monuments symbolize domination of their lands by the Army. And glorification of a war that killed and injured thousands of their loved ones.There were no monuments for the thousands of Tamil civilians who were killed and went missing in the war. I asked many times, in many places from many people about any monuments to remember the thousands of Tamil civilians killed and gone missing, but there were none.Making this worse is the destruction of cemeteries with dead LTTE cadres by the Army. I saw at least one in Vanni, while I had seen such destructions in Jaffna as well. Despite it’s brutality and record of violence & killings, the LTTE had a tradition of respecting it’s dead cadres and this had provided family members and friends to visit the graves of their loved ones and conduct religious and cultural rituals, especially on special days such as birthday and day of death. Now, family members are compelled to gaze emptily at gravel heaped together. Re-displacement and occupation of land by Army In my most recent visit to the Vanni, earlier this week, I went to Eechalavakai, along the Periyamadu Road from Vidathalthivu, in the Mannar district. There, I met some people who were still living in tents in a common village land as displaced persons. Amongst them was a 10 day old infant.“We were told by the Divisional Secretary that we can go back to our lands. So we came from the camps. But when we came and started to clean up the land, the land we have been living for more than 25 years, the Army came and told us to go away. When we asked why, they told us that they are going to take our land for a Army Camp” one villager told us.Later, we were shown their lands, in nearby Sannar, where notices were pinned to trees saying “This land is reserved for Army” Houses Most of the houses had been damaged. Most people I met were living in temporary make shifts tents built with canvas and tin sheets provided with foreign aid. Many more were living in makeshift houses that were damaged. When I first visited Adampan, some people were living in a church.We also saw a number of houses destroyed. Some were totally destroyed and will have to be built from scratch. Others were partly destroyed, but parts still standing.I was told by people that while some houses were damaged during actual warfare. In case of other houses, people had just abandoned their houses and left as the Army advanced. Several had been converted as bunkers by the LTTE. Others had been occupied by the Army. Some are still occupied by the Army.Basically, there was hardly any house that was in good shape that I saw. Except some that were occupied by the Army.“The house we built had to be abandoned during the last phase of the war. When we came back, the house had no roofs, windows, doors. There was not much fighting in these areas. Who took these? Why did they take these? What was the connection between war, terrorism, LTTE and the roof, windows and doors of our house?” questioned a Principal of a school close to Killinoch town.“When we came back (after displacement), we found that roofs, doors, windows of all houses were missing, except one house. The remaining house with roof was because the army had used it as their camp. Valuable household items were also missing” commented a middle age man from Vattapalai, close to Mullativu. Another middle aged man from Katsilaimadu, also close to Mullativu showed visible anger as he told us “I have heard that doors, windows etc. is available for sale. This means selling our own things that were stolen from us. There was no war in these areas, we left everything. Walls of houses are there. But nothing else.” Education Along the A9 road and along the interiors, we saw many school children. Some schools buildings had been renovated some had not been repaired after been damaged or abandoned. And there were many classes being held in the open air under trees.In one of my visits to Thevanpiddy, I was surprised to hear that that the whole Church, the residence of the priest and even the garden was being used for the school, as the school itself had been damaged. In a subsequent visit this week, I learnt that some classes are still conducted inside the Church.One of my friends from Jaffna, is now teaching in this school. “We do our best to teach our children. But we who try to educate the children have no hostel or proper facilities to stay, while the Army and Police have good buildings” lamented my friend, who stays the weekdays in the makeshift school and travels every weekend to Jaffna to be with his family.We had the chance to chat with several students, teachers and principals and one Deputy Zonal Director of Education, who I met by coincidence in the train I was travelling to go to Vanni. Below are some of the stories we heard:In Panikankulam Government Tamil Mixed School, along the A9 road, we found that there are 19 teachers for 18 students. However, teachers have to travel 2-3 hours, and some even more, from Jaffna and Vavuniya, on a daily basis. A free bus service was provided till the Presidential elections of 26th January, but since then, the teachers have to spend a major portion of their salary for transport. But in other schools, there was a clear lack of teachers. One Principal there were no teachers for Mathematics, Science and English We met some students (aged 17-18) who had sat for the G.C.E Ordinary Level examination in December 2009, and were now volunteering as substitutes for teachers At the time we visited in February, we learnt that only 10 of the 54 schools in the Thunukai division had started. 18 out of 29 were functioning in the Poonagary division. At least in two schools, we heard that children walk at least 8km a day (4km either way) to go to school, as there is no bus service or any other transport system Some children have also been compelled to travel far to distant schools, as schools in their villages had not reopened Several children told us that they had not received text books or even copy books We observed that some children were in school uniform, while others were not in uniform. “Many children don’t have uniforms, they have not been given uniforms and parents don’t have livelihoods and can’t afford to buy school uniforms. So we allow them to come without uniform” explained one Principal Most of the support for students comes not from the government, but from UN. The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) was providing mid day meals to some school students. One Principal told us the WFP subsidy comprises rice, dhal and cooking oil and is an average of Rs. 2.00 per student UNICEF provides most other materials, from mats for children to sit on (both indoors and classes under trees) as well as school bags, books, tools etc. Several Principals and teachers also told us about teachers and children who had been killed and injured during the last months of the war. Principals also reported about their students who had been abducted /recruited by the LTTE. One Principal added some students forcibly recruited are now detained by the government Military restaurants and people’s restaurants One of the initial sources of livelihood when people went back to villages in the Vanni were the small tea shops that they set up along the A9 road and other roads.But these were overshadowed by the bigger, better looking and better equipped “Janaavanhalas” (People’s restaurants) put up by the military. Each and every time I go along the A9. There appeared to be more military run restaurants than before. In the small Paranthan junction, there were around 10 such restaurants, run by various divisions, brigades of the military.“We have nothing, had to start from scratch and wanted to slowly build up business. The Army has the resources to put up big structures, refrigerators, tables, and chairs etc., also people to work. Visitors coming in buses and vans from the south go to the bigger restaurants run by the Army. Most of the visitors are Sinhalese from the south and maybe they prefer to go to the restaurants run by the Sinhalese soldiers. So although thousands of buses and vans go on the A9 road, we have very little business and it’s very difficult to build up and develop our tea shop” was the grievance of one elderly women, at whose small and basic tea shop I had stopped to have some tea. Cultivation and fishing As I visited the Vanni, I was struck by the fertile land and greenery, especially around Adampan. It was refreshing to see that some farmers had already started cultivation in these areas.However, in most parts of Killinochi and Mullativu, there was no cultivation yet and I heard despairing farmers waiting to start cultivation. Some had received some agricultural tools, but no seeds. Most importantly, many still didn’t have access to their farmland. Some remain occupied by the Army, some areas are claimed to be still not demined and other areas simply declared off limits without reasons.Fisherfolk on the western coast have been more fortunate in terms of easing of restrictions since the end of the war. Restrictions still apply however, such as around Iranathivu, Periyathivu, Sinnathivu, all of which are occupied by the Navy.Some fishermen complained to us that the Navy had beaten them. “We thought the restrictions were lifted and went nearby these fertile areas for fishing. But we were beaten by the Navy and told we can’t fish there as the area belongs to the Navy. At least they could have informed us without beating us” was what a group of fisherman told us.A major problem these people face is the lack of boats and nets, as most of these had been abandoned when they fled for their lives. Most boats and nets were lost, while others are damaged. Some said boats had been stolen. “There were about 250 boats in our village, but now, there are only 3 left” one fisherman told us. Another fisherman told us that they can earn about Rs. 1,000.00 per day when they go fishing, but they only get the chance to go once a week on average, due to lack of boats.Government servants such as the Grama Sewekas, Divisional and District Secretaries and their staff, health officials, teachers and education officials have also returned to work. Freedom of Association The government is also trying to restrict any peaceful mobilization, collective action of empowerment of people in the Vanni.The Presidential Task Force headed by the President’s brother Basil Rajapakse had granted permission to some NGOs to launch some projects to assist people in need of assistance. “But permission has been granted only to build houses and infrastructure and start income generating activities. Permission has been rejected for counseling, capacity building and empowerment activities. So we are restricted in what we can do” said one head of an NGO based in Mannar, which is keen to assist people in Vanni.“We tried to start a small association to help people who were helpless. But the army doesn’t allow us to meet” an elderly gentleman told us in Vattapalai, close to the Mullativu town. What does the future hold for Vanni? Vanni people had suffered a lot. Under the authoritarian rule of the LTTE when people, including children, were forcibly recruited to fight, dissent was punished and many lived in poverty. Then during the war, where entire villages were displaced more than ten times, some had been injured, all had lost properties, and most have had their loves ones killed, missing and detained.So people I met in Vanni are happy that the bombings and shelling have ceased. They are relieved to have been allowed to go back, after multiple displacement and subsequent detention by the government.But they still face an uncertain and fearful future.Most people in interior villages live isolated lives, surrounded soldiers they fear. Men live in fear of being abducted or detained. Women and girls live in fear of sexual abuse. They also fear domination of their lives, lands and culture by the Sinhalese and Buddhists.Students are concerned about access to educational facilities. Farmers and fisherfolk await opportunities to engage in their traditional livelihoods.Even those who had suffered under the LTTE and had opposed the LTTE are saddened as the cemeteries of Tamil militants are destroyed and monuments are built by the military and for Sinhalese soldiers And the despair and fear worsens as the rest of country prepares for a massive celebration of a war victory, while people in the Vanni cry over their dead family members, try to trace their missing family members, try to recover from their injuries, await release of detained family members.Divisions between Sinhalese & Tamils, North & South become clearer as the Sinhalese in the South celebrate and Tamils in North mourn for the same occasion. If Sri Lanka is a home to one family, where Sinhalese and Tamils are brothers and sisters, what we might see on the occasion of one year since the end of the war is something like having a funeral and a wedding in two rooms of the same house for two children of the same family.One year after the end of the war, reconciliation would be a hollow and empty word unless concerns such as the above are not addressed. Pro-LTTE diaspora pursue Eelam agenda without any thought about Tamils living in Sri Lanka By Dr. Rajasingham Narendran It is one year since the LTTE was militarily defeated at Nanthikadal, 300,000 victims of this war ended up as 'Internally Displaced Persons' in camps and several thousands, both combatants and non-combatants, died. In the past year, Provincial Councils have been elected anew, the President has been re-elected and the general elections have been held for a new parliament.In the past year, the people, who were not in the war Theater, have enjoyed peace, sans terrorism. The woes of those who faced the brunt of the war and its brutal end however continue unabated!Have we learned our lessons from the war and its brutal end, and done what we should have? Sadly, we have done neither. The victims of the war- principally the Tamils in the Vanni, who paid the price for someone else's war, became the victims of political chicanery, in the hands of Diaspora Tamils, their politicians, their militant turned democratic groups, the international community and the Sri Lankan government.The initial and very welcome approach of the government to meet the needs of the IDPs and resettle them as fast as possible, was blunted by the Tamil Diaspora, Tamil politico- militant groups and the international community. The IDPs are those who survived the war and were the direct victims of everything wrong with that war. In the midst of utter destruction, destitution and wretchedness, they unwittingly also became an instrument to torment the government.The Tamil Diaspora and the international community conveniently ignored the fact that a brutal war spanning several decades in a poor country, had just ended. Instead of supporting and urging the government to move fast on IDP resettlement, rehabilitation and re-building issues, everything possible was done to divert its attention to issues of lesser or no concern. The Tamil Diaspora at large, to its eternal shame, did not respond, as it should have to resolve the problems of these IDPs. The victims of their selfish and thoughtless pursuit of Tamil Eelam were abandoned on the doorsteps of their sworn enemy! Vested interests in the Tamil Diaspora had the need to display the IDPs and the issue of the war-dead as their new beggar's wound, to seek sympathy for their Tamil Eelam project.Vested interests in the international community on the other hand needed a stick to make the Sri Lankan government toe their line. It seemed the woes of the Tamils as living and battered humans mattered little to the Eelamites and the bleeding hearts in the international community! This paradox baffles me yet.The LTTE was hell-bent on precipitating the last Eelam war and was in no mood to listen to voices of caution. It prepared itself for decisive war during the life of the ceasefire agreement and misused the opportunities that arose during the Tsunami to facilitate relief efforts, to further this objective. The Sri Lankan government met this challenge and threw everything in its power to win the war. It was an opportunity the Sri Lankan government was rightly determined not to miss. These aspects of the genesis of the war and the viciousness of the LTTE and the misery and damage to human life, structures and society it had left in its wake, were conveniently forgotten. The fact the LTTE could be yet lurking in the urban areas and the Vanni jungles to wreak its revenge was conveniently ignored. The fact that the Sri Lankan government and the Sinhala people had not forgotten how the LTTE misused even the Tsunami to prepare for war was also ignored.The fact that the Sri Lankan government and the Sinhala people, who were painted as the arch enemies of Tamils, had to overnight become their saving angels, overcoming decades long acrimony, mutual hurt, injury, suspicions, fear and distrust, was not appreciated. However, the Sinhala people and the Sri Lankan government largely proved they were up to this challenge. Yesterday's enemy became today's friend. This was proof, if any were needed that we are one people at heart.The Sri Lankan government was accused of malafide intent, running Nazi-style extermination camps and deliberately imposing the worst misery imaginable on the displaced in terms of food, water shelter and health care. There were also allegations of rape and torture. The fact that thousands of humans, in the most miserable state, who had seen death and had been near death; who were injured and maimed; who had lost their near and dear; who were starved and just clinging on to life; were given refuge in these camps was conveniently forgotten. The fact that these displaced persons had to be cared for under difficult circumstances and unimaginable constraints, while having to be protected from the devious designs and depravity of the LTTE and its supporters, were also ignored.How the tragedy that befell the people of the Vanni was deliberately engineered by the LTTE over several years and accentuated in the last days of the war, were conveniently ignored. These unfortunate people unwittingly became just one more tool in the devious political designs of distant spectators and trouble- makers. The LTTE had once again become more important than the Tamils living in Sri Lanka. The Tamils in Sri Lanka were only incidental in the grand scheme for an LTTE Eelam! This brand of heartless politics is an insult to our humanity.Sadly, some people enriched themselves at the expense of the misery of these IDPs. The weak and the poor were condemned to live in the camps, while those who had money and influence, but were guilty in the eyes of the government and the armed forces, were able to buy their way out. Those who had tortured the Tamils in the name of liberation in the last phases of the war also bought their way out, leaving the victims to the mercy of the government. There was money made in building the camps and in the provision of food.Tamils preyed on these IDPs. Muslims preyed on these IDPs. Sinhalese preyed on these IDPs. Government officials and officers of the armed services and police preyed on the misery of these IDPs. Tamil politicians and supposed to be ex-militants, preyed on the misery of these IDPs. The pro-LTTE Diaspora preyed the most on the misery of these IDPs. The International community, which did help to some extent, played into the hands of these predators, by diverting the attention of the government from the needs of the living to liability for the dead.On the brighter side, people all over the Island, the majority, rallied to help these unfortunates. Every Buddhist temple and Sinhala village collected clothing and food for these unfortunate people. Tamil charities and organizations also came forward to do their mite. The hill country Tamils and Muslims all over the island also did what their resources would permit. However, a majority of Tamils with origins in the north and east, but living in the 'South', did not do as much as they should have. They were busy mourning the LTTE and a lost cause! This wave of national sympathy and magnanimity was ignored by the Tamil politicians and the Tamil Diaspora at large. A spontaneous urge for national reconciliation and healing were ignored and a rare opportunity permitted to fizzle out. The provincial elections in the east, which preceded the final defeat of the LTTE, have made way for a Provincial Council that is trusted by neither the people nor the government. It is made up of persons who are incapable of rising to the challenges confronting their people. It was a window dressing to placate the international community. The elections to the Jaffna and Vavuniya Municipal Councils held soon after the war ended were similar exercises in cussedness. Men, women and groups who should not have been permitted to exercise any power, are exercising what ever power they are permitted ( mainly to feather their own nests and satisfy their bloated egos), over a people who have been broken to an extent that is difficult to imagine. Most of these persons are unqualified to manage even a corner grocery store!The recent general elections have also made way for a distorted, enfeebled and disinterested Tamil electorate to elect men and women who have to answer for many past and present sins. Men and women who have no idea where they should take their people and how, have been elected to lead a people mired in misery and have no time to think of the morrow, except in terms of survival. Men and women who should be in jail for their crimes or are answerable for supporting sheer evil, and rabble rousers who are a curse in any society, have been ensconced as Tamil leaders by the short sightedness of the government. Tamils in Sri Lanka need 'Visionary and able Giants' and not 'War Lords, Common Thugs and Cheap Politicians' to lead them at this moment in their history.The government has failed in its duty in not having disarmed and marginalized the Tamil paramilitary groups soon after the war ended. This has aroused much suspicion among Tamils about the intentions of the government and Sinhala polity. The government has chosen to ignore the gun culture, extortion rackets and the politics of terror that persist among these ex-militant groups. The government has thus delivered a helpless people into the hands of political vultures. This failure has also played into the hands of the pro-LTTE Diaspora. The gratitude the government owes these groups, in return for their services during the war, should not be at the expense of the Tamils. They should be retired to greener pastures, to enjoy what is left of their now useless lives, instead of being foisted on the Tamils.The pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora on the other hand are busy pursuing their Eelam agenda unmindful of its consequences on the Tamils yet living in Sri Lanka. They are busy creating the illusion that, what was in every way right under the LTTE has become wrong in every way after its defeat and demise. The illusion that women, who were safe under the LTTE, are no longer safe from sexual harassment is one theme in their arsenal. The fact that women were quite safe in the north and east prior to the advent of Tamil militancy is conveniently forgotten. The fact that female cadres were sexually abused by males in positions of command within the LTTE is of course a subject that will not be openly discussed.The other theme is that the general security of the Tamils has deteriorated in the absence of the LTTE, with incidence of kidnapping for ransom, murders and other crimes increasing in the north and east. The Tamil Net is spearheading this propaganda effort, supported by some Tamil politicians and local newspaper outlets. The fact that the LTTE and other so-called liberation movements helped criminalize and lumpenize Tamil society is conveniently forgotten by these purveyors of doom. The crime that is beginning to show its ugly face in the north and east are the result of the activities of Tamil Para-military groups and the residual elements of the LTTE mingling among the people. I suspect there may also be a deliberate attempt to subvert normalcy and development by paid agents of the LTTE. The third theme is that Tamil lands in the north and east are being colonized and Sinhalized under the auspices of the government. The fact that the LTTE was instrumental in providing at least part of the reason for mass migration of Tamils, and the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Tamils, is conveniently ignored by these purveyors of doom. The LTTE gave more importance to holding real estate than the lives of the people it claimed to represent exclusively. Now we have plenty of land and very few people. If there is a vacuum, air will rush into fill it! Where there is need, there will be supply. Let the Tamil Diaspora return in their thousands to fill the human/ human resource vacuum and use potentially productive lands! Their Eelam agenda and utter indifference to the misery they have caused the people whom they claim to care, defies logic. What I see among the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora is hypocrisy and chicanery of the worst kind.The voices of sanity and decency have to prevail in Sri Lanka. The noise of the extremes -Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim- has to be muted. The stand of the government on issues relating to the Tamils, other minorities and the north and east, should be clearly and unambiguously explained. The government has to be like Caesar's wife, beyond suspicion. The government should make a visible effort to educate the Sinhala polity on the crisis facing the Tamils as a people and the need to accommodate them as equal partners within the Sri Lankan identity. This is a delicate period in Sri Lanka's history. Wounds in the social fabric have to heal and a new vision has to unfold.This vision has to encompass all the people in Sri Lanka. Individual, group and citizenship rights have to be not only respected, but also strongly defended by the government. The government should not only be fair, but also appear to be so. Justice has to come to the fore in our lives.The government has to make the efforts on a war footing to mobilize resources to resettle, rehabilitate and provide livelihood for the internally displaced and war-affected, in a proper manner. The Tamil Diaspora has to rally to this cause whole- heartedly and generously. The government has to make a concerted effort to invest in all facets of development in the north and east, and pave the way for both external and internal inputs. The Tamil Diaspora and other Tamils in the South have to contribute to this effort. A new political leadership has to evolve to carry these efforts forward. Eelam is a long lost cause. Tamils are a realistic people. Let us not waste our time and money pursuing the unattainable and unneeded.The government has to implement the 13th amendment and plus (which was promised) through interim and appointed Provincial Councils for the north and east in the first phase. The Eastern Provincial Council should be dismissed and Provincial Councils for the north and east appointed. Men and women of integrity, proven ability and vision should be appointed to these councils. They should function for three to five years before elections are held. These councils should be empowered and supported by the government to carry out the mission of restoring normalcy and developing these provinces. These Interim Provincial Councils should be permitted to function as autonomously as possible within the law, without undue interference from the government and Tamil politicians. We need persons with experience and talent to run these councils initially.These councils cannot be the repositories of the remnants of Tamil militancy. The ordinary Tamils in the north and east must see tangible improvements in their lives soon. Words and elections do not mean anything to them now. Democracy of the sort we have in Sri Lanka and particularly in the north and east, do not mean anything to a people, who have no hope for the morrow!Appointing competent Provincial Councils for the north and East will win the hearts and minds of the Tamils and show that the government honest about its intentions. The three to five year period proposed would give the time and space for the Tamils to recover and evolve a new political leadership. This period will also give the government and the Sinhala polity the time to accept the north and east as integral parts of the country, and dissipate existing suspicions and lingering doubts. The Tamils will also have the time and space to understand that being part of Sri Lanka, is a better option to an LTTE Eelam. These councils should be up and running properly to convince those Tamils, who yet perceive that they are powerless because of the demise of the LTTE, that the government and the Sinhala polity are ready to grant them a measure of autonomy to manage their affairs more efficiently.Security concerns are yet paramount and should be addressed in a sophisticated manner. High security zones should be progressively dismantled. Tamils and other minorities should be recruited and integrated into the armed forces and police. The armed forces and police should become national in their content and cease to be identified as 'Sinhala'. The resurrection of the LTTE or a similar grouping should be prevented at any cost. However, this should also have at its heart the need to win over the Tamils to the cause of a united (and since insisted on, a unitary) Sri Lanka.It is also important that laws are passed making statements and acts that arouse communal passions and seed national divisions, irrespective of the direction they originate, criminal offences of the highest order. Introduction of an equal opportunities law would also be an act in the right direction.Tamils in Sri Lanka have to concede the north cannot be their exclusive preserve. Sinhalese who want to live and work in the north and east of their free will, should be able to do so and be welcomed. On the other hand, the government should not as a matter of policy permit state-aided colonization of any sort, unless as part of a nationally accepted plan. Historical claims and counter claims to land and the ownership of the Island are for textbooks and academic discussions. The only undisputed ancestral claim all humans have is for Africa, the cradle of humankind!The population distribution prevalent at the time of independence should be the benchmark, while taking into account current circumstances and realities. Sri Lanka is one country and it belongs to all of us. However, the rights and sensitivities of predominant communities in particular areas should be respected. Conditions should be created for Tamils to be proud of their Sri Lankan identity. This should be the challenge for the government and the Sinhala polity in the years ahead.Prabaharan's mother (Mrs. Parvathy Vellupillai), should be brought Colombo and provided the best treatment and health care possible, in the best hospital. This will prove to disaffected Tamils and the world at large that we are yet a forgiving and decent people. She is ultimately an old mother, who has unfortunately lived to see her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren die in the battlefields and the husband pre-decease, who deserves our sympathies. This gesture should be the high note in celebrating the first anniversary of defeating the LTTE.I yet remember the late Major Raja Uyangoda telling me in 1987, when I sought his help (at the army camp in Kilinotchchi) to cremate the remains of my mother and brother who had been killed by the IPKF in Navatkuli, "Don’t worry. Your mother is like my mother". That was the height of chivalry. That was the high point of Buddhism. That was the high point of our- a Tamil and a Sinhalese- being fellow Sri Lankans. That was the high point of our common humanity.The time has come for everyone in Sri Lanka to become more civilized and recognize that we are humans first and Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and others next. It is my belief that in the long run Tamils and history will be thankful to President Rajapakse for eliminating the LTTE scourge. If he is able to find a durable solution to the communal problems plaguing Sri Lanka for six decades, to the satisfaction of all the peoples of Sri Lanka, he will be thankfully remembered as a notable figure by history. 26 May 2010 India needs to re-tweak its Sri Lanka policy India must realise that despite China's rise, it remains firmly relevant in Sri Lanka. The age-old cultural and ethnic ties between the two countries are simply too strong to be affected by new friendships, says Nitin Gokhale This week last year, Sri Lanka celebrated like never before. On the streets of Colombo, citizens were jubilant. Across the capital the burst of firecrackers reverberated as people poured out on the streets, waving Sri Lankan flags, singing patriotic songs, clearly happy that the single biggest fear factor -- the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's ability to strike anywhere on the island -- was finally eliminated from their lives.The Sinhalas were understandably aggressive but even Tamils in their strongholds like Wellawath were relieved that the LTTE was eliminated. As a young Tamil boy told me in a middle of a procession: "Now we Tamils will at least not be perpetual suspects in the eyes of the Army and the police."But that was perhaps just for the record. Deep down, the Tamils had mixed feelings. While most despised Prabhakaran for his despotic and totalitarian methods and for bringing only misery to them, many also believed that the LTTE's presence gave the Tamils a semblance of a chance to have a dignified existence in Sri Lanka. With Prabhakaran gone, they felt, Tamils would remain permanent second class citizens.President Mahinda Rajapaksa's biggest challenge then and now therefore is to win the peace by sparking reconciliation between its majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil ethnic populations, healing a rift that that looks unbridgeable even a year after that breakthrough event that ended 25 years of insurgency in Sri Lanka.Physically, over 200,000 out of 250,000 internally displaced Tamils have been resettled in the northern areas over the past one year. But much work remains to be done in achieving the social and political integration of Tamils in the mainstream political process.Reconstruction of the Tamil-majority northern areas is a mammoth task and it is unreasonable to expect full return of normalcy in a year's time. The Northern Province, it must be noted, was a scene of a devastating insurgency for over a quarter century. The brutalisation of the society, the destruction of the physical and social infrastructure in that devastating period is not easy to repair.The wounds need time to heal and that time must be granted to the administration.Having won an overwhelming mandate in both the presidential and parliamentary elections, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has a golden opportunity to correct the perceived as well as real injustice meted out to the Tamils in Sri Lanka's recent history. Will he seize the opportunity? Does he have the qualities to transform himself from a 'warrior leader' to a sagacious statesman? His record so far suggests that Rajapaksa might be tempted to perpetuate his larger-than-life image of a supreme leader who brooks no opposition. His treatment of retired General Sarath Fonseka, the continuing curbs on the media and the concentration of powers in the hands of his brothers and his immediate family, are all signs of an insecure leader who was in control in a 'war-like 'situation but who may fall short of expectations in a peaceful environment.There is another school of thought, though, that thinks that Mahinda Rajapaksa will now work resolutely towards cultivating a different, more benign image, rebuild the war-ravaged country's economy and re-stitch its torn social fabric. The establishment in New Delhi would be at least relieved that it no longer has to do a tightrope act as it had to during Eelam War IV between 2006 and 2009, balancing the need to keep a toehold in Sri Lanka with domestic political compulsions.Because of the peculiar political equation at the centre and the UPA's dependence on Tamil parties, India could never publicly go all-out to support Rajapaksa's full-scale war against the LTTE. The Sri Lankan president, however, was fully aware of India's dilemma and therefore had a back channel open to keep the Indian leadership in the loop. With Prabhakaran and the LTTE now out of the equation, India no longer has to look over its shoulder to deal with Sri Lanka. So how does New Delhi deal with a resurgent, confident Colombo? The terms of the age-old equation have certainly changed. Because India refused to help its military effort, Colombo turned to China and Pakistan, among others to source its military hardware. Due to Mahinda Rajapaksa's clever strategy of playing China against India, Beijing now has major access to a vital outpost in the Indian Ocean.India therefore has no option but to tweak its Sri Lanka policy keeping in mind the post-war situation and China's perceived increased footprints in the island nation. And yet, India has to be realistic in assessing the so-called 'Rising China Influence' in Sri Lanka.India must realise that despite China's rise, it remains firmly relevant in Sri Lanka. The age-old cultural and ethnic ties between the two countries are simply too strong to be affected by new friendships.Bilateral trade too is booming, over three billion dollars at last count and rising. India is assisting Sri Lanka in demining the ravaged North; it is building important roads in the erstwhile LTTE-dominated areas. India was the first country to give a 100 million dollar grant for rehabilitation and reconstruction for the affected Tamil population last year. That help has been augmented by a 416-million-dollar credit line on soft terms with a promise of another 382 million dollars in the offing.Indian tourists (1.28 lakh last year) already form the largest chunk of foreigners visiting Sri Lanka; In sum, the Indo-Sri Lanka relationship is as robust as before.Besides, simple geography dictates that Sri Lanka cannot ignore its giant neighbour, however aggressive China's push may be.What India needs to do, however, is to act decisively in taking up strategically important infrastructure projects that Sri Lanka has as it rebuilds its economy. Often in the past,indecisiveness has cost India dear.A case in point is the oft-cited Hambantota deep sea port in southern Sri Lanka. China walked into the project only after India vacillated. India cannot stop China from trying to make deep inroads into Sri Lanka which has emerged as the pivot for the new "great game" that is unfolding in the Indian Ocean.China's aggressive forays into the region stem from its belief that the Indian Ocean is not 'India's Ocean". The bottom line is: China acts in its own national interest and so must India. President Rajapaksa's upcoming State visit to New Delhi in early June will be a perfect opportunity for India to revisit its policy towards Sri Lanka, of course keeping the national interest of both the nations uppermost in mind. S.Lanka urges US business focus, not just rights WASHINGTON — Sri Lanka's new Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris has urged Washington to seize business and other opportunities in post-war Sri Lanka rather than focus only on alleged human rights abuses there.Visiting Washington after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse won a resounding re-election victory in January, Peiris parried criticism from human rights activists and others as he began a weeklong visit to push for closer ties.A year after the end of the civil war, "the circumstances are propitious for a certain strengthening and deepening of the relationship between Sri Lanka and the United States," Sri Lanka's chief diplomat said."We are not in anyway resentful of the focus on human rights. That is understandable. We are not complaining about it," Peiris told a gathering hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank."But we are making the point that the relationship should not be one dimensional. There are many other things that Sri Lanka and the United States can do together," he said.Rajapakse has come under fire at home and abroad for allegedly violating human rights in the final military campaign against Tamil Tiger rebels and has been accused of suppressing dissent since his reelection.Representatives from the International Crisis Group and Amnesty International aired some of the alleged abuses in a question-and-answer session with Peiris following his speech about post-election and post-war developments.Business opportunities abound, according to Peiris, who was minister for international trade in the previous government."In particular, as we open up the country, as we rebuild the infrastructure, I think there is a great deal of scope for American companies to come in and participate fully in that exercise," he said.Peiris talked of a new "mood of optimism" in Sri Lanka, adding the "whole country was coming alive" as foreign tourists begin arriving in large numbers and foreign investors eyed hotel construction. Peiris said he met earlier Tuesday with US senators and congressmen and planned to hold more meetings with them over the next two days.He is also to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday after she returns from east Asia.Clinton's spokesman Philip Crowley last month urged Sri Lanka's new government to use its mandate to pursue a "healing process" as the Indian Ocean island recovers from decades of war.Crowley said the government appeared to enjoy a "significant mandate" from the election. Sri Lanka steps up pressure against foreign war panel-BBC Sri Lanka's government has stepped up diplomatic pressure against UN attempts to investigate its conduct in the war against Tamil Tiger rebels.But UN chief Ban Ki-moon says that he is still working on setting up a panel of experts to advise him on Sri Lanka's human rights accountability. Sri Lanka's foreign minister has said it would have no "moral justification". Meanwhile, in the north, relatives of people who disappeared during the war have staged a demonstration. The message from Sri Lanka to the international community is: "Don't interfere". Last week the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank said there should be an international inquiry into possible war crimes which it alleged were committed by the government and the Tamil Tigers towards the close of the war. As Ban Ki-moon said he was working on setting up a panel of experts, Sri Lanka's new foreign minister, GL Peiris, said in New York that such a panel would "have no legal and moral justification." He told Mr Ban that any international involvement would provoke a negative political reaction. The government rejects allegations in the ICG report that its all-out military offensive may have killed tens of thousands of Tamil civilians. Top ministers say the army operation killed no civilians at all. Colombo has just appointed its own commission to look at the final seven years of the conflict. Its mandate includes looking into individual responsibility - but it will meet behind closed doors The United States has welcomed the move. But local and international human rights campaigners say they fear that it will achieve nothing. Meanwhile in the northern district of Vavuynia, about 400 relatives of disappeared people have demonstrated urging the government to provide information about 12,000 people who they say went missing during the war. They have asked the authorities to release the names of those currently in army detention so they can get a better idea about whether their loved ones are still alive. Sri Lanka shuts rehab camp for rebel child soldiers Sri Lanka on Tuesday closed a camp holding former Tamil Tiger child soldiers, but 52 of the youths will stay in government care to complete their education, an official said.More than 500 child soldiers were picked up after security forces defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in a bloody final battle a year ago.Most have since been reunited with their families, leaving 198 boys and girls when the facility in Colombo closed on Tuesday, the commissioner general of rehabilitation Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe said."These children will now be released to their parents," Ranasinghe told AFP.A Sri Lankan court in February ordered the camp, the only one of its kind, to be shut."During my time at the camp I made friends and learnt it is OK to trust (majority) Sinhala people," said 17-year-old Lukshia, who spent three years with the female Tiger wing."I am sad to go, but happy I am going back to my family," she told AFP.Ranasinghe said 49 boys and three girls opted to remain and continue their schooling at the Hindu College at Ratmalana, a suburb of Colombo.For 16-year-old Christie, the rehabilitation camp took him one step closer to his dreams of being a lawyer."I want to finish school. LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is finished now. People won't come and take me to fight again," said Christie, who was forcibly conscripted at the age of 14 by the Tigers, or LTTE.Around 12,000 Tiger rebels surrendered to security forces, while others were arrested from among nearly 300,000 war-displaced civilians who were held in internment camps during the final stages of fighting.Captured former rebels are being trained in professions including plumbing, carpentry, driving and hairdressing.A major military onslaught crushed the Tigers in May last year, ending 37 years of violence that had claimed up to 100,000 lives, according to the United Nations.The Tamil Tigers were widely criticised for using child soldiers in their unsuccessful battle for an independent homeland for the island's ethnic Tamil minority. LTTE pose threat to Indian VVIPs: India The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) might be militarily decimated in Sri Lanka but big neighbour India is not taking any chance. It recently extended the ban against LTTE as an ``unlawful association’’ capable even now of jeopardising ``VVIP security’’ and compromising India’s ``territorial integrity.’’The notification’s mention of LTTE’s goal of creating a ``Tamil homeland’’ is interesting.``And, Whereas, the LTTE’s objective for a separate homeland (Tamil Eelam) for all Tamils threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, and amounts to cession and secession of a part of the territory of India from the Union,’’ the gazette notification said.So, it means that the LTTE’s larger goal – at least according to the Indian government which once trained and nurtured the LTTE – was to carve out a separate country for Tamils comprising members of the community from across the shallow waters of the Palk Strait. Intriguingly, it added that while the LTTE remnants look upon the Sri Lankan government as ``enemies’’ they look upon the Indian government as ``traitors’’ – or those who were once trusted but have betrayed that trust.It went on to mention the Tamil diaspora. ``…through articles in the internet portals, the diaspora continue to spread anti-India feeling amongst the Sri Lankan Tamils by holding the top Indian political leaders and bureaucrats responsible for the defeat of the LTTE. Such propaganda through internet… are likely to impact VVIP security adversely in India,’’ the notification said.``Eezham Tamil circles in the diaspora said the notification reflected the guilt related paranoia of New Delhi and Chennai and urged democratic bodies in the diaspora and legal activists in Tamil Nadu to address the false interpretation, politically and legally,’’ the TamilNet website said.A political scientist in Colombo said India’s ``very specific’’ fears were not surprising and the extension of the ban was expected. The fall-out between India began from the late 1980s. It reached a point-of-no-return with the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Eighteen years later came the end of war and India’s quiet support to Colombo’s fight against the rebels. ``But that doesn’t mean Tamil Nadu has no LTTE supporters,’’ he said. Govt. launches ferry from Pooneryn to Jaffna The Northern Province Governor’s office has planned to launch a ferry from Pooneryn to Gurunagar jetty in the Jaffna peninsula. Pooneryn is situated on the northwestern side of the Peninsula. Northern Province Governor Major General G.A. Chandrasiri said the service would commence on June 01. Four boats would be put into service in the initial stage, he said. The boat service will save two hours for the Jaffna-bound passengers. The boats from Pooneryn will take only half an hour to reach Gurunagar while road transportation takes two and half hours. The service is expected to be immensely valuable for the public servants and other persons who travel daily to and from Jaffna. Free General Fonseka: 50 M P s make request to President Lanka asylum-seekers in Malaysia threaten hunger strike The 75 Tamil asylum-seekers, who were detained by Malaysian authorities a month ago, have threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike.Sri Lanka Tamil Refugees Humanitarian Programme co-ordinator Eashvara Lingam said the group would go on strike unless the Malaysian government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) fulfill their demands to be sent to a third country without further delay."They also demand that they not to be forcibly sent back to Sri Lanka where they will face persecution by its army and for authorities to permit human rights activists and other NGO leaders to visit them in the camps," he said in a statement yesterday.Eashvara said he had also received reports from the detainees that they were not getting clean water, and supplied with only low quality and stale food."However, they appreciate the Malaysian authorities for saving them from the sea," he said. Rights group wants UN panel on Sri Lanka Sri Lanka - A human rights group has asked the United Nations not to abandon seeking accountability for alleged abuses in Sri Lanka's civil war.Human Rights Watch said in a statement seen Tuesday that Sri Lanka's recent appointment of a commission apparently to look into the events of the last stages of the country's quarter-century civil war was only an attempt to deflect international attention.The New York-based group urged U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon not to abandon his plans to appoint a panel of advisers to examine who might be accountable for alleged human rights abuses committed during the war."Secretary-General Ban's inaction on the experts panel is sending a signal to abusers that loudly announcing toothless commissions can block all efforts for real justice," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch."There is growing recognition that the only way to ensure accountability in Sri Lanka is to establish an independent international investigation."Human rights groups have accused government forces and the Tamil Tiger rebels of deliberately targeting civilians and hospitals in the final stages of the war last year.The International Crisis Group said in a report last week it believed at least 30,000 civilians — and possibly as many as 75,000 — remained unaccounted for.With this, the death toll from Sri Lanka's long-drawn civil war is thought to be much higher than the official U.N. estimate of 80,000-100,000 deaths.Human Rights Watch also said last week that it has photographic evidence of alleged war crimes that could help an investigation. 24 May 2010 New Delhi pushes Colombo for the full execution 1987 Accord, N&E re-merger looms India has begun pushing Sri Lanka for the full implementation of the historic 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord. Reports in Colombo said that New Delhi will formerly be making the request to this effect from Colombo in the due course.The reason that New Delhi is insistent on Colombo for the Indo-Lanka Accord is to be in lieu of 'the total support extended by the Indians in Sri Lanka's war victory', it is learnt.The New Delhi policy making circles now feel that the war in Sri Lanka is over, the non-implementation of the 1987 Accord in full or any further delays by Colombo in this regard could 'compromise India's political dignity' it is reported. Meanwhile political analysts in Colombo said that re-merger of controversial North and Eastern provinces that were de-merged in 2006 could become a reality in the 1987 Accord is fully implemented by Sri Lanka. Though the 1987 accord is 'implemented' by Colombo, but at present, it is only partially functional. The 1987 Accord stipulated by New Delhi on the then President J R Jayawardene, introduced devolution of power to Sri Lanka and created the current provincial council systems as a way to address Tamil grievances. The then Lankan President J R Jayawardene and the slain Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signed the Accord on July 29, 1987 in Colombo as boycotts and protests raged amidst a curfew in the capital. The then Prime Minister R Premadasa and some key Lankan cabinet ministers absented themselves from the Accord's signing ceremony. Though the 1987 accord is 'implemented' in Sri Lanka at present, it is not fully functional and a main point of currently proposed constitutional reforms is the amount of devolution to the Provincial Councils in comparison to the original 1987 Accord. Currently, some crucial provincial powers required for effective devolution are still not delegated to the Provincial Councils and calls for fuller devolution has become a key point in the present devolution debate in the country. Further, when Colombo drafted the 13 Amendment to the Constitution in which the Provincial Councils were created, instead of the expected two lists of powers for the centre and peripheries, Colombo introduced a third list called 'reserved list' to be shared between the centre and periphery, thus confusing the overall aim of the devolution itself, according to political analysts. Critics of the PC system also allege that under the new Provincial Council era, due to the practical nature of the 'operations' between the 'Councils and the centre', the centre itself has gained even more powers than it ever possessed.A key issue to be faced by Colombo will be the re-merger of the North and Eastern provinces. According to political analysts, one fundamental point that all Tamils in Sri Lanka clearly agree on is the need for a single, unified Northeastern Province. Section 2.2 of the historic 1987 Accord specified for a merged north and eastern province creating a unified provincial council saying "...the northern and eastern provinces as now constituted, will form one administrative unit, having one elected provincial council.." Though the provinces were merged soon after the Accord, in 2006, they were de-merged back to two separate provinces by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. This crucial legal ruling was 'lost' to the news broadcast services as the then ongoing war suddenly began to escalate. The case against the merger was filed in the Supreme Court by three Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) MPs. Below is the full text of the original Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987: The Indo – Sri Lanka Accord "To establish peace and normalcy in Sri Lanka the president of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, his excellency Mr. J.R. Jayawardene, and the Prime Minister of The Republic of India, His Excellency Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, having met at Colombo on July 29, 1987. Attaching utmost importance to nurturing, intensifying and strengthening the traditional friendship of Sri Lanka and India, and acknowledging the imperative need of resolving the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka, and the consequent violence, and for the safety, wellbeing and prosperity of people belonging to all communities of Sri Lanka, Have this day entered into the following agreement to fulfil this Objective. 1.1 desiring to preserve the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, 1.2 acknowledging that Sri Lanka is a "multi-ethnic and multi-lingual plural society" consisting, inter-alia, of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims (Moors) and Burgers, 1.3 recognizing that each ethnic group has a distinct cultural and linguistic identity, which has to be carefully nurtured, 1.4 Also recognizing that the northern and the eastern provinces have been areas of historical habitation of Sri Lankan Tamil speaking peoples, who have at all times hitherto lived together in this territory with other ethnic groups, 1.5 conscious of the necessity of strengthening the forces contribut 2. Resolve That : 2.1 Since the Government of Sri Lanka proposes to permit adjoining provinces to join to form one administrative unit and also by a referendum to separate as may be permitted to the northern and eastern provinces as outlined below: 2.3 There will be a referendum on or before 31st December 1988 to enable the people of the eastern province to decide whether: a) The eastern province should remain linked with the northern province as one administrative unit, and continue to be governed together with the northern province as specified in para 2.2 or: b) The eastern province should constitute a separate administrative unit having its own distinct provincial council with a separate governor, chief minister and board of ministers. The president may, at his discretion, decide to postpone such a referendum. 2.4 All persons, who have been displaced due to ethnic violence or other reasons, will have the right to vote in such a referendum. Necessary conditions to enable them to return to areas from where they were displaced will be created. 2.6 A simple majority will be sufficient to determine the result of the referendum. 2.7 Meetings and other forms of propaganda, permissible within the laws of the country, will be allowed before the referendum. 2.8 Elections to provincial councils will be held within the next three months, in any event before 31st December 1987. Indian observers will be invited for elections to the provincial council of the north and east. 2.9 The emergency will be lifted in the eastern and northern provinces by Aug. 15, 1987. A cessation of hostilities will come into effect all over the island within 48 hours of signing of this agreement. All arms presently held by militant groups will be surrendered in accordance with an agreed procedure to authorities to be designated by the government of Sri Lanka. Consequent to the cessation of hostilities and the surrender of arms by militant groups, the army and other security personnel will be confined to barracks in camps as on 25 May 1987. The process of surrendering arms and the confining of security personnel moving back to barracks shall be completed within 72 hours of the cessation of hostilities coming into effect. 2.10 The government of Sri Lanka will utilise for the purpose of law enforcement and maintenance of security in the northern and eastern provinces same organisations and mechanisms of government as are used in the rest of the country. 2.11 The President of Sri Lanka will grant a general amnesty to political and other prisoners now held in custody under The Prevention of Terrorism Act and other emergency laws, and to combatants, as well as to those persons accused, charged and/or convicted under these laws. The Government of Sri Lanka will make special efforts to rehabilitate militant youth with a view to bringing them back into the mainstream of national life. India will co-operate in the process. 2.12 The government of Sri Lanka will accept and abide by the above provisions and expect all others to do likewise. 2.13 If the framework for the resolutions is accepted, the Government of Sri Lanka will implement the relevant proposals forthwith. 2.14 The government of India will underwrite and guarantee the resolutions, and co-operate in the implementation of these proposals. 2.15 These proposals are conditional to an acceptance of the proposals negotiated from 4.5.1986 to 19.12.1986. Residual matters not finalised during the above negotiations shall be resolved between India and Sri Lanka within a period of six weeks of signing this agreement. These proposals are also conditional to the Government of India co-operating directly with the Government of Sri Lanka in their implementation. 2.16 These proposals are also conditional to the Government of India taking the following actions if any militant groups operating in Sri Lanka do not accept this framework of proposals for a settlement, namely, a) India will take all necessary steps to ensure that Indian Territory is not used for activities prejudicial to the unity, integrity and security of Sri Lanka c) In the event that the Government of Sri Lanka requests the Government of India to afford military assistance to implement these proposals the Government of India will co-operate by giving to the Government of Sri Lanka such military assistance as and when requested. d) The Government of India will expedite repatriation from Sri Lanka of Indian citizens to India who are resident here, concurrently with the repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees from Tamil Nadu. e) The Governments of Sri Lanka and India will co-operate in ensuring the physical security and safety of all communities inhabiting the northern and eastern provinces. 2.17 The government of Sri Lanka shall ensure free, full and fair participation of voters from all communities in the northern and eastern provinces in electoral processes envisaged in this agreement. The government of India will extend full co-operation to the government of Sri Lanka in this regard. 2.18 The official language of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala. Tamil and English will also be official languages. 3. This agreement and the Annexure thereto shall come into force upon signature. In witness whereof, we have set our hands and seals hereunto. Done in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on this the twenty-ninth day of July of the year one thousand nine hundred and eighty seven, in duplicate, both texts being equally authentic. Junius Richard Jayawardene Rajiv Gandhi Annexure To The Agreement 1. His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India agree that the referendum mentioned in paragraph 2 and its sub- paragraphs of the agreement will be observed by a representative of the election Commission of India to be invited by His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka. 2. Similarly, both heads of Government agree that the elections to the provincial council mentioned in paragraph 2.8 of the agreement will be observed and all para-military personnel will be withdrawn from the eastern and northern provinces with a view to creating conditions conducive to fair elections to the council. 3. The President, in his discretion shall absorb such para-military forces, which came into being due to ethnic violence, into the regular security forces of Sri Lanka. 4. The President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India agree that the Tamil militants shall surrender their arms to authorities agreed upon to be designated by the President of Sri Lanka. The surrender shall take place in the presence of one senior representative each of the Sri Lanka Red Cross and the Indian Red Cross. 5.The President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India agree that a joint Indo-Sri Lankan observer group consisting of qualified representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of India would monitor the cessation of hostilities from 31 July 1987. 6. The President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India also agree that in the terms of paragraph 2.14 and paragraph 2.16(c) of the agreement, an Indian peace keeping contingent may be invited by the President of Sri Lanka to guarantee and enforce the cessation of hostilities, if so. Exchange of letters between the Prime Minister of India and the president of Sri Lanka. Excellency, 1. Conscious of the friendship between our two countries stretching over two millennia and more, and recognizing the importance of nurturing this traditional friendship, it is imperative that both Sri Lanka and India reaffirm the decision not to allow our respective territories to be used for activities prejudicial to each other's unity, territorial integrity and security. 2. In this spirit, you had, in the course of our discussions agreed to meet some of India's concerns as follows: 1. Your Excellency and myself will reach an early understanding about the relevance and employment of foreign military and intelligence personnel with a view to ensuring that such presences will not prejudice Indo-Sri Lankan relations. 2. Trincomalee or any other ports in Sri Lanka will not be made available for military use by any country in a manner prejudicial to India's interests. 3. The work of resotoring and operating the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm will be undertaken as a joint venture between India and Sri Lanka. 4. Sri Lanka's agreements with foreign broadcasting organizations will be reviewed to ensure that any facilities set up by them in Sri Lanka . 3. In the same spirit India will: 1. deport all Sri Lankan citizens who are found to be engaging in terrorist activities or advocating separatism or secessionism. 2. provide training facilities and military supplies for Sri Lankan forces. 4. India and Sri Lanka have agreed to set up a joint consultative mechanism to continuously review matters of common concern in the light of the objectives stated in paragraph 1 and specifically to monitor the implementation of other matters contained in this letter. 5. Kindly confirm, Excellency, that the above correctly sets out the agreement reached between us. Please accept,Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Yours sincerely, Rajiv Gandhi 'Name the detainees' Govt. urged Many people have been disappeared in Sri Lanka since the end of the conflict with the Tamil Tigers, human rights activists say.Convenor of Committee for the Investigation of Disappearances (CID) Chamil Jayanetti told BBC Sandeshaya that the government should reveal the names of nearly 12,000 suspected LTTE members currently detained. "We don't know what the fate of these disappeared people are. They may be detained, killed of disappeared. If the government announce the names of those detained then the relatives would have a clue," he said. Mr. Jayanetti was commenting as a group of relatives of the disappeared protested in Vavuniya, displaying the photographs of the victims, calling for the authorities to reveal what happened to their loved ones. "My husband was kidnapped when he went to the shop. The people at the shop said they didn't know who the kidnappers were," a woman said. Another woman said: "He was taken when he was on his way to the temple. We don't know whether he is still alive or dead."Former Jaffna parliamentarian MK Sivajilingam who attended the protest said that the government should come under international pressure as a result of similar protests. Lanka tells UN hands off Sri Lanka has asked UN Chief Ban Ki-moon not to interfere in its internal affairs and not to go ahead with the probe into alleged war crimes by its army against the defeated LTTE, amidst an international clamor by rights groups for an independent inquiry."...There is no justification legal or moral for this step (UN probe) to be taken at this time," Foreign Minister G L Peiris told PTI ahead of his maiden meeting with Ban today."Don't complicate matters at this stage. It's not going to do any good. It has the potential of doing real harm in a situation where the government of Sri Lanka, against overwhelming odds, is trying to move the processes forward," he said. 'Get involved' Tamil diaspora urged The Sri Lankan foreign minister has urged the Tamil diaspora worldwide to get involved in the rehabilitation process after the end of the conflict.Speaking from UN headquarters in New York, Professor GL Peiris told BBC News that the Sri Lankan government was stepping up its effort to rehabilitate displaced Tamil people. "Well as far as the diaspora are concerned our hope very much is that they would involve themselves constructively in the efforts that are now being made to rebuild the north and the east of the country,” he said. “There is a great deal of valuable work for them to do and the whole thrust of the government's initiative is inclusive. We want to involve the people of the north and the east and the diaspora." 'Inclusive' initiative In the past week the Sri Lankan government has been criticised in two reports issued to mark the first anniversary of the end of the conflict. The International Crisis Group said it suspected Sri Lankan security forces had shelled and killed Tamil civilians in the final days of the war. Professor Peiris said an economic renaissance was improving people's lives all over Sri Lanka."And what we are seeing is a kind of economic renaissance, a revival of economic life in those parts of the country which have been affected by the war which has gone for the better part of two decades,” he said. Minister Peiris is scheduled to meet Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on the on Friday. The external affairs ministry says that Prof. Peiris is to meet the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and senior UN officials as well as number of senior politicians and officials in the United States during his visit to Washington D.C. The ministry said that Prof. Peiris will also address leading US foreign policy think tanks during this visit. Sky banners display Tamil genocide message during cricket game Banners flown by single engine aircraft displaying "Stop Tamil Genocide; Boycott Sri Lanka" circled the cricket grounds several times during a 20-over cricket tournament held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during this weekend, attendees to the games said. Indian, Pakistani, English, South African, Sri Lankan and Caribbean supporters dominated the attendees at the stadium. In the meantime Sinhalese dissidents opposed to the Rajapaksa regime flew their own message on another plane which said: Sri Lanka - Free Gen Fonseka - Restore Democracy." New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori felt the event had been a success. "Obviously with a lot of Sri Lankans here it had a kind of sub-continent feel but it was a crowd that was entertained," Reuters report quoted Vettori as saying."I thought the entertainment off the field was good for the game and whilst it wasn't as high scoring as people wanted it was still a thrilling game," Vettori added.New Zealand made 120 and Sri Lanka stumbled to 92 all out with two balls remaining on the Saturday game. Detained LTTE arms dealer is working for ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka, Indian report says The detained chief arm dealer of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is working towards ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka, an Indian media report said today. The Express News Service of India quoting the Singapore-based Sri Lankan terrorism expert Dr. Rohan Gunaratna reported that the detained former chief arms procurer and smuggler for the LTTE, Kumaran Pathmanathan alias "KP" is currently making an immense contribution to peace in Sri Lanka by working for ethnic harmony. "He is building bridges between the Tamils and other communities, both at home and overseas, and is striving for ethnic unity. He is contributing to peace immensely," Dr. Gunaratna has told the ENS over the phone from Singapore. Sri Lankan authorities arrested KP in August 2009 from his hideout in a South Asian country and brought to Colombo. Since then he has been detained in an undisclosed location. Reportedly KP has given some valuable information on the structure and assets of the LTTE overseas establishments and has helped identifying escaped Tiger leaders. KP was an international arms smuggler who procured massive loads of weapons worth billions of dollars for the terrorist organization that ravaged a deadly war for 30 years. He was wanted by the Interpol for arms smuggling operations across Asia, Canada, US, and the Europe. According to the ENS report, Dr. Gunaratna has met KP and he believes that KP is working silently to bring the reconciliation between the two communities in Sri Lanka. "KP has met many people, including Tamils from Sri Lanka's North and East. He has been set up to build unity among the various Sri Lankan communities, Tamils and others," Gunaratna has told ENS. KP took the leadership of the LTTE after the death of its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Prabhakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan security forces in the final battle in May. School in Lanka's war battered Puthukkudiyiruppu reopens Colombo: A government school in the war battered Puthukkudiyiruppu, the scene of gruesome battle between the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE last year, has reopened, the government said on Monday. The school at Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu district was retaken in the humanitarian operation one year ago. "The people who were rescued from the grip of LTTE are being continuously provided relief and the school in the Puthukkudiyiruppu Village has also been re-opened," it said. Lt Col G D Sooriyabandara said that the school was previously used by the the tiger rebels as an administration centre. He also recalled that "children were forcibly taken away from the school for conscription". In January this year, several schools in the Kilinochchi district were reopened after a gap of 15 months since the outbreak of fighting in the final phase of the war. Kamal Hasan to boycott Lankan IIFA Award Ceremony The International India Film Academy (IIFA) Award Ceremony, scheduled to be held in Colombo, received a set back with Versatile Actor Kamal Hasan deciding to boycott the function, in deference to Tamil sentiments.The actor issued a statement, announcing his decision to boycott the award function, hours after a group of Tamils staged a demonstration in front of his office here, demanding his resignation as Chairman of Media and Enertainment Conclave of FICCI and boycott the award function to snub the Lankan Government for its "genocide against the Tamils".Kamal said his move was not pursuant to the demonstration and he had taken the decision long back, giving respect to the sentiments of Tamils. "I have taken the decision much before on being moved by my feelings," he said.He had taken the decision not in self-defence (to ward off criticism and protests from the Tamils), but moved by his feelings and to give respect to the sentiments of Tamils, he clarified. The actor said he had also advised FICCI office bearers to boycott the IFFA Award Function and cancel the Global Trade Meet planned during the award ceremony.Without going into the issue of "Lanka's genocide of Tamils", the actor said he found no justification in taking part in the function and decided to boycott the same. Sri Lanka's main opposition UNP calls for the amendment of CEPA with India Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) has called for the amendment of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India in a way that would get the maximum benefit to local industries in Sri Lanka. Issuing an official statement yesterday (23) Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga said the UNP had studied the CEPA agreement in a broad manner and had informed the party's stand on it to both India and the Sri Lanka governments. He has stated that the Sri Lankan government could present the ideas expressed by the UNP if the government finds them acceptable and have discussions with India on these lines. However, Amaratunga has noted that the UNP was not in favour of abolishing the CEPA agreement altogether, but was concerned over the preparing a fresh one which only few businesses would benefit. The Indian media recently reported that India was trying to revive the CEPA agreement with Sri Lanka following the conclusion of the presidential and general elections in Sri Lanka. The Economic Times of India reported recently that the two countries already have a working free-trade agreement (FTA) and had negotiated a CEPA that was ready to be signed in 2008. The agreement however did not materialize due to Sri Lanka's political situation and the war against LTTE. Some Sri Lankan groups say the CEPA benefits India more than Sri Lanka and would adversely affect Sri Lankan businesses. Sri Lankan businesses argue that the country cannot implement CEPA due to monitoring and regulatory inadequacies in the system. 23 May 2010 Sri Lankan government plans to make constitutional amendments in three stages The Sri Lankan government is to carry out the proposed constitutional amendments in three stages, a government minister stated adding that the party leaders of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) had already discussed and approved the proposed constitutional amendments. Power and Energy Minister and JHU theoretician Patali Champika Ranawaka says that the first stage would include the extension of the number of terms in office held by the Executive President from the current two term period, making provision for the President to attend parliament once every three months to respond to questions posed by legislators and to make several amendments to the 17th Amendment to ensure that a fate that has befallen the Constitutional Council at present would not occur in future. The second stage of the Constitutional amendments is to include reforms to the existing electoral process and several other amendments to reduce some of the powers vested with the Executive Presidency. The amendments and implementation of the 13th Amendment is to be included in the third and final stage of the Constitutional amendments. According to Ranawaka, the first stage of the Constitutional amendments would be introduced before November this year, when the President is to be sworn in to office for a second term. Referring to the extension of the number of terms a President holds office in Sri Lanka and the doubt of creating a dictatorial leader as a result, Ranawaka notes that it would only be a dictatorial leadership if there are no elections held. "There's no place for dictators in Sri Lanka. If a President is bad, then the people can vote him out at elections," he said. LTTE abused fleeing girls A report by UN Secretary General Ban-ki moon, handed over to the UN Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict, notes in a section on Sri Lanka that the LTTE had forcibly cut the hair of girls trying to flee the conflict during the last stages of the war to mislead the military into thinking they were Tiger cadres.Meanwhile the annual report which had once listed the LTTE and the TMVP led by Karuna Amman and later Pillayan as outfits involved in child recruitment, now does not have their names listed with the end of the war but yet carries the name of Karuna supporter Iniya Barrathi as a child recruiter.“Some women and girls trying to flee the conflict areas had their hair forcibly cut by the LTTE as a deterrent to fleeing, knowing that women with short hair would be suspected by the Sri Lankan Army of being LTTE cadres and would likely be treated differently from other internally displaced persons,” the report seen by Daily Mirror online said.The report also said that some young girls were forced by their families to marry their relatives to avoid forced recruitment by LTTE during the final stages of the war. The report comes amidst allegations by human rights groups of serious human rights abuses by the government during the final stages of the war which ended in May last year, allegations which the government has denied. The Annual Report gives an overview of the situation of children affected by conflict and action taken for their protection over the reporting period. In mid-June the report will be discussed in the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.“Interviews with internally displaced persons also indicated that during the months leading to the end of the conflict, there were reports of rape during fight and of sexual harassment, especially towards former female LTTE cadres, including girls,” the UN report said without identifying the who the perpetrators were.The report meanwhile says there has been no evidence of significant recruitment by the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulighal (TMVP) in 2009. TMVP, formerly led by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (also known as Karuna), has been reconstituted and is now under the control of former LTTE cadre Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (also known as Pillayan). However it said that during a mission to Sri Lanka by a UN Special Envoy last December, a number of reports were received on recruitment of children and threats of re-recruitment by Iniya Barrathi, who was part of the TMVP breakaway faction, under Karuna’s leadership, and is referred to as “commander” in Ampara district in the Eastern province.In the districts of Killinochchi and Mullaitivu a total of 199 cases of children killed and 146 cases of children maimed were reported from 1 January 2009 to 19 May 2009, although the actual number of casualties is likely to be higher, the UN report said. Tamil diaspora divided over "Transnational Govt": Karuna Karuna Amman, a former top Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commander who is now a Sri Lankan Minister has said the Tamil diaspora is divided and had conflicting views on the so-called 'Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam'.The Tamil diaspora cannot make a significant impact internationally as it faces internal dissension and is now divided into three segments, Deputy Minister of Resettlement Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman said.Amman split from LTTE towards the end of 2004 following differences with Velupillai Prabhakaran and formed the Tamil Makkal Vituthai Pulligal (TMVP).In March last year, he quit TMVP and joined President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party and was subsequently appointed its vice-president.Amman said that the diaspora had broken into three groups - US-based Visvanathan Rudrakumar, Norway-based Nediyavan and a London-based group.They had conflicting ideas about the proposed 'Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE)'.Karuna Amman told the Sunday Observer that their efforts to form a TGTE is "another pipe dream like Vellupillai Prabhkaran's Eelam.""How can they set up a separate State without the support of the Tamils living in Sri Lanka? They detest the LTTE for having destroyed them. No pro-LTTE element will get the support of the Tamils to set up a separate state in Sri Lanka now," Amman said.Amman said that the Tamils in the North and the East were confident that the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government would address their grievances."They were denied development for three decades as the previous regimes had neglected them due to the conflict," the state run Sunday Observer quoted him to say."However, the present Government had provided them an opportunity to settle their grievances", he said.The Minister asserted the Tamil diaspora will not return to Sri Lanka and should create issues for their survival abroad.He said that the Tamil diaspora did not suffer at the hands of LTTE and they had funded it, to make the outfit militarily strong "so that the Tamil diaspora could continue to live abroad," the newspaper said."But some of the Tamil diaspora have now realised the truth and they did not wish to join these segments," he said.Amman said he had discussed the efforts made by the Sri Lankan Government to solve the post conflict issues such as resettlement, rehabilitation and development with the Tamil diaspora. ‘Prabhakaran’ — Selfish, Vindictive But A ‘Thamilean’ Hero Shoot me, if I betray the cause” is Prabhakaran’s most defiant public statement. A few years later, he entered into the longest of all cease fire agreements in February 2002 with Wickremesinghe’s UNP government, brokered by the Norwegians. With much promise on a negotiated solution to the conflict, Prabhakaran sat through his first and only media conference, attended by over 200 local and foreign media personnel in Kilinochchi on April 10, 2002. Asked by a journalist, whether his statement to shoot him still stands, if he gives up “Eelam”, “Yes” he said. “If I betray my people”.Prabhakaran: hero or villain to Tamils? He was killed by the Sri Lanka Army on May 18, 2009, seven years after that. Prabhakaran’s death is still a speculative story. In what ever way he died, he could not achieve the “Eelam” he motivated thousands of Tamil youth to sacrifice their lives for.It is said that revolutionary leaders who cannot achieve what they aspire for, before they are 50 years old, would die in vain, if they don’t simply fade off. This is said about Lenin, Mao, Castro, Ortega and even Gaddafi, as successful leaders who came to power. Prabhakaran was 56 years old and minus his “Eelam”, when he was killed. He nevertheless lived to be an icon of Thamil nationalism, in its savage best.What impact does his long and ruthlessly authoritative dominance on Tamil society have on Tamil politics? What has he left the Tamil people to continue life with? One year after his death, there were no reported events on the first death anniversary of Velupillai Prabhakaran — a man who came from nowhere to weave and control the largest, intricate networks of politics and business in the world and also decided the direction of Sri Lankan politics for almost 25 years, while holed up in a fortified bunker, in remote jungles of Mullaitivu.Entrenched in the memories of Tamil people, he is no image that could be erased by counter propaganda. As President Premadasa once said, there is nothing “adverse” in propaganda. All propaganda by this regime, perhaps keeps Prabhakaran alive.Prabhakaran is more than just a guerilla leader. More than just a hero for the Tamil mind, though with differences in how he is positioned, in different personal etchings of modern Tamil history. In how Prabhakaran is respected especially by the Tamil people in the Wanni, who lived through the bloodiest tragedy in independent Sri Lanka, during the last two years.Now back in their old village home in the Wanni after two years and four months, a close knit “Mahaveer” family of nine civilians, displaced in 2007 August from a west coast village, travelled through Wanni and crossed the A-9 road before Kilinochchi was captured by the army. They reached the east coast in Mullaitivu in late April, 2009, to be landed in a Chettikulam IDP camp at the end of the war. There were just five devastated people left. Their father reunited with them after some months. The mother and the husband of the sister had died during the long arduous trek in search of safety to life.The youngest sister and the son of the elder sister were wounded from shells. The other sister had gone missing, fallen sick and transferred to the Vavuniya hospital, says the surviving elder sister. With the elder son’s role and sacrifice as a LTTE cadre before the final war, the emaciated old father of this “privileged Mahaveer” family, he pulls a loud sigh into his groaning chest and murmurs, “Don’t talk about them…..see what they did to us ?” He wouldn’t say anything more about the LTTE or about Prabhakaran.The eldest daughter, now in her late 20s, resents her father’s tone. She accepts the LTTE blundered. People were shot by LTTE cadres when they tried to cross over to government controlled areas during the last phase, she confessed. “My sister’s husband died from a LTTE shell fired at people. But those can’t be Prabhakaran’s orders,” she says and believes so.A modern day avatar of Tamilean political culture, what leaves Velupillai Prabhakaran hated by one and trusted by another? Prabhakaran is first influenced by dissenting Tamilean politics of Jaffna around 1969 – 70, but was baptised as one of the political twins of Sri Lanka’s father figure of Maoism, late N. Shanmugathasan, in forging the first armed Tamil group, the “Tamil New Tigers” (TNT) around 1972. While Wijeweera grooms himself in politics within Shan’s youth movement, Prabhakaran cuts his teeth in the radicalised politics of the armed “harijan” movement that was led by Shan in the late 1960s. It was Shan’s harijan movement in Jaffna that first used explosives in protests. TNT copied the technique thereafter.With the first murder in SL Tamil politics, the murder of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Thuraiappah, Prabhakaran usurped control of the TNT that was reorganised as the LTTE in May 1976. He further consolidated his power within the LTTE around 1980, after a bitter conflict with Uma Maheswaran who was chairman of the LTTE at the time of the split. A more flamboyant activist, with a cosmopolitan outlook in politics, Uma thereafter formed PLOTE. Prabhakaran, nurturing a life long grouse against Uma, went on to become the world’s most ruthless, but innovative guerilla leader to wage war for a separate “Eelam” state as the self appointed sole representative of Tamil people.This bloody and ruthless armed campaign for a separate Thamil State, initially funded and fashioned by the Indian government, was then patronised by the Sri Lankan born Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister, M.G. Ramachandran, a venerated Tamil hero himself in TN cinema.Prabhakaran thereafter moved away to be independent and developed his own ideology of Thamilean politics that attracted TN Dravidian extremists too, who today want to give Prabhakaran’s struggle a new lease of life with the launch of “Naam Thamilar” (We Tamils) political party.His brand of Thamilean politics carried a very special flavour. A convert to Christianity, his politics had the stamp of Chola supremacy with Saivism, different to Hinduism in Jaffna. This new brand of Thamil culture embraced a sacrificial element in life in an obligatory sense. “Cholaism” with a sacrificial obligation, different to Sri Lankan Hinduism that has no trait of life sacrifice. Even “Sathi Pooja” as sacrifice is not a ritual in Sri Lankan Hindu belief.Prabhakaran’s brand of Thamil politics, that gave “life sacrifice” a venerated greatness as “Thamil martyrdom” is one that binds all Tamils on either side of the Palk Straits into a single, historic Tamil nation.This culture, with its ‘martyrdom,’ the masculinity and glory of performing martial art and the conviction of obligation one carries during one’s life time was brought into Tiger politics, through “war heroes’ cemeteries”, “heroes’ day” celebrations and “Mahaveer families” being given a privileged status in their Tamil society.“This was only a personal ‘cult’. You either accept the cult or you die.” An elderly teacher, who now has no family to go to, was remorseful in her loneliness. “You any way die…or live as refugees”. She qualified her earlier statement to add that for 30 years, all the sacrifice the Tamil people were compelled to make, was only to have over 300,000 people in refugee camps and over 40,000 killed in vain. “I lost my husband….what for?” She asked and said, “Thambi was selfish,” in answer.“Thambi” as “Annan or Thalavar” is accepted differently by the young. It is the culture in the Wanni and in the north and east they grew in, over the past two decades. They have lived through Prabhakaran’s rule, not as suppressed individuals and families, but as proud members of a common heroic history that was every where, around them. LTTE propaganda was there to see, they believed that history and embraced the new “religio-political” culture. Thus the life and how it is accepted by the young Tamil people who were under LTTE control, is different to the JVP imposed ruthlessness on the southern society, during their 1988-90 insurgency.What is now different nevertheless is the absence of a Tamil leadership, in a society that has been torn and shredded by bloody displacements, through heavy and incessant bombings, shelling and firing that is glorified as a “heroic war”.It is not only the illogical and politically dumb and stupid elimination of democratic Tamil leadership, ordered by Prabhakaran that creates a vacuum now. It is the inability of existing Tamil leaders tied to the Sinhala regime which waged war that leaves Tamil people rudderless. They simply don’t have a “right” to politically voice the immediate needs of the uprooted Tamil people and when they do, they sound too hollow to believe them.Meanwhile the TNA being a collection of different political personalities forced together under LTTE pressure, could not play a cohesive role for those 300,000 people caught in the war. Few Tamil people, elderly men all, back in their own Wanni land after six months in IDP camps, thus see no reason to talk politics. Staring at photos of smiling politicians from the debris that was their life time savings, had just one answer when asked about parliamentary elections concluded in April. “Why vote ? Our vote brings nothing to us” they said. For them, the LTTE brought war and it took away all things dear to them and the vote, “that always was empty promises”. Life in political terms, will germinate slowly in broken and shattered minds, in the absence of trust in the people who offers them answers. There is no alternate cultural life to indulge in. None of the politicians and political parties and groups can still match the Thamilean culture that Prabhakaran and his LTTE established during the past, protracted conflict. In fact these left over Tamil leaderships represent exactly the opposite culture, the young would not want to live with.A present day Wanni child would not know a history beyond the “Thamil heroic culture” in his or her “homeland”, where LTTE “brothers and sisters” fought a “Sinhala army”. Their heroism is understood as sacrifice for a separate state the Tamils have a right to. That historic belief is what Prabhakaran has left for the future. A historically fashioned political culture that tries to equate itself with that of the Chola empire in its warrior best.Any claim therefore that the war was a “humanitarian operation” to free Tamil people from LTTE control, holds little validity for Tamil youth, who are still treated as “suspects” or “potential” threats. All the deaths, all the mutilations in life, all the devastations and displacement around them, are no proof of freeing them from the LTTE. The young live as aliens in this whole act of rehabilitation and resettlement, carried out by a government they would not have reason to believe as non hostile to them, the Tamils.Thus with no political leadership for now, it is the sacrificial, Thamilean culture that Prabhakaran left as his legacy, with its historically venerated greatness of Thamil martyrdom, the young would keep as their political cud to chew on. It would be Prabhakaran’s history they would cherish, in the absence of any social reconciliation that could draw them into a different but more inclusive, democratic culture and expose them to a world with better opportunities. This was the political failure of Sinhala extremism that Prabhakaran was born to and grew through the ‘60s, to become the separatist “Thamil terrorist” and “Annan” of modern Thamil nationalism, all in his ruthless warrior image, even after death. Basil will handle Indian affairs Senior Presidential Advisor and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa will continue to oversee matters relating to Indo-Sri Lanka relations. He undertook this task during the tenure of the previous Government where Rohitha Bogollagama was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Sunday Times learns he will continue the role whilst G.L. Peiris remains the Minister of External Affairs.Mr. Rajapaksa was scheduled to leave for New Delhi today for talks to lay the groundwork for the official visit by President Mahinda Rajapaksa beginning June 8. However, a presidential ban on travel by ministers in view of the current flood crisis had held him back. The President wants all ministers to attend to the needs of the people in their electorates.A delayed departure to New Delhi by Mr. Rajapaksa has become difficult due to the non-availability of Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao. She is due to leave for Russia on May 24, and then for China and the United States. She would be back in New Delhi just a day or two ahead of President Rajapaksa's arrival.In the light of this, an official delegation headed by Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe will leave for New Delhi today. He will meet Ms. Rao and other officials to discuss about issues President Rajapaksa will discuss with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. External Affairs Ministry sources said yesterday that President Rajapaksa would brief Premier Singh on the measures his new UPFA Government would take to address Tamil grievances.That includes the implementation of the 13th Amendment and the creation of a second chamber or Senate. He will also brief Premier Singh on the progress in the re-settlement of Internally Displaced Persons after the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas last year. The same sources said India's latest request to open a consulate in Jaffna -- a request which has been made last year to the External Affairs Ministry -- will also be discussed. Ad puts Jaffna mayor in trouble Jaffna Chief Magistrate A. A. Anandaraja has severely reprimanded and released the town’s Mayor, Patkunaraja Yogeswari, and her husband K. Patkunaraja after they placed a newspaper advertisement relating to a court decision.The mayor who presented herself along with her husband at the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Jaffna on Friday was severely warned inside the Magistrate’s chamber and released after they apologised.The dispute arose after the mayor placed an advertisement in a local newspaper calling for the dropping of the charges against Deputy Mayor T. Illango who who had allegedly threatened Chavakacheri’s Magistrate T. J. Prabhakaran who was hearing a case of abduction and murder of teenager.The Magistrate ordered Mr. Illango’s arrest after he was found outside the Magistrates house armed with a pistol along with one of the suspects involved in the abduction and murder. In the advertisement, the mayor called for the dropping of the charges against the deputy mayor, claiming he was a hard working and honourable man. The advertisement said the arrest was due to political reasons and the mayor had called for a go-slow campaign by Jaffna municipal workers.The deputy mayor was arrested along with several others for alleged complicity in the abduction and brutal murder of a 17-year-old school boy in a botched ransom bid. He was later given conditional bail and told to appear in courts every Monday.Soon after the Chavakachcheri Magistrate came under threat lawyers boycotted court sittings in the north. But after an assurance from the Police and the Jaffna security Forces commander they returned to courts this week. The Jaffna MC is controlled by the UPFA with the Mayor and her Deputy from the EPDP. 22 May 2010 TNA asks the government to continue food rations for the Northern IDPs Sri Lanka's Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has called on the government to extend the validity of ration cards issued to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in welfare camps in Vavuniya. The TNA had made this request since there are widows and disabled people among the IDPs in the Northern camps. The request follows a visit by several TNA parliamentarians led by its parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan to the camps in Vavuniya yesterday (21). TELO Leader and TNA Wanni District parliamentarian Selvam Adikalanathan has noted that the government had announced its decision to stop the food rationing for the IDPs from next month, while the people living in these camps were facing so many problems. Adikalanathan has further observed that the people did not have houses to live in or a livelihood and has therefore requested the government to continue with the food rationing. TNA refused entry to camp The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) claims its members led by party leader R. Sambanthan were refused entry to the Chetikulam IDP camp when they visited the area in Vavuniya this morning.TNA MP Sivasakthi Anandan, speaking to Tamil Mirror, said that 12 members of the Tamil party had to stay outside the camp premises for over an hour after the authorities refused to grant them permission to visit the site. He said that the TNA delegation led by party leader R. Sambanthan were to visit the IDP camps in Vavuniya to look into the wellbeing of the remaining IDPs. President to present draft of political solution to India in June The President is scheduled to present a draft of the proposals of the political solution for the national question in Sri Lanka to Indian government in June states a weekend newspaper. According to this newspaper the President will present this draft of the proposal during his visit to Indian in June.The President is also scheduled to discuss the proposals with Indian Premier Manmohan Singh and Indian President Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil. According to government internal sources the proposals compiled by the government includes total implementation of the 13th amendment so that provincial councils would be given all the powers including land and police powers. In July, 2009 the President speaking to ‘The Hindu’ stated that he was prepared to grant a solution that goes beyond the 13th amendment but it would have to be approved by the people. The President said, “I am waiting but it will be after my re-election as President. I must get the mandate. After that, the political solution comes. Even tomorrow I can give that — but I want to get that from the people.”Also, during a visit to India the same year by Messrs. Basil Rajapakse, Gotabhaya Rajapakse and Lalith Weeratunga a MoU was signed between Sri Lanka and India and diplomatically it was agreed to implement the political solution through the 13th amendment. Meanwhile, the Indian economical mediation in the North and the East has gone up rapidly during the recent past. An Indian Consul office has been established in Jaffna and media had reported that discussions would be held to establish another Indian consul office in Sri Lanka during President Rajapakse’s next visit to India. Sri Lanka to bring back Tamil refugees from India Sri Lanka government has decided to resettle the Tamil refugees sought refuge in India during the decades-long war between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. These refugees left the country during war in boats to South India and the government of India has settled them in a number of refugee camps there. There are around 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees in India, says the Minister of Resettlement Milroy Fernando. The Ministry of Resettlement is now working out a plan to bring them back to Sri Lanka and to resettle them in their native places, said the Minister. Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry is providing coordinating facilities for the resettlement programme, the Minister said. Meanwhile, the UNHCR in Sri Lanka, which works in close co-operation with other international organizations and non-governmental organizations, has a programme to provide assistance to the repatriates to start their lives anew in Sri Lanka. According to the statistics made available by the UNHCR office in Chennai, the UNHCR assistance commenced in 2003. Since 2003 a total of 6687 persons have returned to Sri Lanka. In addition to free air tickets, the UNHCR also provides a departure grant of Rs. 500 per adult and Rs.300 per child. Lanka, US to hold talks External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris is to visit the United States next week for bilateral talks with the US government, Foreign Ministry sources told Daily Mirror online this evening. Daily Mirror online learns that Minister Peiris is expected to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during his visit to the US. The visit by Minister Peiris to the US comes amidst calls by the international community including the US for a war crimes probe in Sri Lanka, against the abuses which had allegedly been committed during final stages of the war.On Thursday the US House of Representatives had also called for a Human Rights probe in Sri Lanka. Leftist parties in Sri Lanka's ruling coalition oppose proposed constitutional amendments Leftist allies of Sri Lanka's governing United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have decided to submit a separate set of proposals for constitutional amendments that will propose abolishing the Executive Presidency among other reforms. Common Left Front, the leftist alliance of Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Sri Lanka Communist Party (SLCP) and the Democratic Left Front (DLF) plans to hold a seminar at the National Library Association Auditorium on May 31 to discuss its proposals, Daily Mirror reported. The leftist parties oppose the government's proposal to extend the two term limit for an Executive President to hold office in Sri Lanka in line with the Constitution. DLF Leader and parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara had told the Sri Lankan daily yesterday (21) that the Common Left Front would propose the setting up of the post of an Executive Prime Minister to replace the Executive Presidency. "The Common Left Front expects to come to a consensus and finalize its proposals for amending the constitution and electoral reforms the government intends to submit to parliament shortly," Nanayakkara has said. According to SLCP Leader, Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara Common Left Front would submit its own proposals to the proposed constitutional amendments as the alliance is not comfortable with the constitutional amendments that have been proposed regarding the appointment of the Constitutional Council and the 17th and 13th amendments. Meanwhile the LSSP has also said the party could not agree with some of the proposed amendments and expected to submit its own proposals that will strengthen democracy, transparency, and good governance. 'LTTE chief wanted to live to fight another day' The LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran died fighting in an islet in the Nanthikadal lagoon on the morning of May 19, 2009. But to die fighting was his last option. He wanted to escape and live to fight another day.Prabhakaran had a number of escape plans in his mind, says Prof.Rohan Gunaratna, Head, International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. USE OF SHIP BASED CHOPPER Gunaratna told Express that one of Prabhakaran’s daring plans was to get the vessel Christina to come near the No Fire Zone (NFZ) in Mullaitivu district, and get picked up from the shore by a chopper based on the vessel.Ravishankar Kanakarajah, alias Sangili, of Canada, had arranged the ship and kept it in readiness in Indonesia. But one Achchutharan, who was put in incharge of arranging for the chopper, failed to get one, Gunaratna said. Christina was secured by the Sri Lankan navy after the war. The second option was to sneak out of the NFZ and head for the Yala game sanctuary in the deep south, and use the less patrolled southern coast to escape from the island.The third option was to escape to hideouts in the Eastern Tamil-dominated district of Batticaloa, with the help of Ram, who, according to Gunaratna, had managed to survive in the East despite losing the war there in 2007.But none of these three options could be exercised because the Sri Lankan forces had blocked all land and sea routes. By May 16, the entire Mullaitivu coastline was in the army’s hands and the naval blockade was impregnable. BREAKING INTO THE WANNI The fourth option was to break through the thick Lankan cordon on the west bank of the Nanthikadal lagoon and find sanctury in the Wanni jungles. There, the LTTE had, with foresight, buried its weapons before withdrawing.In trying to breakthrough, a 140-strong Tiger unit led by Pottu Amman and Charles Anthony, Prabhakaran’s elder son, first pretended to be civilian refugees but soon opened deadly fire and unleashed 30 suicide bombers on the Lankan guards. The Tigers breached the army’s forward linesm but were eventually crushed. Among the dead were Pottu Amman and Charles Anthony.At another point, the LTTE’s political chief, Nadesan, Peace Secretariat chief Puleethevan, and military wing leader Ramesh were killed in a crossfire.Reporting this controversial incident, the state-owned Sunday Observer of May 24, 2009 said: “Although there was speculation that they had expressed their willingness to surrender, there was no such indication as they had engaged in fierce fighting and (got) killed.” REFUGE IN AN ISLET Prabhakaran and his bodyguards had, in the meanwhile, begun trekking along the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon from Vellmullivaikkal to Karayamullivaikkal, to find a point where they could mingle with civilian refugees and cross the lagoon. But according to the weekly Nation a starving Prabhakaran got into the lagoon and took shelter in an islet on the night of May 18. As he was standing knee deep in the muddy water, a grenade hit his chest and a gun shot ripped through his skull. Troops of the 4 Vijayabahu Regiment found his mud soaked body at 10 am on May 19. First Court Martial against Sri Lanka's ex-Army Commander to resume on July 01 The first court martial against Sri Lanka's former Army Commander and present parliamentarian General (Retired) Sarath Fonseka is scheduled to resume on July 01, says the Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya. The proceedings of the court martial came to a standstill after the Court of Appeal imposed a temporary injunction holding the sittings of the court martial on the request of the counsels of the retired General. However, the time frame of the temporary injunction ended yesterday. General Sarath Fonseka's counsels requested the injunction to be extended. The state counsels opposed it. The three-member bench of the Court of Appeal ruled not to extend the injunction. Accordingly, the court martial proceeding is to be resumed. The first court martial, presided by Major General H.L Weerathunga is to try General Fonseka on charges against his participation in political work while in service. SRI LANKA: Lessons to be learnt and unlearnt –By Col. R. Hariharan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed the much awaited ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC). The Island newspaper in its editorial ‘Some V-day thoughts’ voiced the pertinent question, “Why should we expend our time and energy to reinvent the wheel?” The appointment of the commission had been in incubation for nearly a year. Actually Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative in the UN had spoken about his government initiating a mechanism for fact finding and reconciliation at the UN Security Council Interactive Briefing in June 2009. And after taking so long, why did President Rajapaksa choose the ‘Victory Day’ eve to appoint the commission? Apparently, Sri Lanka after trying other methods to ward off the flak at the UN on the issue of Sri Lanka’s human rights violations during the war for more than a year has adopted the face saving way of appointing the LLRC. Things came to a boil when the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon persisted with his proposal to appointment a panel of experts to look at the issue. Of course, Sri Lanka had tried all means including a botched attempt at getting the NAM representatives to pass a resolution against the UN Secretary General’s move. Significantly, India -Sri Lanka’s closest ally in the sub continent – did not vote for Sri Lanka at the NAM representatives meeting. Did Sri Lanka take a hint? I do not think so. Since it went to war Sri Lanka government had tied itself in knots over issues of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. This had been cause of great concern to civil society both at home and abroad. The state of emergency and the Prevention of Terrorism Act energized during the war came down heavily on any criticism of the government. The sentencing of veteran journalist and columnist J.S. Tissainayagam, sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under the anti-terror law was a typical act that put Sri Lanka in the black book of global media. The case attracted so much attention that even the U.S. President Barrack Obama had expressed his concern about it. The adverse international reaction became worse when the issue of war crimes, particularly as allegations of death of thousands of civilians in the closing stages of war due to army shelling, gathered more mass. The voices at the UN became more strident and critical of Sri Lanka. And Ban ki-Moon’s move was the culmination of these rumblings in Sri Lanka. Logically, immediately after the victorious war with the elimination of the Tamil Tigers leadership, Sri Lanka should have unshackled all the restrictions imposed during the war. That would have partly met the just demands of civil society; it would have had the advantage of improving the credibility levels of Sri Lanka. But it has not happened so far.However, it appears President Rajapaksa is trying to tackle this issue by taking small measures to reduce the pressure at a time of his choosing. Tissainayagam was released on bail on the eve of the recent elections. And after the return of the President from the SAARC Summit at Thimphu, early this month the newly appointed Minister of External Affairs Prof GL Peiris announced the President had pardoned the journalist. Did his talks with the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during the Summit influence the decision? To be charitable to India, we can think so. If we look at the timing of the appointment of the LLRC it would appear to be so as coincidentally India’s Secretary for External Affairs Ms Nirupama Rao had touched upon the fringe of issues in Sri Lanka that are of concern to India. If local and international political expediency was behind the appointment of the Commission, it is a little too late as the issues have been ignored for over a year and the critics have gained considerable mileage. In any case, a UN official in New York has clarified that it was not going to stop Ban ki-Moon from appointing an expert panel. According to a media report, the UN official said President Rajapaksa’s commission and the UN Chief’s expert panel were two different concepts due to which Ban Ki Moon would not reconsider appointing his panel. And the UN Secretary General would send his Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to Sri Lanka as soon as clearance is given by the government there.The UN official’s observations appear correct if we look at the terms of reference of the Commission given in media reports. These are to examine and report on the following aspects: (a) The facts and circumstances which led to the failure of the ceasefire agreement and the sequence of events that followed thereafter up to May 19 2009 (b) Whether any person, group, or institutions directly or indirectly bear responsibility in this regard. (c) Lessons learnt from these events in order to ensure that there will be no recurrence. The wording of the terms of reference is vague and general, rather than specific and pointed. So even if the commission completes its job, it provides sufficient room for endless legal quibbling to delay any action. They will be subject to interpretation whether they cover major issues of civil society concern.The International Crisis Group has just come out with a detailed report on the war crimes committed by the armed forces and the LTTE. Channel 4 has kindled the fire of war crimes with more inputs. And General Fonseka had brought parliamentary focus on the issue of war crimes. Sri Lanka has to face these issues and take action. International donors who had been supporting Sri Lanka are already weary of its attitude. According to the UN, the country has received only 24% of the total funds ($ 337 million) required for continuing the humanitarian operations. So the appointment of the LLRCis not going to quell strident voices against Sri Lanka. Nor is it going to improve Sri Lanka’s international credibility. The Commissioners appointed under provisions of Section 2 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act (Chapter 393) has eight prominent personalities as members including at least three with Foreign Service background. Among them is HMGS Palihakkara, former foreign secretary, considered a man of high integrity. But the issue here is not much as what the LLRC does or finds, but whether its efforts would produce useful results to increase the credibility of the President and the government. After all there had been many commissions in the past which had faced endless obstacles and delaying tactics from the administration. So we can expect the LLRC to make only limping progress in the coming years as every point is debated. Such squabbling is not unknown. Statutory commissions like the Election Commission, Public Service Commission, Police Commission, Human Rights Commission and the Bribery and Corruption Commission have suffered as appointments to them were mired in political controversy. This has literally ground them to halt and the President is likely to propose amendment to the constitution to enable him to go ahead with the appointment of chairmen and members of these commissions. Sri Lanka government should ponder over the Island’s original question: “Why should we expend our time and energy to reinvent the wheel?” The newspaper has justified its question aptly: “Lessons that all of us have already learnt and have yet to learn from thirty years of fighting are fairly well known. Some of them are: no community can or must try to suppress another; violence does not pay; this country does not belong to any particular community; all communities belong to it; it is too small to be divided among different communities but certainly large enough for all communities to live in peacefully.” What has been happening in Sri Lanka brings to mind what Arthur Miller said in The Crucible: “a political party is equated with moral right, and opposition to it with diabolical malevolence. Once such an equation is effectively made, society becomes a congerie of plots and counterplots, and the main role of government changes from that of the arbiter to that of the scourge of God.” Time is an irredeemable resource and Sri Lanka has already wasted over 20 precious years in debating what was obvious. Why waste time on more meaningless commissions? It is time to get on with positive action, now that the war is over. And to get going Sri Lanka needs an attitudinal change. That is the lesson number one to be learnt. The Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka Yang Ziuping pledged more support from China for the resettling and rebuilding programmes of Sri Lanka government in the North, when she met Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratna at his office.The ambassador said Chinese investments are already flowing into the country at a pace. "Rice growing areas in the North and the East such as Mannar, Kilinochchi and Batticaloa are provided with Chinese machinery by its investors", she said.She said Chinese investors in Sri Lanka employed 91 per cent of their labour force from Sri Lanka. Only 9 per cent who are technically educated skilled staff was recruited from China. She refuted the argument that China’s export of capital was only a strategy to dump its workers in other parts of the world, thereby harming the opportunities available to the capital importing country.The ambassador said China was planning to hold an educational exhibition in Sri Lanka to promote Chinese education structures. It would create awareness among the Sri Lankan youth of the institutions providing high education in China."China suffered immensely at the hands of Western Powers and there were major obstacles during the development process of China in the early 1950’s and onwards. She said that Western powers did not allow China to purchase natural rubber which was essential for her industrial ‘take off’. During that time Sri Lanka was willing to sell natural rubber to China as she was facing a lower demand for her rubber. Also at that time rice prices plummeted in the country creating a situation of political unrest. At that critical period, Sri Lanka was willing to sell her rubber to China and China was willing to sell her surplus rice to Sri Lanka at a lower price. Both parties prospered from that relationship", she said.The ambassador to Sri Lanka described this critical period between the two countries as a landmark where ties between Chinese people and Sri Lanka were taken to a new level.Prime Minister Jayaratna briefed the ambassador on the government’s plan regarding resettlement to bring normalcy and social order to the previously war ridden North and East areas. He told the ambassador the details of the gigantic task undertaken by the government to provide essential infrastructure to the people in the North and the East. Three ex-LTTE cadres remanded Mt. Lavinia Police on Wednesday produced three suspects including a self styled ‘Captain’ of the LTTE's elite Charles Anthony Brigade before Mt. Lavinia Chief Magistrate Harsha Setunge. They were remanded till June 16.The Magistrate allowed an application by Police to destroy the haul of weapons recovered by them in Nandikadal area after their arrest .One of the suspects identified as Sivagnam Einkaran was a ‘captain’ of the elite LTTE Black Tiger Unit.The other two suspects were Kadiravelu Janannthan and Nadesan Bodidasan. Police filing a B report said that the first suspect had joined the LTTE at the age of 13 and had undergone training under LTTE leaders including Tiger Supremo Prabakaran before been promoted to the rank of a ‘captain’.Last year he had being injured while fighting the army and subsequently had surrendered.He had been detained in a camp and after escaping from it, he was living in Mt. Lavinia in a hotel with a view to going abroad.Later, Police arrested the two other suspects while they were returning to the hotel after a visit to an air line office. Under interrogation the first suspect had directed the police to a house in Nandikadal in the north where ten claymore mines, three hand grenades, fifty wired cord reels, two detonators, a bag, some bandages and an overall were recovered.PC 8857 Wijeratne prosecuted. 21 May 2010 UN should conduct investigations in regard to war crimes in Sri lanka – Hilary Clinton America has insisted that United Nation Organization should process investigation in regard to all the war crimes in Sri Lanka. The American State Secretary Hilary Clinton while gave an interview to the “The Financial Times” website stated this. She said, between the war against the liberation tigers and the Sri Lankan government for the past 30 years, war crimes were done by both sectors, hence investigations should be processed which is essential was mentioned by her. War has come to an end, but the scars are still remaining hence a perfect settlement should be initiated to the racial crisis so that a decision can be met was mentioned by her. She said the government may be able to tender a settlement policy by hiding the truth about thousands of civilians got killed, but she queried how could the Sri Lankan government achieve victory for peace? Government lacks proper development goals to develop North and East, Sri Lanka main opposition says Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) yesterday (20) said that about 60,000 children in the North are yet to return to school following the end of the war a year ago and that the government's poor development goals have delayed the receipt of foreign funding. Addressing a media the UNP National List parliamentarian D.M. Swaminathan said it is a serious issue that 106 schools in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Thunukkai, Vavuniya North, and Mannar educational zones are still closed while 60,000 children in the area are deprived of education. "The primary requirement for a community is education. In the North, out of 300 schools, only 194 are functioning. There are over 86,000 school going children, but only 26,000 are at the moment able to follow classes," he elaborated. He emphasized the delay on the part of the government to reopen these schools. Swaminathan accused the government of failing to introduce an effective plan to resettle people. Nearly 62,944 IDPs are still languishing in IDP camps, he said. He also noted that while United Nations Resident Coordinator Neil Buhne had said the UN had pledged US$ 337 million for the north- east development, the government had received only US$ 80 million so far due to their poor development goals. Death toll from Sri Lanka's flooding hits 20 The Sri Lankan government says 20 people have died in floods and mudslides after a week of powerful storms brought heavy rain across the country.The Disaster Management Center said on its website Friday that most of the deaths occurred in western Gampaha district.The government says many homes have been inundated and roads washed out. The navy has stepped up operations to rescue those stranded and to distribute relief. Sri Lanka gets US aid after heavy rains The US has announced $50,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka following massive destruction caused by torrential rains.US ambassador Patricia Butenis issued the disaster declaration from the US Agency for International Development’s Office to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society for emergency humanitarian assistance.The assistance will help provide emergency food, safe drinking water, water purification tablets, water containers, medical supplies, clothing, plastic sheeting, tents and other urgently needed items. Govt declared war victory before Prabhakaran’s death – SF Former Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka said yesterday that the offensive against the LTTE concluded on May 19, 2009, though the government celebrated the first anniversary of Sri Lanka’s triumph over the LTTE on May 18. Addressing the media in Parliament yesterday, the DNA leader said the fighting was raging on the Vanni front when some were kissing the tarmac of the Bandaranaike International Airport. The Army killed LTTE leader Prabhakaran on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon and recovered the body, he said. The war veteran said the terrorist leader had been shot through his head. He said: "I was away in China since May 11 and returned on May 17. The last group of terrorists was cornered in the Nanthikadal area lagoon. Fighting broke out at 2.30 a.m. on May 19 and continued till troops wiped out the last batch and recovered 35 bodies, including Prabhakaran’s."The DNA leader said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had declared the conclusion of the war in parliament even before the Army killed Prabhakaran. Fonseka said he was also at Parliament and was informed of the recovery of Prabhakaran’s body when he was returning to his office. "I informed the President of the recovery," Gen Fonseka said. Government slams Fonseka The government has accused General Sarath Fonseka of attempting to downplay the war victory by disputing the date on which the country was liberated from the clutches of terrorism after he said yesterday that Prabhakaran was killed on May 19 and not 18.Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella made these remarks at a press conference a short while ago. Fonseka said yesterday that the Tiger leader was only killed after President Mahinda Rajapaksa had declared in Parliament on May 19 that Prabakaran was dead. Intelligence unit to be reinforced to hamper liberation tigers getting merged - Gottabaya Defense Secretary Gottabaya Rajapakse stated, to obstruct the liberation tigers getting re-united, the Sri Lankan Intelligence unit should be strengthened. Yesterday he gave a statement in regard to the government’s war victory. He said at a situation the Tamil Eelam Liberation tigers were strong by land, air and sea, hence they had one third of Sri Lanka under their control.In this situation they were defeated by military strategies. Event though they were defeated military basis, they are still attempting to achieve their goal hence they are functioning international wide was mentioned by Gottabaya. To fine the exact functions, the intelligence unit should be reinforced was mentioned by him. He said the tigers getting merged again can be controlled by the best services provided by the defense forces, police and intelligence unit. Meanwhile he said, the intelligence unit is functioning in many countries in the world, and are scrutinizing the activities of liberation tigers. Sri Lanka may get IMF funds in 4-6 weeks: official The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to release the next tranche of its program loan to Sri Lanka in 4-6 weeks if its management and board are satisfied with the island's budget deficit for 2010, an official said.Policy talks were encouraging, visiting IMF mission chief Brian Aitken told a news conference following meetings with government officials. There is scope for the government to cut recurrent expenditure and raise revenue, he said. The revenue enhancement measures are expected to come from ongoing tax reforms which are to broaden to the tax base and to simplify the system, he said. Reducing the budget deficit is necessary to prevent macro-economic instability, Aitken said. "Macro-economic stability is the basis for private sector expansion." The government is already engaged in reform of state enterprise which had been a drag on the budget. Foreign investors look for a stable and predictable environment with tax holidays playing only a small part in attracting foreign investment, Aitken said. "I think foreign investors are prepared to pay a reasonable tax rate. Government thinking is that it is not necessary to give large tax breaks." Sri Lanka rebounds after rebel defeat, but scars linger-Source :CNN Though tourism is bouncing back in Sri Lanka and authorities are busy building roads and bridges in former war-torn areas, troops are still finding weapons in old battlefields and the nation remains under a state of emergency one year after a decades-long civil conflict ended.The war, which pitted government forces against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) -- who were seeking an independent homeland in the country's north and east, ended last May. More than 65,000 people died in the strife.Today, the once besieged northern capital of Jaffna is teeming with local tourists. Two key industries in that area -- farming and fishing -- are flourishing. Homes have changed overnight into hotels."We can move around in peace. We do not have to fear of bomb explosions anymore," said Niroshan Weerasekera, a 36-year-old textile vendor in the capital of Colombo.But under the veneer of change, many things remain the same.The mood of fear and caution, and the residue of the bloody separatist war lingers. The greater Colombo area is a virtual military city. Checkpoints and sandbag bunkers line the streets; soldiers or police commandos armed with assault rifles are everywhere. Busloads of passengers and motorists are stopped for checks daily.A call to end the state of emergency came from the man who once wanted it most: retired General Sarath Fonseka, a parliamentarian who as the former Army commander led troops to victory over the Tamils."There is no need for a state of emergency now," Fonseka said at a recent press conference.Yet some of the troops are now fighting a different war in Colombo -- driving bulldozers to demolish "unauthorized" homes and buildings. Police have driven out thousands of hawkers from city streets.It is part of an ambitious plan by Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to make Colombo one of Asia's best cities. His elder brother, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, placed the Urban Development Authority under the Ministry of Defense -- meaning that troops are now engaged in development activity. But critics have questioned the government's claims of "normalcy" amid the ongoing large security presence."The benefits of 'normalcy' will reach people only when they do not face hassles in their day-to-day life. Hence, intelligence services should be improved and security kept at a minimum," said opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe.Military spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe said authorities were gradually scaling down security measures but it was "essential to maintain a troop presence to cope with any eventuality."For Pres. Rajapaksa, his position is much improved after last year's rebel defeat.He trounced Fonseka, his partner in military victory, at the presidential elections in January and his ruling United People's Freedom Alliance won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections in April. The party gained 144 seats in the 225-member assembly -- six shy of a two-thirds majority.With the main opposition United National Party (UNP) in disarray over a leadership crisis, analysts believe Rajapaksa is set to win more than the required two-thirds vote for any constitutional changes. Proposed amendments include the deletion of a provision that limits a president to two terms. If this is removed, Rajapaksa could seek office again."Sustaining his current domestic popularity as the months roll by will be a task itself," said Sinha Ratnatunga, editor of the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka's widely read English weekly.With 80 key institutions under his direct watch, Ratnatunga said, it could go either way for Rajapaksa."The war may be over but the government will now have to attend to the hardships of the people. Living costs are mounting as essential commodities go up in price. The pay rise (for state sector workers or employees) promised during polls' campaign has not been honored so far," said Mangala Samaraweera, a former foreign minister under Rajapaksa who is now an opposition member of parliament."The war can no longer be used as an excuse to force people into hardship," he said.Sri Lanka's economy grew at 3.5 percent in 2009 amid "challenging domestic and external conditions," according to the Sri Lanka Central Bank. Inflation, the bank said, as measured by the year-on-year change in the Colombo Consumers Price Index (CCPI), declined to 4.8 percent by the end of 2009 after surging to 28.2 percent in June 2008, according to the most recent statistics available."Tourist arrivals have increased. However, these are based on last year's contracts. We have to see how the feeding markets will perform this year," said Kumar Mallimaratchchi, former president of the Tourist Hoteliers Association.The International Monetary Fund bolstered the South Asian nation's economy by pledging US$2.6 billion in six different tranches. The first two came last year. However, a third has not been delivered after complaints that the government had not met some of its own budgetary targets.A visiting IMF delegation is holding talks this week in Colombo. "Revised targets are sure to win them more money," said Feizal Samath, an economic analyst.Yet, problems with the West remain. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon plans to appoint a panel of experts to advise him on accountability issues related to the military defeat of the rebels, including alleged "war crimes" by troops and rebels -- allegations both the government and the rebels deny.Rajapaksa has declared he will appoint a commission on lessons learned and reconciliation. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice welcomed the move.The commission "could play a valuable role in advancing accountability when they were appropriately constituted and enjoyed broad public support," she said.In what is seen as a conciliatory move to the West, Rajapaksa ordered the release of Sri Lankan Tamil journalist J.S. Tissanayagam, who edited the North-Eastern monthly. He was handed a 20-year prison term last year under anti-terrorism laws after he was accused of conspiring to cause ethnic violence through his articles.The U.S. and the European Union criticized Tissainayagam's sentence.Because of concerns about Sri Lanka's rights record, the European Union announced that it was suspending preferential tariffs for a variety of Sri Lankan export items, mainly apparel -- one of the country's top money-makers. Sri Lanka called the move unfair.With the Sri Lankan government's new initiatives in hand, an official delegation is now in Brussels for fresh talks."His (Rajapaksa) balancing act with India and China so far has paid rich dividends at home, but his view of the West as having 'evil intentions' needs to be re-assessed," Ratnatunga said. For some, this week's anniversary is bittersweet. Many of the rebels are dead, while thousands of their fellow fighters are in custody awaiting trial. Yet others have fled the country.Tamil National Alliance leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan called upon Tamils to "mourn and hold silent prayers" for what he called "the day of catastrophe" -- the day the war ended.A joint statement from the alliance's 14 parliamentarians read: "During the height of the war thousands of Tamil people were killed and thousands of others suffered heavy losses and were forced to flee their homes." Sri Lanka: New Evidence of Wartime Abuses-Source: HRW New evidence of wartime abuses by Sri Lankan government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the armed conflicted that ended one year ago demonstrates the need for an independent international investigation into violations of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said today. Recently Human Rights Watch research gathered photographic evidence and accounts by witnesses of atrocities by both sides during the final months of fighting. On May 23, 2009, President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that the government would investigate allegations of laws-of-war violations. One year later, the government has still not undertaken any meaningful investigatory steps, Human Rights Watch said. Last week, the government created a Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission with a mandate to examine the failure of the 2002 ceasefire and the "sequence of events" thereafter. It is not empowered to investigate allegations of violations of the laws of war such as those documented by Human Rights Watch. "Yet another feckless commission is a grossly inadequate response to the numerous credible allegations of war crimes," said Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Damning new evidence of abuses shows why the UN should not let Sri Lanka sweep these abuses under the carpet." Human Rights Watch called on Secretary-General Ban to promptly establish an international investigation to examine allegations of wartime abuse by both sides to the conflict. New Evidence of Wartime Violations Human Rights Watch has examined more than 200 photos taken on the front lines in early 2009 by a soldier from the Sri Lankan Air Mobile Brigade. Among these are a series of five photos showing a man who appears to have been captured by the Sri Lankan army. An independent source identified the man by name and told Human Rights Watch that he was a long-term member of the LTTE's political wing from Jaffna. The first two photos show the man alive, with blood on his face and torso, tied to a palm tree. He is surrounded by several men wearing military fatigues, one brandishing a knife close to his face. In the next three photos, the man is lying – apparently dead – against a rock. His head is being held up, he is partly covered in the flag of Tamil Eelam, and there is more blood on his face and upper body. A forensic expert who reviewed the photos told Human Rights Watch that the latter three photos show material on the man's neck consistent in color with brain matter, "which would indicate an injury to the back of his head, as nothing is visible which would cause this on his face. This would indicate severe trauma to the back of the head consistent with something like a gunshot wound or massive blows to the back of the head with something such as a machete or ax." While Human Rights Watch cannot conclusively determine that the man was summarily executed in custody, the available evidence indicates that a full investigation is warranted. Several of the photos also show what appear to be dead women in LTTE uniforms with their shirts pulled up and their pants pulled down, raising concerns that they might have been sexually abused or their corpses mutilated. Again, such evidence is not conclusive but shows the need for an investigation. The new accounts by witnesses described indiscriminate shelling of large gatherings of civilians during the last weeks of fighting, apparently by government forces. In addition to an incident on April 8, 2009, previously reported, witnesses told Human Rights Watch about three other incidents in late April and early May 2009 of government forces shelling civilians, mainly women and children, who were standing in food distribution lines. The witnesses also described LTTE recruitment of children and LTTE attacks on civilians attempting to escape the war zone. Government's Failure to Investigate Abuses The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission created on May 17, 2010 is the latest in a long line of ad hoc bodies in Sri Lanka that seem designed to deflect international criticism rather than to uncover the facts. The mandated focus of the commission – on the failure of the 2002 ceasefire – is largely unrelated to the massive abuses by both government forces and the LTTE in the last months of hostilities. Nor does the commission appear to have been designed to uncover new information: the commission's terms of reference do not provide for adequate victim and witness protection. The government-appointed chairman of the commission, Chitta Ranjan de Silva, is a former attorney general who came under serious criticism for his office's alleged interference in the work of the 2006 Presidential Commission of Inquiry. The attorney general's role was one of the main reasons why a group of 10 international experts, the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), withdrew from monitoring the commission's work. The IIGEP stated that it had "not been able to conclude…that the proceedings of the Commission have been transparent or have satisfied basic international norms and standards." "De Silva was the architect and enforcer of the attorney general's conflict of interest role with respect to the 2006 commission," said Arthur Dewey, former US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and member of the IIGEP. "Nothing good for human rights or reconciliation is likely to come from anything in which De Silva is involved." The government has also yet to publish the findings from a committee established in November 2009 to examine allegations of laws-of-war violations set out in a report produced last year by the US State Department, despite an April 2010 deadline. Sri Lanka has a long history of establishing ad hoc commissions to deflect international criticism over its poor human rights record and widespread impunity, Human Rights Watch said. Since independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has established at least nine such commissions, none of which have produced any significant results. On March 5, Secretary-General Ban told President Rajapaksa that he had decided to appoint a UN panel of experts to advise him on next steps for accountability in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government responded by attacking Ban for interfering in domestic affairs, calling the panel "unwarranted" and "uncalled for." Two months later, Ban has yet to appoint any members to his panel. "Ban's inaction is sending a signal to abusers that simply announcing meaningless commissions and making loud noises can block all efforts for real justice," Pearson said. "The only way to ensure accountability in Sri Lanka is to establish an independent international investigation." To download the photos, please use following links: www.hrwnews.org/press/HRW_SriLanka_0520.zip Massive human burial crater found in Mannar Nachchikuda Reports published massive human burial crater has been found in the Mannar Nachchikuda area. The foreign expertise’s who were involved in the excavation of land mines in the said area had given this information. The Sri Lankan military is refusing to resettle the people in the Mannar Nachchikuda area. Even the military obstructed for land mine excavation in these areas. The said human burial craters were found by the land mine excavators. Many areas in Mannar was resettled by the civilians, but resettlements were not done in Nachchikuda for which a prohibition was enforced is may be due to this reason was stated. Meanwhile the public stated, the civilians were murdered during war period and after the war and this may be the area where the dead had been buried. Tamil National Alliance Parliament Committee Leader R.Sambanthan while speaking said if foreign groups were permitted for land mine excavation, in 2009, October, they would have found the massive human burial craters, hence due to this fear the foreigners were refused access was pointed out. Gampaha people receive support from the North The people of the Gampaha District who have been affected by floods are receiving support from the North. The contributions are being made in recognition of the immense services discharged by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa under the Uthuru Wasanthaya programme.Governor G.A.Chandrasiri said that the assistance came with the mediation of the Northern Provincial Council.The handing over of the donations from the Northern province took place via the Gampaha District Secretariat. Six lorries carried donations from Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mannar and Kilinochchi Districts. The donations included water bowsers, water bottles and dry China states, total support will be granted for the development of Sri Lanka. Chinese Ambassador for Sri Lanka Yang Suyin Bing met Prime Minister T.M.Jayaratne at the Prime Minister’s office and gave assurance that China will grant its fullest support to the development activities of Sri Lanka. China had informed all relevant machinery will be provided to develop the paddy cultivation. It had shown desire to invest in the north and eastern areas. Sri Lanka had given its appreciation to the continous support given by China for many year. ICRC requests access to the rehabilitation camps The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says they have two main requests to the government of Sri Lanka. Speaking to the BBC correspondent in Geneva today, the president of the ICRC, Jakob Kellenberger said the two main requests are to provide access for the ICRC "to visit rehabilitation camps and to be present in the places where the civilians are been re-located". last stages of the fighting He accepted that the ICRC was the only humanitarian organisation remained in the last stages of the fighting and that they continue to carry out protection work across the country. Following the release of the 2009 Annual Report 'drawn-out conflicts require sustained and flexible humanitarian response', today, he added the "increasingly interminable nature" of wars and insurgencies meant that humanitarian agencies had to be "prepared to provide a diverse range of assistance over a longer period of time." separation from families Apart from the horrendous bombings and attacks the people of the northern area suffers from despair, separation from families, pure health care, displacement and restriction of movement. He asserts the ICRC should be allowed to carry out extensive humanitarian work for the civilians in the northern part of the country to help them re-build their lives. visiting over 2000 detainees Carla Haddad, the Deputy head of public and media relations for the ICRC told the BBC Sinhala Service today, their current humanitarian work is carried out by visiting over 2000 detainees in 53 detention centres and providing their support to the country's Red Cross. She added that the request in particular is for the government to grant access to the rehabilitation centres in the Vavuniya District. 19 May 2010 New British Government urged to help Sri Lanka's war displaced Christian Aid is urging the new British government to make a renewed effort to work with the Sri Lankan government and the international community to reach conflict affected areas and people still recovering from the 30-year civil war.A year after the Sri Lankan conflict ended, there are still 76,000 people living in temporary camps. "The British Government must step up efforts to work with the Sri Lankan government and provide further funding to assist the many returnees who still desperately need help," said Brian Martin, Christian Aid’s country manager for Sri Lanka.On May 18 2009, Sri Lankan forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after a long, bloody civil war in the north and east of the country. Many Sri Lankan civilians died in the final months of the war and the fighting drove 300,000 people from their homes.Today, 76,000 are still living in temporary camps in Sri Lanka, awaiting resettlement, subject to the availability of suitable land, including large areas which need to be cleared of mines. Those left in the camps tend to be widows, separated families or low income families, often with no land to return to. Many of the aid agencies who originally supported the camps have now left or diverted their focus to the returnees. One of Christian Aid's partners has been helping in the camps to fill the gaps by providing nutritional food and hygiene kits.For those returning to their homes in the Northern Province, where fighting was the heaviest, their homes have either been destroyed or badly damaged and there is currently no way to make a living as their fields are overgrown or have not been cleared of mines. These returnees have limited access to basic services such as medical care, water or education and are living in temporary shelter such as tents or under plastic sheeting with no toilets. Additionally, nearly half of the returnees are households headed by women who have lost their husbands or are separated from them. Many of these returnees have faced multiple displacements, not only due the conflict, but also from the tsunami in 2004. They have lost all their belongings.Meanwhile, a further 73,000 Sri Lankan refugees are living in 115 camps in Tamil Nadu, India, waiting for the right opportunity to return home. "The generous support that was given to the initial emergency appeal last year helped 5,000 families in these camps. The balance of these funds has now been spent on the returnees by our partners" said Brian Martin."More funding is desperately needed to help in the villages where our partners are working hard to rebuild [the] lives and livelihoods of these returnees. We need to help with income generation before the heavy monsoon rains make living conditions even more dire." 'Give autonomy to Tamil areas in Lanka' CHENNAI: Pattali Makkal Katchi founder president Dr S Ramadoss on Monday sought the assistance of the United Nations and the international community to initiate steps to provide autonomy to the Tamildominated north and east regions of Sri Lanka, on the lines of the special status that had been accorded to J K. Briefing newspersons at a candlelight vigil organised by the PMK here to pay homage to Lankan Tamils who were massacred during the final phase of the Eelam War IV last year, he charged the Mahinda Rajapaksa government with not extending equal rights to the suffering Tamils even after a year. "As a temporary arrangement, the northern parts should be integrated with the east, which should be augmented with autonomous power," he stressed. Pointing out that Australia had supported the separation of East Timor from Indonesia, he wondered why these countries were not coming forward to support the creation of a Tamil Eelam. "Moreover, European nations and Canada, which stood for the cause of the Sri Lankan Tamils, must take stern action to try Rajapaksa for war crimes," he said. Besides, four lakh Tamil refugees residing in India should be resettled in their homeland and Lanka's move to settle Sinhalese in Tamil heartlands should be checked, he added. UN to continue with panel The United Nations says the forming of a commission by President Mahinda Rajapakse to investigate alleged incidents which took place during the war will not substitute the need for a panel of experts to brief the UN Chief on accountability issues relating to Sri Lanka.A UN official from the UN Headquarters in New York, Chois Soung told Daily Mirror online that UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was going ahead with the appointment of his expert panel and would send his Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to the island as soon as the Sri Lankan government issued a green light.She also said that President Rajapakse’s commission and the UN Chief’s expert panel were two different concepts due to which Ban Ki Moon would not reconsider appointing his panel.“President Rajapakse can appoint whatever he wants. His commission has nothing to do with Mr. Ban Ki Moon’s panel. It is good that President Rajapakse has appointed a commission as he has to keep his promise which he gave to the international community,” Soung said.When questioned about the panel, Soung said that the appointment of the panel was ‘underway’ and could not reveal further information as it was not open to the public.Meanwhile it is learnt that the government has further delayed a trip by UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to Sri Lanka after the UN sought permission to facilitate a visit by Pascoe in May to discuss the developments in the country.Daily Mirror online learns that the Sri Lankan government had not replied in favour due to which fresh dates were proposed by the UN in June. However the government is yet to reply to the fresh dates citing that both parties (UN and government) had to discuss a convenient date Sri Lanka Tamil killings 'ordered from the top' Exclusive: a senior Sri Lankan army commander and frontline soldier tell Channel 4 News that point-blank executions of Tamils at the end of the Sri Lankan civil war were carried out under orders.In August 2009 Channel 4 News obtained video evidence, later authenticated by the United Nations, purporting to show point-blank executions of Tamils by uniformed Sri Lankan soldiers.Now a senior army commander and a frontline soldier have told Channel 4 News that such killings were indeed ordered from the top.One frontline soldier said: "Yes, our commander ordered us to kill everyone. We killed everyone." And a senior Sri Lankan army commander said: "Definitely, the order would have been to kill everybody and finish them off."I don't think we wanted to keep any hardcore elements, so they were done away with. It is clear that such orders were, in fact, received from the top."Despite allegations of war crimes, Sri Lanka's government has managed to avoid an independent inquiry. But the evidence continues to mount. 'Body blows to humanitarian law' So decisive was Sri Lanka's victory over the Tamil Tigers last year that other nations facing violent insurgencies are now citing the "Sri Lanka option" as a model for crushing rebellion, writes Channel 4 News foreign reporter Jonathan Miller. International lawyers, human rights and conflict prevention groups are alarmed, accusing the Colombo government of riding roughshod over international law.Last night Louise Arbour, a former chief prosecutor in international war crimes trials, told an audience at Chatham House – the foreign policy think tank – that "the [Sri Lankan] government's refusal to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants" and the "sheer magnitude of civilian death and suffering" dealt what she called "the most serious of body blows to international humanitarian law". Now, the International Crisis Group, of which Ms Arbour is the president, has joined forces with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to demand an independent international investigation into what they brand "massive human rights violations" and "repeated violations of international law" – by both sides.The Sri Lankan government has repeatedly rejected the charges of civilian deaths as grossly exaggerated and has denied that any of its security forces have committed war crimes or violated international humanitarian law.Ms Arbour appeared live on Channel 4 News to outline options available to the international community to prevent the "Sri Lanka option" gaining currency. A new ICG report entitled War Crimes in Sri Lanka defines this option as "unrestrained military action, refusal to negotiate, disregard for humanitarian issues, keeping out international observers including press and humanitarian workers".Ms Arbour also responded to dramatic new evidence contained in a film broadcast by Channel 4 News. The fresh evidence, detailing extremely serious allegations of possible war crimes, has been gathered in an extended undercover investigation in Sri Lanka. Testimony from soldiers interviewed by Channel 4 News corroborates persistent allegations aired by this programme since the end of the war a year ago. Chief among these: the accusation that Sri Lankan soldiers were responsible for extrajudicial executions - as graphically illustrated by the disturbing video we aired last August. The video – long dismissed as a fake by the government in Colombo – was authenticated by the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions in January this year.The clamour from international rights groups for an impartial investigation into alleged atrocities contrasts sharply with the failure of the UN to demand accountability from the Sri Lankan government. Last year, the Sri Lankan president promised the UN Secretary General that he would look into the question of accountability. On Monday President Mahinda Rajapaksa named an eight-member panel to glean lessons learned from the war. But members of the group say they have no legal power to investigate alleged abuses. "If this is 'it'," Louise Arbour said last night, "there's no reason to expect from the government's past record that it's got any intention to investigate or put in place an appropriate accountability mechanism."The UN Human Rights Council seems to provide little hope of investigating war crimes, having congratulated the Sri Lankan government on its victory, within days of the war ending. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council holds out no hope at all. The Sri Lankan issue has failed to force its way onto the UNSC agenda – and were it to do so, China and Russia would likely stand in the way of any unlikely referral to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.The secretary general has also so far failed to appoint international experts to investigate – as he's previously promised he might.Amnesty and the ICG have taken the UN to task for its failure to act decisively to push for accountability. Crisis Group went so far as to recommend that the UN should open an inquiry into its own conduct in Sri Lanka. Last night Louise Arbour – herself a former UN human rights commissioner – talked of the UN's "silence – verging on complicity" with the Rajapaksa regime. In January 2009, as the final chapter opened in the 30-year-long Sri Lankan civil war, I was in Gaza, picking over the humanitarian disaster left after Israel's three-week war there. Between 1,200 and 1,400 civilians were killed during the aerial bombardments and subsequent ground offensive. In the final weeks of the Sri Lankan government offensive on the "no-fire zone", Ms Arbour believes a figure of 30,000 civilian deaths "is not implausible".Within months of the Gaza conflict, the UN Human Rights Council had dispatched Judge Richard Goldstone to investigate possible war crimes. He produced a damning report. There has been no investigation in Sri Lanka. Local journalists who've raised their heads above the parapet have been jailed or disappeared or killed. The UN has done nothing concrete in moving towards an impartial inquiry. There has been no Goldstone in Colombo. Even the UN rapporteur for extrajudicial executions has been denied a visa for the past four years.You can kind of see why the "Sri Lankan Option" might just catch on. A statement from the Sri Lankan high commission The High Commission of Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom totally deny the allegations made against the Government of Sri Lanka and its armed forces. As it has been repeatedly stressed and supported by evidence, Government’s security forces were engaged in a humanitarian operation with the objective of rescuing the civilians held as human shields by a terrorist outfit: the LTTE, which was banned in many countries including the UK. All internationally accepted standards and norms of such operations were followed in the prosecution of the humanitarian operation by the security forces which were under strict orders to follow a zero civilian casualty policy. The government of Sri Lanka is now in the process of rebuilding and reconciliation. The President of Sri Lanka has established the "Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission" of eight eminent persons reflecting all ethnic groups in Sri Lanka to inquire and report institutional administrative and legislative measures which need to be taken in order to prevent any recurrence of such concerns in the future, and to promote further national unity and reconciliation among all communities.This High Commission is not in a position to make comments on specific allegations said to have been made in the video without viewing it. Therefore, we appreciate it if you could forward the said video to the High Commission for viewing and for verifying its authenticity prior to the telecast. High Commission of Sri Lanka 'Prabhakaran’s flawed strategy sealed LTTE fate' The LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was thought to be a military genius and invincible by most Sri Lankan and international analysts. Admittedly, he did hold the Sri Lankan state to ransom for three decades, and performed many military feats. But ultimately, he completely failed. Asked to explain the dramatic turn of events in the course of 2008-2009, Prof.Rohan Gunaratna, Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore said that Prabhakaran made two strategic mistakes: One was to transform his guerilla and terrorist outfit into a conventional armed force. The other was to believe that the Sri Lankan state could be militarily defeated.“Turning the LTTE into a conventional army was the single biggest mistake Prabhakaran had made,” Gunaratna told Express over the phone on Tuesday.“If the LTTE had remained a guerilla force, the Sri Lankan military could never have defeated it,” he added.What finally sealed the fate of the intrepid guerilla leader was the bid to match the Sri Lankan conventional army in numbers by forcibly recruiting civilians and putting them on to the battlelines with little or no training.“In the final stages, 60 per cent of the cadre had been forcibly recruited. These had no will to fight.This is why 11,500 of them surrendered, something which has never happened before,” Gunaratna noted.The LTTE was flush with weapons, even to the last day, but it had no men to use them.Prabhakaran completely misjudged the Sri Lankan state and military under President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka under the latter was a totally different kettle of fish from what it was in the past.“In the last few years, after Balasingham’s death, Prabhakaran had surrounded himself by people who did not give realistic advice. These were Pottu Amman, Castro, Nadesan and Puleedevan. On external matters there was Ponnaiah Anandarajah, the chief arms procurer, and KP, after he was brought back from seculsion. These people kept telling Prabhakaran that the struggle could not be crushed and escape was possbile,” Gunaratna said. MISJUDGED INDIA AND WEST “Till the last moment Prabhakaran believed that Tamil Nadu would save him, and that the West will intervene effectively. But he did not know that Tamil Nadu and New Delhi thought alike on the LTTE. Both saw the LTTE’s brand of politics and nationalism as being dangerous,” Gunaratna said.“The West too had changed after 9/11. It would not bend over backwards to rescue the founders of the suicide bombing technique, though it had to speak up for human rights, which is its new religion,” Gunaratna noted. FLAWED ORGAINSATIONAL STRUCTURE Prabhakaran was viewed as a strong, self willed, ruthless leader, who was uncompromisingly committed to his cause. People submitted to him, out of a mixture of admiration and fear.But the organisational structure which he gave to the LTTE had a major flaw.“Being a totalitarian and monolithic structure with everything resting on one individual, his thinking and his decision, it collapsed like a house of cards, the moment he, the supremo, died. The LTTE met the fate of the Nazi party after Hitler killed himself,” Gunaratna said. JVP expresses shock over plight of Tamils The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday that even a year after the war had ended several thousands of displaced people were still continuing to live in temporary camps in the North and East and this had led the Tamil community to feel badly let down and disappointed.General Secretary Tilvin Silva said it was sad and shocking to find that as of last month, some 77,000 displaced people in the Vanni and 53,000 in the rest of the Northern Province had still not been resettled while 93,000 displaced people were living with relatives in the NP and some 1,000 others were in transit camps.With regard to the Eastern province, Mr. Silva said more than 70,000 displaced people were still not resettled.“These people have lost their livelihood and are struggling to rebuild their lives. All what the government has provided them apart from Rs.25,000 are some planks and roofing sheets. Is this enough to rebuild their shattered lives all over again?” he asked.Mr. Silva said the displaced people should be provided with healthcare, education, and transport. “We are not asking the government to put up supermarkets for their use. A good start will be to give them their basic necessities. They also have a right to these things,” he said.Mr. Silva said the much talked about new railway system in Jaffna had not been implemented by the government as planned.“The government collected funds from people but there is no news of it anymore,” he said.“The Tamil people are distressed by this,” he said. He said since last year the government has imposed a new tax supposed to be used for the betterment of soldiers who fought in the war.“These funds are really being used by the Government for its needs and not for any other purpose. It has been a year since the war ended. Why is it that we do not see these funds being utilized for the needs of the people in the armed forces who fought in the war?” Mr. Silva asked. Lanka offers India 'LTTE expertise' against Naxals Sri Lanka has offered India its expertise in defeating the LTTE to help fight the Naxals.Sri Lanka has said its armed forces could train Indian paramilitary personnel to successfully fight the Naxals. The offer was recently conveyed by Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyavasam to National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon. Sources told Headlines Today that the assistance was offered only for the areas where Naxals have made their presence felt and covered all aspects of training. It is not clear how the Indian government responded to the offer.The Lankan army's expertise in small-team operations paid off during its war against the LTTE. The use of UAV imagery by the air force also helped. After their victory against the LTTE last year, the Lankan forces are probably the most combat hardened in the world in fighting large-sized guerilla outfits like the Naxalites. Budget on June 29 Budget 2010 is to be presented in Parliament on June 29. According to the Parliamentary sources, the Appropriation Bill will be presented to Parliament on June 8. The Second Reading debate will be conducted on four days - June 30 to July 3. The vote for the Second Reading debate is due at 6 pm on July 3. The Committee Stage debate (Third reading) will be held for five days - July 5 to July 9. The vote for the Third reading debate will be at 6 pm on July 9. Tamil lawyers decline to appear for EPDP key operatives in Jaffna A Sinhalese lawyer from South had to appear Monday in Jaffna magistrate court on behalf of the two Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) key operatives charged with issuing death threats to Chaavakachcheari magistrate as all lawyers in Jaffna peninsula refused to appear for the suspects. The Sinhalese lawyer, K. P Chandralal, filed a petition requesting bail for Ilango alias Regan, the Deputy Mayor of Jaffna and Allexander Soosaimuthu alias Charles, EPDP organizer for Thenmaraadchi, arrested and detained in Jaffna prison for alleged activities aimed at issuing death threats to Magistrate Pirbakaran or in attempts to kill him.Jaffna magistrate allowed bail with two government servants as sureties and on condition that the two suspects should report and sign in Jaffna magistrate court each Friday.Suspect Charles, however, was not released as Chaavakachcheari magistrate court had ordered detention in remand prison for alleged involvement in the abduction and killing of a student in Chaavakacheari. Sri Lankans hit Tamil Tiger tourist trail KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka — The wreckage left by a brutal war has created a new tourist trail in Sri Lanka just a year after the Tamil Tiger rebels were crushed by government forces.A giant water tower smashed to the ground is a star attraction for hundreds of people driving through the former war zone where the rebels once had their de facto capital.Situated along the highway that links the island's northern Jaffna peninsula to the south, the white cement tower was a prominent landmark in Kilinochchi, but was blown up by the rebels during a battle with army troops.Such fighting is now a thing of the past after government soldiers seized all territory controlled by the Tigers and wiped out their leadership one year ago this week.The guerrillas had been fighting for an independent homeland for the island's minority Tamil population concentrated in the island's northeast -- a decades-long conflict that the UN estimates cost 100,000 lives.Surrounded by destroyed buildings and army camps, the water tower provides an irresistible backdrop for amateur photographers. It is also covered in graffiti written by the soldiers who marched in last year on their way to victory."LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) gone forever," reads one inscription.A few entrepreneurs have set up makeshift stalls around the tower, selling everything from vegetables, fresh fish, biscuits and soft drinks to sunglasses."I make about 500 rupees (four dollars) a day," says Kilinochchi native N. Seelan, who sells palmyrah-based sweets to tourists.A few miles further up the highway, past hundreds of bomb-blasted trees, dozens of families from the majority Sinhalese community crowd around the burnt shell of a bulldozer used as a makeshift tank by the rebels.Armed soldiers act as tour guides at the site, narrating battlefield victories to onlookers who pose for pictures. Children amuse themselves by climbing onto the bulldozer.Since the main highway re-opened to civilian traffic in December, thousands of visitors have headed to Jaffna, an area that was off-limits during the height of the fighting.Any location remotely connected to the rebels or military victories is eagerly sought out."Nearly everyone travelling from the south takes a photograph in front of the fallen water tower, the bulldozer and vehicle yards with burnt or stolen Tamil Tiger vehicles," says a soldier running a military food stall."People had earlier heard about these things. Now they get to see it for themselves. It is a symbol of pride for Sinhalese people," said the soldier, who declined to be named.Just outside Jaffna town, a group of young men stand for pictures at a neglected rebel war cemetery.The once neatly laid out cemetery garden is now a shrub jungle. Paint is peeling off the gravestones and souvenir hunters have hacked pieces off them."These people are mostly tourists from the island's south," says K. C. Dharmalingam, 32, who works in a grocery shop near the cemetery. "There is no one to stop them."Sri Lanka's tourism ministry secretary George Michael said the government is not keen to preserve physical reminders of the Tigers' era, though he admits some sites are good money spinners for locals."The thinking is to move beyond the conflict," Michael said as the government planned this week's anniversary celebrations of the victory.In mid-April, the ancestral home of slain Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran was demolished after it became a tourist hotspot.Situated at the northern edge of the Jaffna peninsula, the house was owned by Prabhakaran's parents and had been abandoned since his family fled in mid-1990.M. K. Sivajilingam, a family friend of the Prabhakarans, accused the military of also demolishing another rebel cemetery in Jaffna. "The government are destroying pieces of history, they want to remove any traces of the Tigers," he says.Those who have yet to travel the rebel tourist trail can still see some war memorabilia on display at the naval museum in the eastern seaport town of Trincomalee.Here, crude bombs, weapons and naval craft used by the Tigers are prominently displayed and are a popular visitor attraction.And just outside the capital of Colombo, the remains of several rebel vehicles damaged during the war are scattered across the gardens of the Sri Lanka Airforce museum.Amid the lush foliage and lakes is the wreckage of a rebel Czech-built Zlin 143 light aircraft that was shot down on its way to bomb the island's international airport in February 2009."Visitors are enthralled with war-related items. The war has just ended and they want to capture some action moments, even if it is in a museum," said airforce chief Roshan Goonetilake. Vesak celebrations in Jaffna Arrangements have been made to celebrate the Vesak festival in Jaffna on May 27, 28 and 29. Vesak festivities will be held in the area among the Alfred Duraiappah Stadium, Public Library and Jaffna Fort by the Armed Forces stationed in the north. All the Vesak activities are held under the direction of the Jaffna Commander Maj Gen Mahinda Hathurusinhge with the participation of the members of all forces in the north. Sil campaigns, other religious activities as well as illuminations will be among the features of the festival at Naga Viharaya, Stanley Road, Nagadipa shrine and at the Kandrodai Shrine at Chunnakam.Among the other events at Jaffna will be a Vesak lantern competition, Bhakthi gee recital as well as Dansel in the town. Those in the south who would like to contribute towards the Vesak festivities could join, Maj Gen Hathrusinghe said. Propaganda of the Jaffna Vesak festival is handled by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. SLA releases 495 Tamils detained in special detention centres in Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) released 495 Tamil detainees held in Thellippazhai Special Rehabilitation Centre and Kaithadi SLA detention centre in an event held in Jaffna Veerasingham Hall Tuesday. 270 students, 198 boys and girls of school going age, 72 Jaffna University students, 125 men and women claimed to have been former Liberation Tiger cadres were officially handed over to their parents at the event. The SLA Commander for Rehabilitation, Brigadier Sugantha Ranasinghe, Jaffna SLA Commander, Mahintha Kathurasinghe, Northern Province Governor, G. A. Chandrasiri, Minister Douglas Devananda and Jaffna Government Agent, K. Ganesh were some of the guests at the event. It is suspected that hundreds of youths are still held in the various special detention centres in Jaffna peninsula unknown to anyone. The SLA did not disclose the number or the details of young men and women still held in the various special detention centres in the peninsula whose fate remain unknown. NUMBER AFFECTED ACROSS THE ISLAND RISE TO 392,686 Around 392,686 persons of 89,725 families have been affected as a result of the inclement weather prevalent across the island. The Disaster Management Centre said that 15 deaths have also reported.1,555 families were displaced due to various natural disasters that have come about during these rains.The Assistant Director of the Disaster Management Centre Pradeep Kodippili said that Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Ratnapura, Puttalam and Kurunegala districts had been affected.According to the centre, Colombo is the most affected and the number of displaced stands at 142,236.Meanwhile, in Gampaha, 115,031 persons have been affected by the flood waters that submerged almost all the parts of the district.Over in Kalutara, 37,605 people were reported affected while 94,971 were also affected in Galle.Pradeep Kodippili noted that measures were being taken to provide emergency relief to those affected and were housed at camps.Moreover t heSecretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management Marina Mohamed said that cooked meals would be provided to those affected for three days.She also added that a maximum compensation of Rs. 50,000 would be granted to those individuals once the relevant Grama Niladhari officers and Divisional Secretaries carried out an assessment. Parliament Members request to cordially function to the resettlements in the high security zone areas. A meeting was held yesterday at the Jaffna Tellipalai in regard to the resettlements to be processed at the Waligamam north and Vadamarachchi high security zone areas, and it was decided to raise these issues at the parliament. The meeting was attended by Minister Douglas Devananda, Tamil National Alliance parliament members Mawai Senathiraja, Sritharan, Saravanabawan and United National Party Parliament Member Wijeyakala Mahewaran. The displaced persons from the high security zone areas submitted many requests. At the meeting it was requested that in regard to resettlement activities, the parliament members should coordinate jointly and voice their demands. Meanwhile the public requested, all the parliament members should join and function in regard to the Tamils issues, and this was accepted by Tamil National Alliance. But Minister Douglas Devananda said, he accepts this personally, but to take a decision officially , he will have a discussion with his party. Leading LTTE Capt. Ainkaran arrested A team of officers of the Mount Lavinia branch Crimes Division led by the OIC arrested a leading member of the LTTE, Shivagnanam Ainkaran alias Captain Maththalagu last Friday evening at a lodge situated at Station Road, Mount Lavinia.He was arrested while he was hiding inside the lodge. During the investigations it was revealed that the LTTer had sustained injuries during the final battle which took place in Vellamullivaikkal last year, and had been hospitalised.According to the police, the suspect had then fled away from the hospital and was hiding inside the lodge preparing to leave for India when he was arrested.Following investigations the police also recovered a large stock of weapons, explosives and ammunition which belonged to the former Tiger captain.Ten claymore bombs weighing 41/2 kilos, three live hand grenades which were manufactured by the LTTE, two electric detonators used to detonate claymore bombs, two ammunition pouches, two assembly kits which were used in operations, three peeled battery sets which were used to detonate bombs, a jungle coat and a hat belonging to the black tiger force, 50 metres of wire used to detonate bombs, four dressing kits used for first aid along with a book containing policies of slain LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabakaran were found hidden inside a residence in the Pokkanai, Ampalavan in Mullaithivu following interrogation of the LTTE suspect. 18 May 2010 Gotabaya rejects TNA’s demand The Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has rejected the demand of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) that the Northern and Eastern provinces be de-militarised since the war against the LTTE had ended a year ago.In an article in The Sanday Times Gotabaya said that it would be “foolish” to relax military control given the possibility that the LTTE might regroup.On the very heavy military presence in the Wanni which was once under the control of the LTTE and which saw the heaviest fighting in Eelam War IV, he said: “The vast jungle terrain in the Wanni must be dominated – it is the land that the LTTE exploited to the maximum during the early stages of the campaign to wage guerilla warfare. DEVELOPMENT NOT DEVOLUTION CURRENT NEED In another case of rejection, the Defence Secretary ruled out devolution of power to the Tamil provinces in the near future.“I hear a clamour for political reforms in the North and East and I understand and appreciate that.But I do also sincerely believe that priority should be given not to political reforms but to infrastructure development and attending to the other basis social needs of the people.”“The people of the war-ravaged areas now need roads,electricty, drinking water, schools, hospitals and jobs ,much more than they need amendments to the constitution.”“With the former, they can rebuild their lives which had been stalled for near three decades. Then, surely ,the latter will follow,” Gotabaya said. KP AS IMPORTANT AS PRABHAKARAN The capture of the LTTE’s top arms smuggler K.Pathmapanthan alias KP, was as important as the killing of the LTTE chief, V.Prabhakaran, the top official said.After Prabhakaran re-appointed the sidelined KP in the last stages of the war to meet a weapons shortage, KP did the needful. But while the shipment was on its way, the war ended. On May 20, 2009, the arms vessel had to dump the weapons into the ocean and flee.KP had not only been in touch with Prabhakaran and his son Charles Anthony till the last, but had annoited himself the head of the LTTE after Prabhakaran was killed on May 19.“He asked the diaspora to rally round him and pledged to restructure the organisation,” Gotabaya recalled.KP had started a movement for a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) which is now gaining support among Western government. Sri Lanka has appealed to these governments to desist from giving support. CONFIRMS POTTU AMMAN’S DEATH Quashing the persistent rumour that the LTTE’s intelligence wing leader, Pottu Amman, was not killed in the battle and that he was either in custody or had escaped, the Defense Secretary said that though Pottu Amman’s body had not been identified there was “extemely reliable” information that he was in the Nanthikadal battle zone in the last stage of the war. According to Gotabaya, there were dozens of bodies in the zone which could not be identified because of decomposition, and Pottu Amman’s body might have been one of them.“Therefore, Pottu Amman is certainly dead, and it would be extremely naïve to believe otherwise,” he asserted. UN facing serious shortage of funds to carry out humanitarian work in Sri Lanka The United Nations has reported of a serious shortage of funds from donors to carry out some key humanitarian operations in Sri Lanka as more Internally Displaced Persons are returning home from government welfare camps. "There has been a serious shortage of funding from donors and if the international community doesn’t come forward soon, we are likely to run out of money for some key needs by June," UN's humanitarian coordinator in Sri Lanka, Neil Buhne has been quoted as saying to the Reuters AlertNet news service. "More than 60 percent of the homes have been seriously damaged by the fighting and if you look at the numbers of people involved and the fact that there is little economy in the area, it is at least as bad, if not worse than after the tsunami," Buhne has said. According to the UN, it needs US$ 337 million this year to help people returning after the war to rebuild their homes, clear areas scattered with unexploded ordnances and mines and restart livelihoods by providing seeds for farmers and boats for fishing communities. However, Buhne has said so far donors have provided only US$ 80 million - about 24 percent of what is needed. "We are worried that, for various reasons, the international community is losing interest in Sri Lanka just at a time when we really should be consolidating the gains of the end of the war," he told the AlertNet by telephone from Colombo. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which was providing a shelter grant of about $200 per household to returning communities to help them restart their lives, ran out of funds in March, before restarting again with special UN funding. The country director worried that IDPs returning to their homes around July this year may not have nay funds to restart their lives. Weather delays victory parade in Sri Lanka Heavy rains forced the indefinite postponement of Sri Lanka's military parade marking the first anniversary of its defeat of Tamil rebels, officials said on Monday as flash floods killed four people.The victory celebrations scheduled for Thursday were put off as the military was unable to go ahead with rehearsals due to torrential monsoon rains, a defence official said.Sri Lanka declared victory after the killing of the top leadership of the Tamil Tigers on May 18 last year following 37 years of bitter conflict which claimed more than 100 000 lives according to United Nations estimates.The authorities had scheduled a military parade on Thursday to mark the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the ending of their campaign for an independent state for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils. Officials said military preparations on Monday were washed out due to heavy rains which also killed at least four people and drove 200 000 people out of their flooded homes.The Meteorological Department warned there could be landslides in some parts of the country.Since Sunday, electricity supplies to main towns outside the capital have been disrupted due to trees falling on powerlines.Sri Lanka depends on monsoon rains for irrigation and power generation but the seasonal downpours frequently cause loss of life and damage to property in low-lying areas.The island's two main monsoon seasons run from May to September and December to February. US reacts to Tiger meet While the controversial Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) held its inaugural sessions in the US city of Philadelphia over the last three days, the US Embassy in Colombo noted that the U.S. continues to investigate and prosecute individuals and entities that have provided material support to the LTTE. LTTE activist Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran who acts as its Coordinator said in a press statement emailed to Daily Mirror online that the TGTE meeting is being held in the US where the LTTE is listed as a terrorist outfit and comes in the wake of the Sri Lankan government urging foreign government not to give credence to moves by the LTTE to create a government in exile in support of an Ealam state."We are very pleased to announce that the historic event of inaugural sessions of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) are to take place at the National Constitution Centre (NCC) at the Independence Mall in the US city of Philadelphia on 17-19 May, 2010. NCC commemorates the 1787 Philadelphia Convention when the first steps were taken to write the constitution of America. The Declaration of Independence was also debated and signed in Philadelphia,” Rudrakumar said in the statement.Rudrakumar said that May 17-19 was chosen for the inauguration of TGTE in order to demonstrate the will of Eelam Tamil nation for its independence and coincides with the first year remembrance of the military victory against the LTTE.“By forming the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) through a self organised democratic practice for electing people representatives by direct voting, Eelam Tamil nation declares to the Government of Sri Lanka and the International Community that it will continue its struggle until conditions are created which will enable the Tamils to realize their right to self determination and exercise their sovereignty,” Rudrakumaran added.When contacted over the TGTE meeting in the US, the US Embassy spokesman in Sri Lanka Jeff Anderson said that there are a number of organizations in the United States that represent various interests of the Sri Lankan Diaspora community with a wide range of views on issues concerning Sri Lanka, and have the right under the U.S. Constitution to express their perspectives and advocate their interests peacefully.He said that although the U.S. Government fully supports an active civil society in their own country and abroad, they do not always agree with all of the viewpoints of such organizations.“The United States unequivocally supports a united, peaceful and democratic Sri Lanka. Further, we note that the LTTE has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in the U.S. since 1997. This designation remains in force. The U.S. continues to investigate and prosecute individuals and entities that have provided material support to the LTTE,” Anderson told Daily Mirror online. 600 policemen transferred from North More than 600 police personnel in the North including 110 from the Valachchenai police station are to be transferred immediately, police spokesman Prashantha Jayakody said yesterday.“It is nothing unusual to transfer more than 600 police personnel and neither is it unusual to have 110 police personnel from one particular station to be in the list of transfers,” SP Jayakody said. He said the policemen were being sent back to their original stations as they have ended their operational duties in the North and East. He denied allegations that these transfers were politically motivated.Some police officers at the Valachchenai police station unwilling to be identified said transfers were politically motivated since they had not worked for the political campaign of former Minister Ameer Ali. They said Valachchenai police station was informed of the transfers through a fax message on Sunday and that station’s OIC was the only one to be not transferred.Meanwhile Eastern Range Central DIG S.A.D.T.N. Wijegunawardena said the transfer order had come from the top. Former Minister Amir Ali yesterday denied his involvement in the transfer of some police officers in Valachchenai. Mr. Ali asked how he could do such a thing even without any ministerial powers.However, he charged that police officers in his area supported the opposition during the election time. “That was the reason for my non-election to office this time,” he said. Sri Lanka Likely to Keep Rates on Hold, Cabraal Says Sri Lanka’s benchmark interest rates will likely remain unchanged this week as inflation remains “benign,” central bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said in an interview in Singapore today. “We will see a similar situation being maintained because inflation figures have been moderate, it’s been quite benign,” he said after speaking at an investment seminar. “We still have a little slack, so most probably monetary policy will remain at the level that it is.” Sri Lanka’s policy makers are seeking to stoke growth after the end of a civil war in 2009. The central bank, which will release a policy statement on May 20, left the reverse repurchase rate unchanged at 9.75 percent last month, its lowest level since August 2005, and maintained the repurchase rate at 7.5 percent. Consumer prices in the capital, Colombo, rose 5.8 percent in April from a year earlier, according to the statistics department. Inflation averaged 12.6 percent in the five years through 2009. Peace in the South Asian nation is attracting tourists and investment, helping companies such as John Keells Holdings Plc, which has port, supermarket, hotel, property development and brokerage arms. Sri Lanka’s stock index is one of the world’s best performers in the past year. The economy may expand more than 6 percent this year, Cabraal told investors today, supporting the central bank’s forecast for growth of 6.5 percent in 2010, the fastest pace in three years. The island doesn’t plan to sell any bonds immediately and will review its funding options after the budget is unveiled, he added. The governor said last month Sri Lanka may sell more dollar-denominated bonds this year to fund its budget deficit. Cohabiting ex-Tigers to be put in ‘shackles’ The government has seen to it that some male LTTE cadres who have been co-habiting with their female counterparts in rehabilitation centres in the Vanni won’t go unpunished. They will be put in marital shackles shortly! The government has organized a mass wedding for those ex-Tigers cadres who have been living together. Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe said there were many ex – Cohabiting LTTE cadres co-habiting in rehabilitation centres and some of them even had children born out of wedlock."We will help them with their marriages so that they and their children would face no legal problems in the future," Brig. Ranasinghe said.Out of 280,000 people who crossed over to the government-held areas in May 2009, about 11,000 had been identified as LTTE cadres and sent to rehabilitation centres, Brig. Ranasinghe said.He said all the unmarried couples in rehabilitation centres had expressed their desire to tie the nuptial knot and they would be able to do so at a grand wedding attended by their near and dear ones. "We will do everything possible to help the rehabilitated youth lead a happy life," he said."Ex-LTTE cadres have undergone vocational and mental fitness training as well," said Brig. Ranasinghe.He said over 2000 ex – LTTE cadres including 847 females, 253 children and 55 university students had already been released after rehabilitation and the total number of university students under rehabilitation was 148 including 51 females.He said all female students had already been sent back to their respective universities.Brig. Ranasinghe said that another group of ex – LTTE cadres including 101 males, 24 females, 72 university students, 198 school children would be released today.He said that about 100 ex – LTTE cadres were being trained in heavy vehicle driving and they would be able to find employment in Jaffna after the completion of that programme. Asylum plea for Sri Lanka war crimes witnesses The Federal Government has been urged to support an independent investigation into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka and reconsider sending at-risk Tamil Tiger rebels home.Earlier this year the Australian Government froze asylum applications from Tamils, saying conditions in Sri Lanka were improving.But the International Crisis Group has released a report detailing alleged war crimes by both the Sri Lankan security forces and some members of the Tamil Tigers during last year's civil war.One year after that conflict ended, civilians remain in government-run camps and anyone investigating war crimes is putting themselves at enormous risk.Sri Lanka prides itself on being a democracy that is now free from civil war, but the International Crisis Group says just last week the president's brother called anyone making accusations of war crimes traitors, and said they should be put to death.The group's Asia program director Robert Templer says it has been gathering evidence of the deliberate killing of civilians by both sides."I am not going to go into who exactly we interviewed because of the risks to witnesses, but we interviewed a wide range of people on both sides of the conflict," he said."It was a very difficult operation. In most cases the witnesses were taken out of the country so that they could avoid any sort of prosecution or risk to themselves."The group says it not only has multiple witness statements, but also has hundreds of photographs, videos, satellite images, electronic communications and documents. Civilian deaths It says from January to May 2009, tens of thousands of Tamil men, women and children were killed and wounded by the Sri Lankan military's deliberate targeting of civilian areas, hospitals and humanitarian operations.The group has called for an independent inquiry into the alleged crimes and for the Australian Government to ensure the protection of any witnesses.Federal Immigration Minister Chris Evans has conceded there are concerns about suspected Tamil Tiger rebels being sent back to Sri Lanka."Clearly there is a major problem with the idea of returning serious former Tamil Tiger operatives to Sri Lanka without very strong assurances from the Sri Lankan government," he said."I think everyone recognises that's a problem. We've got concerns ourselves that we've had some people involved in the Tamil Tigers seeking to enter Australia."They pose security concerns and obviously returning them to Sri Lanka is going to be quite problematic."Dr Sam Pari from the Australian Tamil Congress has welcomed the International Crisis Group's report, especially the call for any potential witnesses to be protected."If they're sent back the Sri Lankan government will target them," he said. Aid centre shelled The crisis group's report says a United Nations aid distribution centre within a designated 'no fire zone' was shelled."A shell landed between five and eight metres from the UN bunkers, in the middle of some shelters," the report said."At least 11 civilians were killed and more wounded in this attack, including women and children. "A World Food Program driver was hit in the back of the head with shrapnel. The decapitated body of a young woman landed in front of the UN bunker. "Once again, several communications were sent immediately to the Sri Lankan government and security forces asking them to stop firing."The report says the security forces blamed the Tamil Tigers even though the shells were coming from the security forces' location. Four days later Sri Lanka's official military spokesman said there were no civilians killed."We are targeting the Tamil Tigers. We are not targeting any civilians so there can't be any civilians killed," he said.The Tamil Tigers have also been cited for war crimes by the International Crisis Group.It says they shot civilians and denied them the ability to leave the war zone. Independent investigation Mr Templer says so far there has been a reluctance by foreign governments to bring pressure on Sri Lanka to allow an independent investigation."That has meant that essentially they have been able to get away with a policy of killing large numbers of civilians while waging a war in violation of all international norms," he said.The government of president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is currently in Iran, has not responded to the crisis group's report.The Sri Lankan Embassy in Canberra has not returned The World Today's calls.The Australian Tamil Congress says it has long called for an international investigation of abuses on both sides of the conflict and it has called on its community to come forward and provide any evidence.The crisis group's calls for an international investigation will not go unnoticed, simply because of the diplomatic weight of its membership.Amongst the former ambassadors, foreign ministers, generals and presidents who sit on its board are the former UN high commissioner for human rights and chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Louise Arbour, and the former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. Sri Lanka War Abuses Killed Thousands, Group Says By Jay Shankar (Bloomberg) Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians died in the final five months of Sri Lanka’s civil war as security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels repeatedly violated international humanitarian laws, an advocacy group said today. Countless more men, women, children and the elderly were “wounded, and hundreds of thousands deprived of adequate food and medical care,” the Brussels-based International Crisis Group said in its report, entitled ‘War Crimes in Sri Lanka.’ It called for an independent international investigation into alleged acts committed by government forces and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the country’s north. President Mahinda Rajapaksa won re-election in January with his popularity with the island nation’s majority Sinhalese buoyed by victory in the 26-year war with the Tamil separatists. Although both sides committed atrocities throughout the conflict, the scale of the offenses worsened from January 2009 to the government’s declaration of victory in May, the report said. Researchers found evidence to warrant an inquiry into allegations the Sri Lankan army from late January encouraged hundreds of thousands of civilians to move into government- declared “no-fire zones” and then “subjected them to repeated and increasingly intense artillery and mortar barrages and other fire,” the group said today. Reports that soldiers shelled hospitals and humanitarian operations must also be probed, the group said. While there is evidence of war crimes committed by the LTTE and its leaders, the report said, “most of them were killed and will never face justice.” ‘Unsubstantiated Report’ Sri Lanka’s foreign secretary, Chrysantha Romesh Jayasinghe, was not available to take telephone calls seeking comment. The top bureaucrat in the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Marina Mohamed, said she was not in a position to comment on the report. Sri Lanka said on Oct. 26 it would investigate a U.S. State Department report alleging human rights abuses, including the shelling of Tamil civilians during the final battle with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May. While the government that month described the report as “unsubstantiated,” Rajapaksa appointed an independent team to look into the report. “It’s the responsibility of a democratic state to investigate the charges of such nature,” the government cited Mahinda Samarasinghe, the minister for disaster management and human rights, as saying then. Evidence gathered by the International Crisis Group includes eyewitness statements, photographs, satellite imagery, electronic communications and documents, according to the report released today. “This evidence provides reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed by both sides.” The Tamil Tiger rebels killed civilians who were attempting to flee the shelling and cross over to government- held regions, according to the report. The rebels also forcibly recruited civilians to battle troops. Sri Lanka opposition leader to receive party reform proposals today The committee appointed by the Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) to formulate reforms to be implemented in the party is expected to hand over its report to the party leadership today (18). The report was expected to be handed over by the committee yesterday (17), however, it is now scheduled to be finalized today (18). UNP's Galle district parliamentarian and party spokesperson Gayantha Karunatileka told the media yesterday (17) that the committee had been able to gather useful suggestions on how reforms should be introduced in the party. The party's Working Committee is scheduled to meet shortly to finalize the reforms proposed by the committee. It has been speculated that the proposed reforms would include an amendment to the UNP constitution to make provisions to appoint members to all posts in the party including that of the leader through an internal election. 17 May 2010 TNA, SLMC to hold talks with ruling minorities The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) ‐ the two opposition minority parties have decided to engage their counterparts in the ruling coalition for a common understanding on matters such as the proposed constitutional amendments that affect the minority communities.SLMC Deputy General Secretary Nizam Kariappar told that his party had exchanged ideas with the TNA leadership last week in this respect. “There are electoral reforms and constitutional amendments on the cards. We have decided to stand together,” he said. Mr. Kariappar said his party along with the TNA, would hold talks with other minority parties such as the All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) of Minister Rishard Bathiudeen and the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) of Minister A. Thondaman. “All these parties should reach a common ground on the issues confronting the minorities,” he said.The TNA National List MP, M.A. Sumanthiran also expressed similar views saying that his party had decided to consult each other on many fronts.However, Mr. Sumanthiran, a leading lawyer, said the TNA had not discussed in detail, the subjects involved. The TNA team which met the SLMC last week comprised Leader R. Sampanthan, MP Suresh Premachandran and Mr. Sumanthiranm.The SLMC delegation consisted of Leader Rauff Hakeem, Mr. Kariappar and General Secretary Hassan Ali. Rajapaksa to visit India on June 8 Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will visit India on June 8 to discuss the development of infrastructure in northern Sri Lanka and resettlement of the internally displaced persons.India will also discuss proposals relating to the setting up of an additional consulate in Sri Lanka, reviving old communication links and stepping up economic ties.This emerged during a meeting between External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris here on Sunday. Both leaders are here to attend the G-15 summit, a more compact block of developing countries carved out of the Nonaligned Movement (NAM), to advance south-south cooperation.This would be Mr. Rajapaksa's first visit to India after his re-election as President which was followed by a resounding win for his party in the Parliamentary elections.With a consulate in Kandy, both countries are now deliberating on another Indian consulate in Jaffna to ensure documented to and fro movement of people between northern Sri Lanka and south India. An agreement could be initialled during Mr. Rajapaksa's visit next month, said government sources. The two sides are also engaged on reviving old communication routes that had been disrupted by the ethnic conflict and Indian assistance in infrastructure building.On the resettlement of the IDPs, Mr. Peiris made the point that it would be unrealistic to set a deadline for their complete rehabilitation but assured that the Sri Lankan government was doing its best because “they are our people.''Emerging from the meeting with Mr. Krishna, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister said Colombo had made “considerable progress'' in resettling the IDPs and appreciated India's help in this regard. From three lakh IDPs, the number was now down to 50,000 with 25,000 of those left “moving in and out as they have relatives.'' As a second step, the Sri Lankan government had embarked on the development of the economy of the strife-hit areas.He said: “It is not a question of resettling them physically but ensuring they have the means of livelihood with a sense of dignity and contentment. So we are focussing on the development of infrastructure, roads, irrigation systems and all that.“Nothing is more destructive of credibility than setting a deadline and then finding that you can't fulfil it. It is better not to tie yourself to a deadline but work hard in a spirit of goodwill to do it [resettlement] as soon as possible. That is very much the aim of the Sri Lankan government. It is dealing with its own people. Nobody can be more concerned than the Government of Sri Lanka. Of course with the help of India we will do the best we can for people who have suffered so much.'' War was won, but Tamils are defeated – Anantha Shankari Tamil Liberation Alliance Leader V.Anantha Shankari said, government had won the war, but still Tamils are in the state of defeat. He said a section of the people from the welfare camps had been resettled but their basic facilities are not provided. Alliance Leader said those in the welfare camps are affected dreadfully in various ways which none should forget. He pointed out that the Tamil National Alliance in the intention of obtaining votes is organizing many musical shows for the people at the welfare camps. More than the musical entertainments the people at the welfare camps require the basic facilities. More attention should be focused about the people who died during the war period, atleast religious ceremonies should be arranged by the government which he insisted. He pointed out war victory should be celebrated in Sri Lanka after all the people from the different races obtain equal rights in Sri Lanka. A Political solution essential to the Tamil people’s crisis - Douglas Minister Douglas Devananda said, a speedy political solution is much required to the Tamil people’s crisis. He said the EPDP Party’s appeal is to implement the 13th amendment completely. While he gave an interview to a Sinhala media, towards the one year completion of war victory he stated this. He said war victory has brought much happiness, but like the Sinhalese people, the Tamil people too have faced many hardships due to war. He said, due to war, the Tamil people faced many obstructions hence to build their lives activities should be processed. Douglas Devananda said, the displaced people should be resettled in their own native lands. The high security zone areas were much important during war period, should now brought to normalcy was mentioned by him. At the final phase of war, many Tamil people lost their loved ones, hence to heal their depressions action should be taken. He said majority of persons are resettled from the welfare camps, and resettlements should be expedited to the remaining people at the welfare camps. Sri Lanka Forces Blamed for Most Civilian Deaths Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians died in the last, bloody months of Sri Lanka’s civil war, the International Crisis Group said in an investigative report to be released Monday, most of them as a result of government shelling of areas that were supposed to be safe zones. The report, which cites witness testimony, satellite images, documents and other evidence, calls for a wide-reaching international investigation into what it calls atrocities committed in the last months of the Sri Lankan government’s war against the Tamil Tiger insurgency. The war ended a year ago, when the Tigers’ top leadership was killed on a narrow strand of beach in northeastern Sri Lanka, capping a two-decade armed struggle by a group that pioneered some of the ugliest insurgent tactics in the world, including female suicide bombers and child soldiers. Because the government barred independent journalists and most humanitarian workers from the war zone, the death toll of the final months of fighting, when at least 300,000 Tamil civilians were pinned down on a beach, caught between the rebels and government forces, is not known. United Nations workers counted about 7,000 dead in the last weeks of April, just before the last phase of the fighting, but diplomats, aid workers and human rights activists have long argued that those figures far underestimated the dead and did not include the final weeks of battle. Government officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly denied singling out civilians, and have said that the total number of people killed is much lower. Sri Lankan officials declined to comment on the report, saying they had not yet seen it. The report by the Crisis Group, an advocacy organization based in Brussels and Washington that seeks to resolve and prevent armed conflicts, said that despite its promises to protect civilians and aid workers as it made its assault on the Tigers, the Sri Lankan government had bombed relentlessly in areas where it knew unarmed people were present. “Evidence gathered by Crisis Group provides reasonable grounds to believe that during these months the security forces intentionally and repeatedly shelled civilians, hospitals and humanitarian operations,” the report said. “It also provides reason to believe that senior government and military officials were aware of the massive civilian casualties due to the security forces’ attacks, but failed to protect the civilian population as they were obliged to under the laws of war.” The report said that the insurgents, known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also committed atrocities, particularly in choosing to corral as many people as possible around its fighters, hoping to maximize civilian casualties and force international intervention. “Their calculation, ultimately an incorrect one, was that escalating civilian casualties would eventually get the attention of the international community to broker a cease-fire so the L.T.T.E. could regroup or perhaps enter negotiations,” the report said, using initials the Tamil Tigers are also known by. Instead, the Sri Lankan government pressed the rebels to the bitter end. Tamils who tried to escape were killed, children were forced to fight, and the sick and wounded were left to die, the report said. But it was the Sri Lankan government, the report concluded, that carried the greatest responsibility for the killing. “All but a small portion of these deaths were due to government shelling,” the report said. Sri Lanka's main opposition to take legal action if any member defects to the government Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) has warned of legal action against any party member who crosses over to the government in future as they have already handed in a signed oath of allegiance to the party. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has told the media that he has not received any reports of party members planning to defect the party, but warned that anyone doing so will be taken to court.The UNP obtained an oath of allegiance from party candidates prior to the last general election and accordingly, even if a member leaves the UNP he will have to function independently without joining the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government. Attanayake's comments come in the wake of UNP Kandy District parliamentarian Abdul Cader announcement of his decision to support the government. A year later, few in Sri Lanka mourn Prabhakaran One year after Tamil Tigers chieftain Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed the same way he sent so many to their death, Sri Lanka remains ethnically divided but not many mourn the once feared guerrilla.Even as Colombo celebrates the crushing defeat of his Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the hands of its military, the anti-government Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has called for mourning for the thousands of civilians killed in the final months of the war that ended in May last year.But while Tamil suffering may evoke sympathy among the majority Sinhalese community, few in Sri Lanka feel sorry for the late LTTE leader whose passion for self-defeating violence has left the Tamils reeling in misery.'Apart from being callous and bankrupt, he has been an idiot,' Rajan Hoole, a respected Sri Lankan Tamil human rights activist, said in a candid assessment of a man who had vowed to form an independent Tamil homeland but failed.'Whatever aims Prabhakaran may have had, the Tamils have been taken in the opposite direction,' Hoole told IANS in a telephonic interview.'But that is only one part of the story,' he said. 'The way the government is dealing with the Tamil problem, Prabhakaran might end up having the last laugh.'Prabhakaran, who founded the LTTE in 1976 and spearheaded a horribly bloody separatist campaign, was killed by the Sri Lankan military May 18 last year, ending a quarter century long armed conflict that consumed over 90,000 lives.Also killed with Prabhakaran in the marshy, forested battlefields of Mullaitivu district were virtually all his lieutenants and hundreds of his fighters, destroying in one stroke an outfit that was once considered as potent as Al Qaeda.Today, thousands of Tamil civilians, who survived the blood-soaked final stages of the war are still in refugee camps in the country's north. Many former LTTE cadres are in detention, the hardened ones in military custody.It is not that Prabhakaran has been forgotten.Many of the Tamils who fled Sri Lanka over the decades and now live in large numbers in the West still see the man as a hero and are determined to keep alive his legacy.But within Sri Lanka, support for Prabhakaran within the Tamil community is minimal, simply because it is they who suffered the most because of the activities of the Tigers.'The Tamil people do not want another armed struggle again,' said Tamil politician Dharmalingam Sitharthan, who had known Prabhakaran in their student days in Jaffna.'But there are those in the northeast (of Sri Lanka) who still view him as a symbol of Tamil nationalism,' he added.Sitharthan and other Tamils who spoke to IANS, some not wanting to be quoted by name, agreed that the LTTE would never be able to revive itself even if some of its members are still on the run, with revenge on their mind.Some Tamils, including those in the Tamil provincial government in Sri Lanka's eastern province, said that Colombo was determined not to give any meaningful political concessions to the Tamil community. This, they feared, stood in the way of ethnic reconciliation in Sri Lanka.'The fact is the Sri Lankan government is working towards Tamil Eelam in some sense by not addressing Tamil political problems,' Hoole said. 'Sinhalese politics seems linked to the fear of Eelam and separatist terrorism.'There is no need for large military settlements that have come up in Tamil areas,' he said.A young former woman LTTE guerrilla told IANS: 'So many years of fighting has gone waste. Today, we are weaker than in 1983 (when Tamil militancy started). I feel sorry for myself and the Tamil community.' CCTV cameras to help Sri Lanka police combat crime in Colombo city Sri Lanka Police Department is to install 100 Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at a cost of Rs. 300 million within the Colombo city to combat crime and ease traffic congestions. Senior DIG Gamini Navaratne who is the head of the project was accompanied by DIG W.S.B. Fernando and four other police officers when he left for Singapore yesterday (16) to undergo a week-long training programme on the usage of the CCTV system. DIG Navaratne has said the network of cameras would be installed next month on the theme of creating a safe city under the Mahinda Chinthana. One lakh ten Thousand Chinese in SL irk Indian and American Govts. Search operations resume in Jaffna Jaffna information states, military search operations in the Jaffna roads have resumed .Jaffna Commanding Chief Mahinda Kathurusinghe had given this order. The decision was taken due to the increase of crime activities in the Jaffna peninsula. The decision was taken after a discussion was held between the Jaffna Attorneys and Magistrates. Meanwhile The Tamil National Alliance sector accuse, this is a well planned action by the government. Due to this action, the Jaffna people are continuously penalized under the pressure of military was stated by the Alliance. AROUND 40,000 AFFECTED: COLOMBO, GAMPAHA WORST HIT The Disaster Management Centre says that around 40,000 persons have been affected by the inclement weather being experienced in the island.“The worst affected areas include Colombo and Gampaha. Those affected are being provided with relief at present,” said Pradeep Kodippilli, Assistant Director of the Center.Meanwhile, he said that Gampaha had been receiving heavy rainfall since last night.“Over 2,000 people have been affected. In addition, four persons have died in accidents related to the weather,” said Ajith Nishantha, Coordinating Officer of the Centre.Furthermore, severe damages have been caused to several houses in the Delthara area in Piliyandala due to falling trees. 15 May 2010 Lanka for talks with Diaspora The Sri Lankan government has sought talks with the Tamil Diaspora as well as the International media in order to change their mindset about the LTTE and post war Sri Lanka, a top government Minister said.Government Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, speaking to Daily Mirror online, said that the Tamil Diaspora have been misled by the LTTE and continue to carry out the propaganda of the Tigers.He also said that some international media organizations give publicity to LTTE propaganda and in doing so tend to paint the wrong picture of the actual post war situation in Sri Lanka.The Minister said that in order to give the proper picture the Sri Lankan government is keen to have talks with representatives of the Tamil Diaspora as well as international news agencies and media organizations Rajapaksa to be new chairman of G-15 Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will take over the chairmanship of Group of 15 countries (G15) from his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the forthcoming summit in Tehran on Monday.Mr. Rajapaksa will serve as the chairman of the grouping, of which India is also a member, for a two-year term.The G15 Summit to be held in Tehran on Monday will focus on cooperation among developing countries in the areas of investment, trade and technology.The grouping accounts for one third of the global population and consists of some of the biggest economies of the world, an official release said here on Saturday.Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe are members of the group.The Group also regularly reviews the impact of international economic developments and seeks to encourage a productive North-South dialogue aimed at finding ways of dealing with problems, in a cooperative manner, it said.As the Chair of the G15, Sri Lanka would be entrusted the responsibility of articulating the aspirations of the developing world.“Sri Lanka will also build on the work done by previous Chairs of the Group, to add to North-South cooperation,” it said. Govt extends ban on LTTE for another two years NEW DELHI: India on Friday extended its ban on LTTE for another two years as it believes the `Tamil Eelam' (separate homeland for Tamils) concept still remains a goal among pro-Tigers groups in Tamil Nadu. The outfit, involved in assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, has been banned since 1992 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The home ministry's notification extending the ban said even though LTTE had been "decimated in Sri Lanka, recent reports reveal that remnant LTTE cadres and leaders are regrouping in Tamil Nadu". It said the possibility of its remnant cadres using India and especially Tamil Nadu as a base for their re-grouping activities could not be ruled out. It also said they could enter India in the guise of Tamil refugees. As per the procedure, the notification will now reach a tribunal, which has to ratify it. Citing the reason for extending the ban on LTTE, a senior home ministry official said, "Though most of the criminal cases involving LTTE and pro-LTTE groups like Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT), Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA) and Tamiliar Pasarai have ended in conviction, the Tamil Eelam concept still remains a goal among pro-LTTE groups in Tamil Nadu." Sambanthan and Peris hold talks. Tamil National Alliance Leader R.Sambanthan and External Affairs Minister G.Peiris had a meeting on Thursday. Tamil National Alliance Parliament Member Suresh Piremachandran had stated that this is just a friendly meeting. Information reveals that in regard to a settlement to the racial crisis, government had spoken with Tamil National Alliance through Mr. G.L.Peiris. In this situation, the Tamil National Alliance has designed a plan for a settlement to the racial crisis during the last general election, was mentioned by former Parliament Member Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam. SL Ambassador calls on EU not to support PTGTE Sri Lanka called on the European governments not to provide any political or symbolic support to the LTTE’s initiative to forming a so‐called ‘Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam’ (PTGTE).Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha said “the LTTE’s initiative in forming a so‐called PTGTE, with ‘country working groups’ at national and regional levels in western countries was a ruse to perpetuate its terrorist struggle.”Ambassador Aryasinha observed these bodies had been constituted through pseudo elections and comprised largely of known LTTE members/activists.These persons Ambassador Aryasinha said, were among those who entered western countries illegally and who in the normal course of events would have been sent home given the restoration of normalcy in Sri Lanka. It was therefore in their self‐interest to keep the pot boiling in order to remain in the countries where they had sought asylum.Ambassador Aryasinha made these observations when he addressed the “2010 Diplomatic Security Conference “ Terrorism Situation and Trends in the EU” held at the Colonial Palace in Brussels on 11 May 2010, where the findings of Europol’s EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TESAT) 2010 were discussed.The Conference, attended by politicians, diplomats, academics, and members of the law enforcement and criminal justice community, was co‐hosted by the European Corporate Security Association (ECSA) and the Belgian Foreign Ministry.“Lest it is glossed over, a point I want to emphasise is that none of these persons arrested so far carried name boards saying LTTE, but each and every one of them belonged to prominent front organizations which were integrally linked to the LTTE ‐‐be they the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO/ORT), the Co‐ordinating Committee of Tamils in France (CCTF/TCC), the Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), the Tamil Women’s Organization (TVO), the Tamil Arts and Cultural Organization (TKCO), the United Tamil Organization in the UK and the British Tamil Association (BTA).The failure to have acted against these front organizations earlier, could prove to be a costly mistake,” Aryasinha said.Stating Europe is now more actively trying to grapple with these issues, Ambassador Aryasinha said “today at least from a Sri Lankan standpoint I can safely say you are more vigilant, picking up more suspects, dismantling cells, and are asking for the help of our intelligence operatives in trying to understand the modus operandi of the LTTE.” Power cut in Jaffna peninsula to continue indefinitely Despite government publicity that all facilities have been restored to Jaffna peninsula the present power cut continues to be enforced in rotation and is likely to remain indefinitely due to shortage of electricity production in the peninsula, Sri Lanka Electricity Board (SLEB) Jaffna office sources said. The failure of the Chinese firm ‘Northern Power, which is alleged to be the shadow company of Basil Rajapakse, the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, that had entered into a contract with the government three years ago to supply electricity for the entire peninsula, is the basic cause for the shortage, the sources added. Presently, power cut is being enforced two to three hours a night in a rotation system covering all parts of Jaffna peninsula. Northern Power which had signed the contract three years back under which 30 MWs electricity are to be generated has been producing only 12 MWs since then. Now, SLEB Jaffna generates 9 MWs while Agrico firm produces 15 MWs making a total of 36 MWs along with Northern Power. 3 to 4 MWs electricity are needed to meet the needs of the entire peninsula, Jaffna SLEB officials said. The SLEB Jaffna authorities are hesitant to take legal action on Northern Power for not living up to the contract as they fear pressure from higher authorities as Northern Power enjoys the support of politically strong Basil Rajapakse, an official who wishes to remain anonymous said. Sri Lanka's main opposition coalition partner slams Opposition Leader The Democratic Peoples Front (DPF), a constituent party of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) led coalition UNF, has informed Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe that there is no need for any meeting with him regarding the issue over national list members appointed to parliament.DPF Leader Mano Ganeshan in a letter addressed to Wickremasinghe yesterday said, "No more personal meetings are necessary with you as we are convinced that you have deceived my party and the Tamil people. And we consider the national list dispute over." Ganeshan had made this statement in a brief letter to Wickremasinghe in response to his letter on May 10. Wickremasinghe had sent a letter to Ganeshan prior to his departure to India. According to Ganeshan, the DPF entered the presidential and general elections under the UNF and alleged that the UNP changed the tone and nominated its own men and changed its tone after the election. "It is a betrayal and breach of general understanding," he has said. Ganeshan has also charged that this was an act against the Tamil people and that the DPF would make known its stand publicly next week. UNP seniors want Ranil as leader sans elections until next year The report of the six-member Political Reforms Committee of the UNP is to be handed over to the party’s Working Committee on Monday (May 17), while some of the senior UNP MPs were of the opinion that Ranil Wickremesinghe should continue as leader till next year's Party Convention. They also said that Sajith Premadasa, Hambantota District MP, should be made Deputy Leader until he gained enough experience to lead the party.Speaking on the condition of anonymity, UNP Parliamentarians who proposed elections for all posts in the UNP, including that of the party leader, which was unanimously approved by the Working Committee, including Wickremesinghe, told The Island yesterday, that the leader should remain till next year (2011) and then stand for election if he so desired.The Island reliably learns that Wickremesinghe has indicated his willingness to resign if the majority of UNP seniors wanted him to do so. Wickremesinghe who was in India on a private visit returned on Thursday (May 13) and was to be briefed by the Reforms Committee on the proposed changes.The Committee sought the views of UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya on Thursday. They also held discussions with Dayasiri Jayasekera (Kurunegala District MP), Opposition Leaders of the North Central, North Western and Western Provincial Councils. It was to elicit views of Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa on party reforms.The Reforms Committee headed by Joseph Michael Perera MP comprises UNP MPs John Amaratunga, Lakshman Kiriella, Kabir Hashim, Wijedasa Rajapakse and Attorney-at-Law Ronald Perera. Initiatives done to join Sarath Fonseka to United National Party Reports states, attempts are made to join General Sarath Fonseka, Democratic National Alliance Leader General Sarath Fonseka to the United National Party. Senior Members are attempting to grant a high position and to join Fonseka to the party. The proposal has been already submitted to General Sarath Fonseka. Political observers points out this initiatives will create worst controversies within the party, when revamp activities are processed. Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Freedom party’s People Division Leader Mangala Samaraweera had decided to join the United National party. Mangala Samaraweera who is presently on a foreign trip, will decide of joining the UNP, after his return is much expected. Case filed against the Jaffna Urban Council Mayor Jaffna Court information states, there are speculations that Jaffna Urban Council Mayor had published an announcement but in this regard the court ordered today to implement in publishing a denial advertisement. The denial advertisement was published in Yesterday’s newspapers due to the orders given by the court yesterday, but it was not satisfying was stated by the Magistrate Courts today. Hence the necessary denial advertisement should be published today was ordered by the courts yesterday. But as it was not published today too, on the forthcoming Monday, there are possibilities of filing a case against the Jaffna Urban Council, a crime charge against the government sector is according to sources. Sri Lanka wants to buy back national carrier from Emirates Sri Lanka has offered Dubai's Emirates Airline $55 million to buy back the 43.6 percent stake it holds on Si Lanka's national carrier, a media report said. "Sri Lanka is going to buy it ... $55 million is the price we have indicated," Finance and Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara has told Reuters news agency in an interview. Sri Lankan government has been negotiating with Emirates to buy its stake since the beginning of this year. The Emirates had no immediate comments but earlier it had said that it was willing to sell the stake at the right price. Sri Lankan Government in 1998 signed an agreement for a ten-year strategic partnership with the Emirates for the Dubai-based airline to purchase 40 percent stake of the national carrier worth US$70 million. Emirates later increased the stake to 43.6 percent. Although the Sri Lankan government retained the majority stake, it gave full control on investment and management decisions to Emirates. In 2008, Sri Lankan government notified Emirates Airlines that it will not renew the management contract once it expires on March 31, 2008. In December 2007 the government decided to revoke the work permit of Emirates-appointed SriLankan's CEO Peter Hill. Emirates handed over the management control of SriLankan to the government of Sri Lanka from April 1, 2008. According to the Reuters' report, Emirates has been trying to sell all or part of the stake since 2008, which had previously been valued at about $150 million. Jayasundara has said that the deal is almost finalized and the government is seeking a strategic partner. "We are looking for a strategic partner or somebody from the government to take that (the stake) and maintain the commercial character of SriLankan (Airlines)," he was quoted. The government will facilitate the transfer "to Bank of Ceylon or somebody who can basically participate in a business," Jayasundara has told the Reuters. Housing aid for IDP families Houses will be built for IDP families in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. The Red Cross under its Post Conflict Recovery Assistance Program will provide financial and technical assistance to build these houses and infrastructure. As the initial step, 101 houses will be built in Anandapuram, Keneshapuram and Vevekanandanagar of Karachchi Divisional Secretary division in Kilinochchi district. The selection of villages has been approved by the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province, SLRCS said in a release. Owner driven housing reconstruction method where the beneficiary will be supported with finance assistance disbursed in installments will be used. The total assistance for a fully damaged house will be Rs. 325,000 payable in five installments. For a partially damaged house Rs. 150,000 will be paid in two installments. Floor area of each house must be not less than 500 square feet and will consist of a living room, two bed rooms, kitchen and a toilet. A beneficiary will receive financial assistance for livelihood development, community water and sanitation and infrastructure. The German Red Cross will provide money for the Kilinochchi project, the release stated. A team consisting representatives from the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and the German Red Cross visited Kilinochchi Wednesday. SLRCS has already opened 77 individual files and the balance will be opened in due course, it also stated. SALMAN KHAN TO DONATE 100,000 DOLLARS TO BUILD HOMES IN JAFFNA The Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan has vowed to donate 100,000 dollars to build 100 homes in Jaffna. “Me Salman Khan and will be in Sri Lanka soon on 3rd, 4th and 5th. Me and Tony With hands for habitat are going to donate about 100,000 dollars to build 100 homes in Jaffna.” said the Indian Bollywood star addressing a media briefing held in Mumbai yesterday in line with the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA). The media briefing was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Economic Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene and several other Indian artists.Speaking to media the minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene conveyed the gratitude of President Mahinda Rajapakse and people of Sri Lanka to IIFA for the opportunity given to the country. “Sri Lanka has been given an opportunity to host a wonderful event of truly international class that would add vigor.” “I would like to convey the gratitude of his Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse and my senior Minister Basil Rajapakse and the people of Sri Lanka that IIFA had found the second home in Sri Lanka.” said Deputy Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene.Meanwhile a plaque was also presented to the Deputy Minister by Salman Khan. Praba's mum rejected treatment India's Supreme Court has rejected a plea seeking direction to the central government to fly the ailing mother of the slain Tamil Tigers chief to Chennai for medical treatment. Parvathi Ammal, 86 and mother of Velupillai Prabhakaran, is suffering from paralysis. She is presently in Colombo. A bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice H.L. Dattu asked the petitioner-counsel R. Karuppan: ‘Is it a case for interference by this court?’ Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced this month that the central government had agreed that Parvathi Ammal could come to India for medical treatment provided she made no contacts with political groups. The woman had flown into Chennai April 16 from Kuala Lumpur but was sent back on the same plane to Malaysia by Indian authorities. On Friday, the apex court said that Parvathi Ammal or her counsel would have to follow the Madras High Court directions and make a representation to the Tamil Nadu government for coming to Chennai. The judges added that the high court order favoured them and there was nothing that warranted the Supreme Court’s interference. The high court April 30 told Prabhakaran’s mother and Karuppan to make a representation to the state government. Within 15 days, the state government would refer it to the central government with its comments, it said. The final decision would be taken by the central government, it said. Justice Sathasivam, referring to the high court order, asked Karuppan what more he wanted by way of an apex court order. Karuppan was asked if he had represented to the state government as directed by the high court. He replied in affirmative and said the matter was awaiting a decision by the central government. Prabhakaran, the founder leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was killed along with his top lieutenants in May last year by the Sri Lankan military. Prabhakaran’s parents had lived in Tamil Nadu for a long time before moving back to Sri Lanka’s northeast in 2003 when large parts of the Tamil majority region were under LTTE control. The parents were taken into custody after Prabhakaran was killed. After Prabhakaran’s father died, his widow shifted to Malaysia, which is home to a large number of Sri Lankan Tamils. She is now in Sri Lanka Six months in jail for Tamil Tiger fundraiser too lax, Liberal MP says Canada’s judicial system has failed to send a strong message of deterrence to fundraisers for terrorist groups when it sentenced an Ontario man to six months in jail for raising funds for the Tamil Tigers, says Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh.Mr. Dosanjh, who has been threatened and beaten after speaking out against terrorism, said Friday he had hoped the penalty for the first terrorism-financing case would be stiffer.Mr. Justice Robert Powers, of the B.C. Supreme Court, sentenced Prapaharan Thambithurai to six months in jail after he pleaded guilty this week to fundraising for a banned terrorist group. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years and does not include a minimum sentence.“Because this was the first case, because it was about terrorism, because it is so scary. . . I think the sentence could have been tougher,” Mr. Dosanjh said. “The court case shows that Canada is serious in stamping out terrorism. But I think we need to do more.”Security and intelligence expert Wesley Wark said Friday’s sentence was obviously very light and weak. “It does not do much in terms of sending a message to Canadian society about the seriousness of the crime,” he said. “I don’t think in anybody’s eyes it could be regarded as a stiff sentence or a sentence that is likely to deter.”Federal prosecutor Martha Devlin, who said Mr. Thambithurai was a low-level street canvasser, had recommended a two-year sentence. His lawyer, Richard Peck, proposed a three-year suspended sentence. Both sides now have 30 days to decide whether to appeal the sentence.The court heard that Mr. Thambithurai, 46, collected humanitarian aid for the Tamil people, although he knew that a portion of the funds would go to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. He also knew that the LTTE were banned in Canada as a terrorist group, he told police in an interview quoted in court.He was arrested in B.C. after collecting $600 and pledges to donate from others. CDs, DVDs, calendars and pledge forms linked to the Tamil Tigers were in his car at the time of his arrest. Mr. Thambithurai, who lives in Maple, Ont., with his wife and three children, came to Canada as a refugee in 1988. His father had been killed in a riot and a brother had been killed in a government ambush, the court was told.Judge Powers said Mr. Thambithurai may have hoped that the funds he was collecting would not go to kill people but he was willing to accept that some of the money would help the LTTE. Other than pleading guilty, he offered no expression of remorse or recognition of the seriousness of the offence, the judge said.The judge said he wanted to impose a sentence that would send a message of deterrence without being excessive. Fanatics would not be deterred, no matter how harsh the sentence, he said. But a jail sentence may deter fundraisers who support humanitarian organizations, knowing that part of the money raised would go to a terrorist group, he said.Although this case was the first court ruling in Canada on fundraising for a banned terrorist organization, it does not really test the law, Mr. Wark said: Mr. Thambithurai was too minor a player in the terrorism financing hierarchy. Mr. Wark questioned whether efforts were being wasted on “small fry” and why high-profile raids on the offices of Tamil terrorist groups have yet to result in charges.Outside the courthouse, Mr. Thambithurai’s wife Uthaya Prapaharan said her husband was collecting money to provide needy people in Sri Lanka with food, shelter and medication. “He [should not] go to jail for that, for feeding people,” she said.She said the Sri Lanka government was a “terrorist” government. “We try to educate the Canadian people who the real terrorists and freedom fighters [are.] One day, the world will understand.” 14 May 2010 Sri Lanka's main opposition MP says Sajith Premadasa proposed as next UNP Leader Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara said that the party needed an 'Obama' style change and should not totally rely on neo-liberal policies. Jayasekara told the media on Thursday (13) there is a general consensus in Sri Lanka that son of late President Ranasinghe Premadasa and Hambantota parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa should be the next leader of the UNP. He also noted that there is a huge backing from the grassroots for a change in the top leadership of the UNP. Present leadership under Ranil Wickremasinghe has come under severe criticism after his party's continual loss of successive elections. Wickremasinghe is under pressure from senior members of the party to step down as the leader. MR writes to new UK PM President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in a message to British Prime Minister David Cameron, has sough the strengthening of ties between the two countries. Rajapaksa also said he hopes the new British government will provide strong and stable direction to the UK. While congratulating the new British Premier on his appointment, President Rajapaksa noted that Sri Lanka has entered a post conflict phase of optimism that devotes priority to economic and social progress, reconstruction and reconciliation.The President told the new British Premier that these priorities have been decisively endorsed through the strong mandate given to the Sri Lankan government at the recent Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Jaffna magistrate calls for statement from Jaffna Mayor Jaffna magistrate A. Anantharajah Thursday directed the police to obtain the statement of Ms. Yogeswari Patkunam, Jaffna Mayor of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) on the issue of the advertisement published by Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) which was counted as contempt of court, sources in Jaffna said. The police were further directed to submit a report based on the statement when the courts takes up the case 17 May. The said advertisement, titled in Tamil language calling the ‘Judiciary to render justice’ was brought to the notice of the Chief Justice and the Justice Service Commission by the magistrates of Jaffna district. JMC Commissioner M. S. Saravanbavan Tuesday pleaded in Jaffna Court that the advertisement was not published by JMC Administration in the local dailies but by the JMC members elected by the people.Jaffna magistrate had ordered JMC Commissioner to publish a statement refuting the said advertisement Wednesday in the local dailies and released him.Jaffna court, however, did not accept the refuting statement published by the Commissioner while strongly criticising it for having maliciously brought disrespect to Sri Lanka President and for commenting on the legal actions of the Chief Justice, sources in Jaffna said.Consequently Jaffna magistrate directed the police to obtain the statement of Jaffna Mayor and submit a report.The said advertisement, an abstention of duties by JMC employees besides Jaffna Mayor demanding the release of Ilango alias Regan, the deputy mayor and a key EPDP operative detained in Jaffna prison for suspected involvement in issuing death threats to Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran had been the causes of this issue, the sources added. Sri Lanka's Tamil expats try to revive separatist movement with 'government in exile' A year after government troops crushed Tamil separatist guerrillas and ended 26 years of civil war, a political solution addressing the root causes of the ethnic conflict still eludes Sri Lanka, analysts say.The slow progress in addressing Tamil grievances has already opened dangerous political space to pro-separatist Tamils living abroad.Earlier this month, members of the million-strong Tamil diaspora in the West, mostly in Canada, the UK, the US, Germany, France and Switzerland, where there are large Tamil communities, conducted unofficial polls and elected a “government-in-exile”. The polls took part in community centres and Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper reported that supporters of the Tamil independence struggle organised the election on May 2 to elect 135 “government” members.Colombo dismissed the exercise, which was overseen by various pro-Tamil groups brought together by Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, a former member of the Tamil Tigers living in exile. However, senior government officials such as Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the defence secretary, had earlier warned of attempts by expatriate Tamils, many of whom had financially backed the rebels, to revive the movement.In May last year, government soldiers ended a lengthy operation against the rebels in their northern stronghold, killing the elusive leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, and ending the conflict that has cost the lives of more than 80,000 people since 1983. The rebels were fighting for an independent homeland for their minority Tamil community. Kusal Perera, a political columnist for Colombo’s Sunday Leader newspaper, asked whether Sri Lanka’s problems were over, said: “There is nothing called peace. It was a military defeat of the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels] in a ruthless and brutal way. The political aspirations are yet to be resolved and until this happens, there is no peace.”While the era of suicide bombings and brutal counterinsurgency operations may be over, analysts said the political reforms needed to appease the Tamil minority have yet to materialise.Dayan Jayatillake, a political scientist and a former Sri Lankan ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said while national security has been guaranteed and people have enjoyed a year of peace and relatively free movement, the government’s post-war performance is far less impressive on political reconciliation, human rights and civic freedoms.Long-promised political reforms that give Tamils some authority in areas where they are a majority, have been very slow. “If we had moved faster, the international pressure on us would have eased,” Mr Jayatillake said.By now, he said, the government should have initiated negotiations with Tamil political parties and agreed on a timetable for reforms. “If the government had followed up the military victory with a political track, we could have undercut the dangerous buildup in the Tamil diaspora with its holding of a referendum on Tamil Eelam [government-in-exile] in all corners of the world.” The Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who won a landslide in recent presidential and parliamentary elections, has proposed constitutional and electoral reforms to be presented in parliament in July. The senior minister Maithripala Sirisena told reporters on Monday that the reforms would strengthen representation of all communities to all elected bodies, enhance powers to independent commissions and remove the restriction on the president to seek a third term in office.Among other recent developments is the creation of a reconciliation commission on the lines of South Africa’s truth commission to address Tamil allegations of war crimes and rights abuses. There has also been an easing of some emergency powers that allow the army to check homes without a search warrant and arrest without cause.These concessions by the government do not reflect a serious effort to bring Tamils into the political mainstream or meaningfully address their grievances, analysts said.The government on Wednesday launched a week of activity to commemorate “war heroes” – Sri Lankan soldiers who died fighting the rebels. The week of remembrance will end on May 20 with a massive military parade in Colombo, overseen by Mr Rajapaksa.“The military strategy will continue not only in the north but also in the south. That is why the government is hyping up the war heroes’ week, which is to be annually commemorated,” said the columnist Perera.He said while dead soldiers from the government are heralded as war heroes, the authorities have bulldozed war cemeteries of the rebels in the north, depriving parents of dead rebels of visiting the graves of their sons and daughters. “Is this how you give rights to the Tamils? Parents cannot be penalised for what their children did.” Rajapakse appoints six member Committee to answer America 2. The causes and the grounds for the accusations made against such individuals 3. The nature, the appropriateness and build up of the charges included in the report 4. The best action to be taken by Sri Lanka legally to comprehensively meet the factual charges referred to earlier and those now contained in the report. 1. Children of the armed conflict Over 300 charges have been enumerated in this report under the above categories. However, there is no specific indication as to where these crimes occurred or accurate details of the situations of the crimes in their report, S M Samarakoon, Secretary of the President’s Committee specially noted.When the Essential Services Commissioner General was asked about the Govt. running into difficulties to supply food and medicine to those who were trapped in the war zone and the refugee camps as mentioned in the report, he replied, the Secretary to the Committee appointed for that had given a press notice on it.As the Commission appointed under the Committee was not vested with powers under the constitution, even though the Secretary has forwarded a report, the individuals relating to this are now difficult to be traced. Hence, the investigation will take time, and the report is expected to be forwarded to the President by end July. As a result more time has to be requested, the press notification stated.The members comprising this Committee are C R DE Silva PC, Nihal Jayamanne PC, Jezima Ismail and Anura Medegoda. Slain Tiger leader's mother admitted to Valvettithurai hospital Parvathi Velupillai, the mother of the slain leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Velupillai Prabhakaran has been admitted to Valvettithurai hospital in Jaffna with a minor paralysis, said Milarum Perumal, a medical officer of the hospital. Mrs. Parvathi was brought to India from Malaysia for treatment few weeks back but India denied her entry on the basis she was a threat to national security. Later, with the intervention of the Tamil Nadu government she was offered conditional visa to admit into a hospital in Chennai. Indian media reports said Parvathi has rejected India's offer for conditional visa to visit Tamil Nadu for her treatment. However, former Jaffna district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.K. Sivajilingam, a close relative of Prabhakaran's family said that she was admitted to the hospital of her home town on the request of the family members. The 79-year-old widow is suffering from diabetes and hypertension. Her husband, a retired public servant, passed away in January. Her youngest son Prabhakaran was killed by state security forces on May 18, 2009. She has another daughter and a son who live abroad. SLA junior officer recovered dead in Jaffna Vaddukkoaddai police recovered the corpse of a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Second Lieutenant Wednesday around 11:00 p.m near Periya Thampiraan temple in Araali with more than four bullet wounds on the head, sources in Jaffna said. Police are investigating to find out whether internal conflict among soldiers was the reason or he was shot and killed out of the camp. The victim was identified as 2nd lieutenant Vasuki, 23, attached to Araali SLA camp. The body was found lying near the above temple located in Vannaangkulam area in Araali. The bullets had pierced through the cap of the officer. Mallaakam magistrate conducted the inquest into the death along with the police at the place where the body was found. A large number of soldiers has been deployed in a search in the area which is cordoned off. Police handed over the body to Palaali military hospital Thursday afternoon. Canadian Tamil Congress holds May Remembrance inside Canadian Parliament Several Members of Parliament from all political parties attended a memorial inside the Canadian Parliament on May 11th 2010 to remember the tens of thousands of lives lost in Sri Lanka’s war. Organized by the Canadian Tamil Congress, the memorial was held to mark the immense bloodshed that occurred in the last stages of the war and featured prayer services by priests of all faiths. In total, more than 30 Members of Parliament and Senators attended this memorial inside Canadian Parliament. Dignitaries joined in the Red Ribbon Campaign by wearing red ribbons to remember the bloodshed. Attendees placed flowers by lights in memory of the lives lost.At the memorial, the Canadian Tamil Congress requested that the Government of Canada call upon the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who will soon be arriving in Canada, to mandate a Commission of Inquiry into war crimes. “Canada must help ensure that those who violated the gravest of international crimes are held to account for their actions,” said Mr. Kubes Nava from the Canadian Tamil Congress. Cabinet nod for Vavuniya, Chunnakam power line The Power and Energy Ministry will rehabilitate the power transmission line from Vavuniya to Chunnakam at a cost of Rs. 2,000 million, Minister Patalee Champika Ranawaka said. The project has already received Cabinet approval. Japan will provide financial assistance for the project. The project which commenced under Uthuru Wasanthaya is scheduled to be completed before 2012 end, the Minister said. He was addressing the media after inspecting the Battaramulla transmission zonal office No. 3 yesterday. Under stage one of the project, a 72 km transmission line from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi will be established to transmit 132 KW electrical power capacity. A sub depot will also be established at Kilinochchi under stage one. Electricity from Kilinochchi to Chunnakam will be transmitted under the project's second stage. The electrical power transmission line from Vavuniya to Chunnakam was destroyed by LTTE terrorists in 1983. The destroyed power line was repaired under the Uthuru Vasantaya. Ceylon Electricity Board Chairman Vidya Amarapala , Working Director Roshan Gunawardane and General Manager Badra Jayaweera accompanied Minister Ranawaka.. 13 May 2010 Nediyavan: ‘The real rebirth of the LTTE’ The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) led by the Norway-based Nediyavan is the real reincarnation of the LTTE, and not the US-based outfit led by Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, which is trying to establish a Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), says Prof.Rohan Gunaratna, the Singapore-based expert on terrorism. Gunaratna, who heads the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism at Nanyang University in Singapore, told Express that Rudrakumaran has a better understanding of politics and is therefore more likely to negotiate a settlement with the Sri Lankan government than Nediyavan, who is a hardcore LTTE man.Nediyavan, who had studied in Moscow, ended up being deputy to Castro, the LTTE’s chief fund manager.“In due course Rudrakumaran will realise that a Transnational Government is a pipedream like an independent Tamil Eelam and will start talks with the Sri Lankan government,” Gunaratna predicted.He pointed out that all those Tamils who had voted in the recent TGTE elections are citizens of countries other than Sri Lanka, and that 90 percent of these will not come back to their ancestral homeland.The expert characterised Rudrakumaran, a US-based attorney and son of a former Mayor of Jaffna, as a “cautious person” who keeps within the law, unlike Nediyavan’s followers. BTF MORE DANGEROUS THAN TGTE According to Gunaratna, the British Tamil Forum (BTF) is a handmaiden of the GTF and Fr.Immanuel, who heads the BTF, is a “puppet” of Nediyavan.“Fr.Immanuel preaches ethnic hatred not reconciliation,” Gunaratna said.Yet, the former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and several MPs had addressed the GTF on February 25 in London.The BTF is therefore more dangerous for Sri Lanka than the TGTE. DOOR OPEN FOR ARMS SMUGGLER ANANDARAJAH TOO As for the Sri Lankan government, it is ever ready for talks with anyone giving up violence and opting for negotiations, Gunaratna says.“Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a man with a mission who knows when to use military means and when to talk peace. If it is necessary to bring about lasting peace, the Secretary of Defence will negotiate even with those LTTE leaders who had committed heinous crimes. After all they too are Sri Lankans, though misguided,” he said.Doors for talks are open even for a man like Ponnaiah Anandarajah, the LTTE’s top arms procurer, who had smuggled more than 10,000 tonnes of armaments between 1996 and 2009, Gunaratna said. AMNESTY FOR LTTE CADRE The expert regretted that Western governments are turning a blind eye to the fact that Sri Lanka has given “amnesty” to over 10, 000 hardcore LTTE cadre who had surrendered.“These LTTE cadre are in the process of being rehabilitated and absorbed into society, and that is like getting amnesty,” he explained. TAMILSELVAM’S FAMILY WANTS ASYLUM IN INDIA Meanwhile, Karuna Amman, the Deputy Minister for Resettlement who was a former LTTE commander, said that he would request President Mahinda Rajapaksa to release the families of LTTE cadre who had nothing to do with the LTTE as such.“The family of the LTTE’s political leader S.P.Tamilselvam is among them. The family wants to seek asylum in India,” Karuna said on Tuesday. Jaffna peninsula people gripped in shock, fear as abductions escalate Unidentified men arriving in a van forcibly took away a family woman Tuesday morning as she was returning along Karaveddi Sampanthar shop area after having taken her son to school, sources in Vadamaraadchi said. The abductors had attacked the woman with the intention of killing her and dumped her among the shrubs in a deserted area in Valvai where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are on patrol. Meanwhile, a teenage girl student had managed to escape from abductors with injuries Tuesday in Point Pedro in Vadamaraadchi while some men had tried to abduct a young woman in front of Jaffna Teaching Hospital as she was coming out of the hospital after treatment, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna peninsula people are gripped in shock and fear of continuing abductions, killings and sexual abuse of women alleged to be carried out by paramilitary men collaborating with Sri Lanka Military Intelligence wing, the sources added.The woman left among the shrubs in Valvai is identified as S. Lankathevi, 37.Point Pedro police recovered her unconscious on being informed by someone who happened to see her dumped among the shrubs. She was admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital and her condition is said to be critical.The girl student who had escaped in Point Pedro is Shanmgarasa Anushika, 18. She was walking along the street near Vadamaraachchi Hindu Ladies’ College when the abductors forcibly took her in their vehicle.Anushika was assaulted but managed to jump off the vehicle with serious injuries and was rescued by public who had gathered at the spot. She is admitted to Manthikai government hospital.Jaffna police arrested two suspects who had tried to abduct the young woman coming out of Jaffna Teaching Hospital Tuesday.Meanwhile, a boy from Jaffna suspected abducted was rescued by Vavuniyaa police Tuesday while he was wandering in the streets of Vavuniyaa.Police brought him to Jaffna Tuesday. Sri Lanka's Gen Sarath Fonseka denies incitement charge Defeated Sri Lankan presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka has for the first time appeared before a civilian court to deny inciting unrest.He is alleged to have said in a newspaper interview last year that the defence secretary ordered the killing of surrendering Tamil rebels. The general appeared before Colombo magistrates to protest his innocence. He said he had been misquoted by the newspaper and that the case was part of an attempt to silence him. He is accused of saying that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa - who is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa - ordered the killings of Tamil rebels who surrendered during last year's military offensive against the group. 'Frivolous case' Gen Fonseka is in military custody and faces separate court martial charges of engaging in politics while in uniform and overseeing corrupt arms procurements. Gen Fonseka has filed several petitions in higher courts challenging his arrest in February, 12 days after he failed to unseat President Rajapaksa in elections. The general led the military offensive which resulted in the elimination of the separatist Tamil Tiger leadership in May last year. It effectively ended 37 years of ethnic conflict which had claimed up to 100,000 lives. But Gen Fonseka fell out with the president and his brother over who should take the most credit for the victory. "It is ironic that the man who was hailed a national hero for crushing Tamil Tigers is being brought before court exactly a year later," said Gen Fonseka's lawyer, Nalin Laduwahetty. "This is a frivolous case." The judge adjourned the hearing until 26 May. No Indian should go to Sri Lanka for IIFA festival – Mani Ratnam A large number of Tamil organizations have protested against the ‘International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony being held in Sri Lanka and renowned film director Mani Ratnam has asked Indians not to attend the film festival in Sri Lanka. Mr. Mani Ratnam has said this speaking about his latest film ‘Rawan.’ He has said he would not present ‘Rawan’ at the film festival as the festival is to be held in Sri Lanka. Hind film written and directed by Mani Ratnam stars Abhishek Bachchan,son of Amitabh Bachchan, the organizer of IIFA Aishwarya Rai, Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter-in-lawsand Vikram in the lead roles while Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani play key supporting roles. It is simultaneously being made in Tamil as Raavanan with a slightly different cast, which would also be dubbed into Telugu and other regional languages. The film score and soundtrack is composed by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman. Recalling Prabhakaran's end Nitin Gokhale, Defence Editor, NDTV, recalls his encounter with then Sri Lankan army chief General Sarath Fonseka soon after the LTTE's defeat last year. A fascinating column on how Velupillai Prabhakaran finally met his nemesis. Exactly a week later, Sri Lanka will celebrate the first anniversary of the end of Eelam War IV that signalled the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the LTTE. On May 19 last year, Vigyanmoorthi Muralitharan, better known as Colonel Karuna, was flown in into the battle zone in northern Sri Lanka to identify LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran's body. That day Sri Lanka needed Muralitharan to certify Prabhakaran's death since Colombo knew the world would react sceptically to the news. And sure enough, even after state television began beaming the visuals of a dead Prabhakaran, dressed in his favourite military fatigues, eyes wide open, there was disbelief and shock across the globe. After all, Prabhakaran was unarguably the world's most elusive, most innovative and some would say, most ruthless terrorist. His large army of Tamil Tigers had taken on and beaten back the Indian and the Sri Lankan armies in the past. And like in the past, many thought Eelam War IV, as the latest conflict had come to be known, would also result in a stalemate. But there it was. Prabhakaran was dead and gone, the LTTE smashed militarily. So how did he die? Was he taken alive and then killed, as some Tamil Web sites have suggested? Or was he killed in battle, in the last-ditch attempt to break through the tight cordon placed by the Sri Lankan army in the final hours of the war? Going by what Sri Lanka's army chief then, General Sarath Fonseka told me in an interview, three days after Prabhakaran's body was discovered, the LTTE chief was indeed killed in a fierce gun-battle. This is how General Fonseka, described the final hours to me in an interview: "On 18th (May) night, the topmost LTTE leadership divided itself into three different groups. They attacked our forward defence line along the Nandikkadal lagoon and did manage to break through. But they had reckoned without our second and third tier defences. These three groups were led by Jeyam, Pottu Amman and Soosai. Prabhakaran and his closest bodyguards thought they had managed to escape, but in reality all these LTTE fighters, around 250 of them, had got trapped between our first and the second defence lines. After fierce fighting that night, almost all the top leadership got killed in the area. We discovered Prabhakaran's body on the 19th morning." We will have to take General Fonseka's word as final. For, this war, like every other war, had no witnesses. So what was so different in this war that attracted worldwide media attention? "This time, we were playing for a win, not for a draw," General Foneska told me in his office. Looking pleased as punch, General Fonseka had apologised for keeping us waiting. "Your army chief was on the line, congratulating us for our military success," he told me. That was the opening I needed to break the ice. "Well, I know that General Deepak Kapoor (then India's [ Images ] army chief) has been taking a keen interest in your operations," I remember telling the general. "You know him?" he asked. Before I could answer, Brigadier Udaya Nanayyakara, then the Sri Lankan army spokesman who had accompanied us to the interview, told his chief: "Nitin has been reporting on the Indian armed forces very closely for a long time, Sir." That did it. It was as if an invisible bond had instantly developed between us: Me, a long-time student of the armed forces and the general, at the peak of his military career. All the irritation over Dhanpal, my cameraperson colleague, and me being subjected to a two-stage, thorough security check that lasted an hour -- 'Take off your belt', 'Remove the shoes', 'Click the camera', 'Switch off the mobiles'-- vanished instantly.I wanted to ask him several questions, but before that, he shot a query at me. "So how do you rate our operations?" "No one can dispute the military victory," I responded and proceeded to ask him the ONE question that had been at the back of my mind ever since I had landed in Colombo for the fifth time since January 2009: "What made the difference this time? How did the LTTE, which always seemed to turn adversity into an advantage in the past, fail to stop the Sri Lankan army this time?" He gave me one of the pithiest comments I have ever heard: "This time, we were playing for a win, not for a draw." I say to myself: this guy is a television interviewer's dream. What a byte! And sure enough, throughout the half hour, on camera, General Fonseka was candid, blunt, and aggressive by turn. Pleased with himself and his troops, giving me one quotable quote after another, or byte as we call them in broadcast journalism. Each of the answer is a potential headline. And sure enough, we carried many of his replies as standalone stories over the next few days. Just a week before I met General Fonseka for this landmark interview, no one was sure how the events would pan out in Sri Lanka. My mind goes back to May 15, 2009. That evening, a source had called from Sri Lanka saying "It's all over, you should be here NOW." I was not too sure whether Sri Lanka would find any news space given the fact that the entire nation was glued to the story of Indian election results in less than 12 hours from then. Yet, as a precaution, I told the bosses that the denouement in Sri Lanka appeared to be near and I may have to rush to Colombo at very short notice. The next day, May 16, as I prepared to do my bit on election results day, another source, in fact a very high official, called in at 7 am and said, "It is all over, bar the shouting. Try and be here by this evening." Since this official had been dead right with information in the past too, I decided to take a chance. The bosses were also game. So, as India was glued to its television sets getting the latest election results, I rushed to the airport at an hour's notice to catch a flight to Bangalore and from there to Colombo. By 4.30 that evening, I was in the Sri Lankan capital. Am I glad I did that? Oh yes! By taking that off chance and believing in my sources, I was right there when the biggest war story of the decade unfolded. A decade ago, one was fortunate to be in Kargil, reporting on the India-Pakistan conflict. But there is one major difference between 1999 and 2009. I had reported Kargil for print, for Outlook magazine, to be precise. This time, I was reporting the war in Sri Lanka for NDTV, a completely different medium which requires an altogether different set of expertise and resources. In less than 12 hours after landing in Colombo, the difficulties of broadcast journalism combined with the obstacles posed by an obdurate and cussed bureaucracy, so very typical of South Asian nations, became apparent. My colleague Dhanpal, incidentally a Tamil, reached Colombo International Airport early next morning and got stuck in Customs. They didn't let him out, saying the papers for the television equipment that he was carrying were not in order. So began a battle of another kind. One was not sure if Dhanpal had been stopped because he was a Tamil. Assuming the worst, I made two or three calls and asked him to wait. Fortunately, a couple of hours later, a fresh set of requisite documents reached the obdurate customs officer and he let Dhanpal go, albeit reluctantly. An hour after his arrival, we straightaway plunged into work. There were pieces to camera to be done, stand ups to be uplinked and phone calls to be made to different sources. And then there was the constant stream of demands from the office to be met. "Do a phone in at the top of the hour," "Give the details of the latest battle casualties," "Our competitors are saying the army has sighted Prabhakaran, what do you have?" -- the demands were unending. In retrospect, it was a timely move to be in the Sri Lankan capital because from that Saturday evening onwards, events unfolded with lightening speed and one could keep pace with requirements of television news only because in Dhanpal I had an experienced and unflappable colleague. As Eelam War IV neared its climax, there was virtually not a minute's respite since one was reporting for both for NDTV's English and Hindi channels. Each desk had a different requirement. The challenge was two-fold: To relay the information by putting it in the context for Indian viewers and second not go wrong on facts since NDTV 24x7 is the most viewed Indian channel in Colombo. Reporting from Colombo posed another challenge. The high level of security in the Sri Lankan capital meant that you couldn't shoot in the streets. All my pieces to camera and stand-ups had to be therefore done from either the hotel lawns or in the hotel lobby, robbing the coverage, the actual feel of the place. On a previous trip, me and another colleague, Sukumar, had been escorted to a police station because we were shooting on the street! But May 19 changed all that overnight. Prabhakaran was dead and the LTTE, decimated. Suddenly it was as if the entire nation was liberated! Jubilant crowds thronged the streets, bursting crackers, stuffing the armed forces personnel with sweets and garlanding them. For the television cameras too it was a liberating moment. No one stopped us now. We walked between processions, on the streets awash with Sri Lankan flags, local singers singing paeans to the soldiers at impromptu street corner gatherings, doing our walkabouts, our pre-recorded interviews and pieces to camera amidst the celebrations absolutely unhindered! It was an historic news event, but also a sad one. Through the day, we managed to remain on top of the news but as night fell and the prime time bulletins were over, the reality hit us both. All said and done, Prabhakaran was an extraordinary personality. The outfit that he created and led had no parallel in the history of terrorism. As we sat sipping our chilled beers, Dhanpal recalled, how, as a college student in Chennai in the late 1970s, he was part of a group that had mobilised support for the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka and how Prabhakaran was even then a celebrity in the Tamil brotherhood. Unlike Dhanpal, I had no such personal memory but as a student of insurgencies and conflicts, I only had grudging admiration for Prabhakaran's military genius and innovative mind. After all, he invented the suicide bomber; he perfected the cyanide capsule culture and applied innovative and daring tactics to combat large professional armies. But in the end, not knowing when to quit and compromise cost Prabhakaran his life. So, in different ways both of us, felt sad at the turn of events. Over the next three days, we managed to get exclusive, one on one interviews with Sri Lanka's defence secretary and General Fonseka among others. These interactions helped me confirm some of the conclusions that I reached about why Eelam War IV was different than earlier military campaigns in Sri Lanka. General Fonseka, a battle-hardened veteran of many past duels with the LTTE, had correctly assessed that the Tamil Tigers had expanded greatly in numbers, but had perhaps lost the agility and stealth that had made the outfit such a formidable adversary. The army commander in fact explained to me in detail the fresh strategy that he adopted. Selecting commanders who had previous field experience and were ruthless enough to implement unconventional and brutal tactics, General Fonseka outwitted and outnumbered the LTTE. He formed small, highly mobile, independent and lethal commando teams, who often infiltrated behind the enemy lines to isolate and then demolish LTTE defences. Of course, General Fonseka was lucky to have Gotabaya Rajapakse, a former course-mate in the army, as the defence secretary. Gotabaya is also the president's brother. So, Messrs Rajapakse and Fonseka had the total backing of President Mahinda Rajapakse, who set a clear military objective for the armed forces: Demolish the Tamil Tigers militarily, no matter what the cost. As General Fonseka said during the interview, this is any general's dream: Total political backing, no limits on buying war materials and recruiting manpower. Sri Lanka took in 80,000 new recruits in the armed forces in the last four years. It secured a steady supply of weapons and ammunition from countries like China and Pakistan after India refused to help Colombo under domestic political compulsions. The Tigers, on the other hand, were still stuck in the old mindset, employing conventional tactics like trying to hold on to territory. They finally paid heavily for those outdated strategies. In less than a year, the Rajapakse brothers and General Fonseka are sworn enemies. The war hero now faces a court martial and is under military custody. Mammoth egos and insecurities have led to such a sorry state of affairs. So what next for Sri Lanka? There are several unanswered and unresolved questions over the rehabilitation of the Tamils and more importantly a reconciliation between the Sinhalas and Tamils. But more about it in the next column. 12 May 2010 India calls for 'effective devolution' Rajapaksa’s constitution unacceptable: TNA The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which is the single largest Tamil party in the Sri Lankan parliament with 14 members, has said that the Rajapaksa government’s constitutional proposals are unacceptable to the Tamils and other minorities.“The proposals do not meet the needs of the minorities. They will put the minorities at a disadvantage,” TNA MP for Jaffna, Suresh Premachandran, told Express here on Tuesday.On Monday, two cabinent ministers cum spokespersons of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Susil Premajayantha and Maithripala Sirisena, said that the government would do away with Proportional Representation System (PRS) and replace it with the First Past the Post System (FPPS) for the majority of the 225 seats in parliament.They also said that a 25 member upper chamber called the Senate would be give representation to the minorities and the provinces. The existance of the Senate would obviate the present requirement to get the prior approval of provincial councils if any act affected their rights, the spokespersons said.The ruling party also announced that the constitution would be changed to allow a person to serve as President beyond the present two term limit.The proposals will be intoduced in parliament in the next two weeks and the constitution will be amended before President Mahinda Rajapaksa begins his second term on November 17. “The First Past the Post system will deny representation to the minorities. The winner (who will in most cases belong to the majority Sinhalese community) will take it all and the minorities and small parties will get no representation. The proportional representation system had room for smaller parties and the minorities,” Premachandran explained.“As for the Senate giving representation to the provinces. This is not going to be enough. What the Tamils want is provincial autonomy as well as a share in the power at the Centre,” he said.Premachandran further said that the government’s plan to delimit the electoral constituencies would adversely affect the Tamils and increase the representation of the majority Sinhalese.“Because of the migration of about 10 lakh Tamils due to the ethnic conflict, the Tamil population has come down. In Jaffna peninsula for instance, we would have had 11 seats but migration has brought it down to nine and it could go down further with fresh delimitation,” he said. Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader meets Indian External Affairs Minister Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe yesterday (11) met Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna in New Delhi. Wickremasinghe who is currently on a four-day private visit to India has discussed several bilateral issues, including the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils with the Indian Minister, Indian media reported. The leader of United National Party (UNP) is facing threats to his leadership after his party's continual loss of successive elections. He is being pressured from the senior party members to step down as the party leader and the party is to undergo reforms. Daily Mirror online quoting party sources reported that Wickremasinghe has expressed his willingness to quit from the leadership of the party if senior members of the main opposition were unhappy about his leadership. India to pump in more aid for war ravaged Sri Lanka: Rao Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Monday said that New Delhi would continue to give financial aid to Sri Lanka for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the war-ravaged Tamil dominated northern areas."Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has announced an assistance package of Rupees 500 crores for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the north last year," said Rao, delivering the inaugural address to a two-day seminar on Sri Lanka in New Delhi."We have in addition extended the lines of credit worth 416 million dollars for the restoration of railway infrastructure and other infrastructure projects in northern Sri Lanka. Another 382 million dollars are in the pipeline," she added."The end of military conflict in Sri Lanka has presented the country with many challenges, and we should not underestimate any of these challenges. The most immediate among them is the plight. They have come out after decades of conflict in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, scarred by their experience and seared by violence in their daily lives," she added.In October last year, India offered Sri Lanka 100 million dollars to help war refugees return home and rebuild the country's ravaged north.A similar aid package was given by New Delhi in July 2009, after the Sri Lankan Government announced victory in a 25-year war against Tamil Tiger separatists.The Indian government faces pressure to protect Sri Lankan Tamils, closely linked to about 60 million Tamils in Tamil Nadu.India, which once wielded undisputed leverage over the Sri Lankan conflict, maintained a largely hands-off approach over the last two years because of the concerns of Tamils at home.New Delhi is now keen to ensure that it retains influence in the island and keeps rivals China and Pakistan at arm's length If party wants me to resign from leadership, I am prepared to do so –Ranil says in India UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who is on a private tour of India, is to make a special statement as to whether he will continue to be the UNP leader or not, immediately after he returns to SL. Wickremesinghe’s private Secretary, Sudath Chandrasekera had conveyed this message passed to him by Wickremesinghe over the phone from India. When Lanka e news inquired about this from Chandrasekera, he stated that Wickremesinghe did everything possible for the progress of the party and make it victorious. After the defeat at the Presidential and General elections, he wanted to step down from the leadership, but it is the party members who requested him not to do so., and urged him to continue as the leader. He added , that Wickremesinghe had told him over the phone that he has no necessity to forcefully remain as leader , and if it is the wish of the party that he should resign, he has no desire to continue in that position. It is reported that Mr. Wickremesinghe before he left for India has met the members of the Committee headed by Joseph Michael Perera to reorganize the party and told , if necessary he is prepared to resign from the leadership. The Re organization Committee was appointed by the UNP Executive Committee. TC’s family seeks asylum The family of slain LTTE Political Wing Chief S.P. Thamilchelvam has sought clearance from the military to seek asylum in India, Deputy Minister of Resettlement Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan told Daily Mirror online.Tamilchelvam’s family who are currently under military custody were captured by the army while being in an IDP camp soon after the defeat of the LTTE last year.According to Minister Muralitharan, they are now being looked after ‘well’ by the army.“There is nothing to complain about. The army is looking after them very well. They have sought permission to go to India but their request is still under consideration,” Minister Muralitharan said.Soon after Tamilchelvam’s family were located in an IDP camp late last year, Minister Muralitharan had told reporters that the wife and the two children of the slain LTTE Political Wing Chief would soon be allowed to join with their relations.The Minister who had met Tamilchelvam’s family at Menik Farm, gave the promise that they would be with their relatives soon.“Thamilchelvan’s family members are not LTTE cadres. They are civilians. That is why the Army is looking after them well. I will take their issue to the government. They can re-unite with their relations as soon as the government grants permission,” he had said.Meanwhile more than 1500 LTTE cadres who had been sent to rehabilitation centers soon after the defeat of the Tigers last year have resettled wit their relatives in the north, Minister Muralitharan said.However many more cadres are still under army custody for security reasons, he added. The Vavuniya Welfare centre population decreases by 35000. Northern province Governor Northern Provincial Governor Major General G.A.Chandrasiri said the quantity of displaced people sheltered at the Vavuniya Welfare Camp is reduced to 35000. Outside the welfare centers, a considerable amount of people are sheltered.Accordingly about 35000 peoples are living outside the welfare camps. The resettlement activities are expedited was mentioned by G.A.Chanedrasiri. He said through the Resettlement Ministry and “North Vasantham” many welfare projects are processed to the displaced people. Arbour to campaign for independent war-crimes inquiry in Sri Lanka Louise Arbour, president of the NGO International Crisis Group (ICG) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "will examine these allegations [of war crimes in Sri Lanka] and make the case for an independent international inquiry as a necessary step in making Sri Lanka's tenuous and bitter peace more just and sustainable," said a note sent to the invitees for a conference on "War Crimes in Sri Lanka" to be held Monday at the premises of the event's joint sponsor, Chatham House, London. 17th May falls on the first anniversary of the end of fighting in Sri Lanka when the Liberation Tigers' military leadership fought to death in the battle fields in Mullaitheevu shores.Nearly 40,000 civilians were killed during the last 5 months of fighting according a former UN spokesperson."The Sri Lankan security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) repeatedly violated international humanitarian law during the last five months of their 30-year civil war. Although both sides committed atrocities throughout the conflict, there are credible accusations that the scale and nature of violations grew much worse from January 2009 to the government's declaration of victory in May," the note to the invitees further said.Arbour is intimately familiar with Sri Lanka's history, war and the human rights situation that has been deteriorating for several years."Weakness of the rule of law and prevalence of impunity is alarming in Sri Lanka where critical elements for the protection of Human Rights have been undermined or compromised despite the existence of much of the necessary human rights institutional infrastructure," Arbour said in concluding her five-day mission to Sri Lanka in October 2007.During the same visit, highlighting the reluctance of Sri Lanka in ratifying the Rome Treaty, Arbour said, "[i]n light of the documented violations of international humanitarian law, Sri Lanka should seriously consider joining the 105 countries which have ratified the Rome Treaty creating the International Crime Court."A day before the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement in Sri Lanka was terminated by Colombo on the 16th January 2008, Louise Arbour, reminded the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of their obligations under international law to respect human rights. She warned that rights abuses “by any party could entail individual criminal responsibility under international criminal law, including by those in positions of command.” Sri Lanka's diplomatic mission to the UN, rejected Arbour’s comments as “pathetically unenforceable threats,” and added that Sri Lanka “will not be deterred by thinly veiled threats attempting to undermine the morale of its military, deter its military campaigns and save separatist terrorism from elimination.”Timed to coincide with the anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka's war, and the conclusion of parliamentary elections in Britain, ICG's conference comes in the wake of an announcement in Sri Lanka that Rajapakse is appointing a "Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation," an attempt widely believed to be a ruse to deflect pressure from the international community for an independent investigation. Prabhakaran's mother rejects India's offer for conditional visa Slain Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Prabhakaran's mother Parvathi Ammal has rejected India's offer for conditional visa to visit Tamil Nadu for for her treatment. According to reports, Parvathi Ammal, accompanied by former MP Sivajilingam, arrived in Colombo on Monday night.The central Government had allowed Parvathi Ammal to visit Tamil Nadu for medical treatment on certain conditions. This was conveyed by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi earlier in the day. The Union Government's decision was conveyed through a letter to the Indian Mission in Kuala Lumpur where she was staying at present. The state government had written to the Union Home Secretary to consider allowing Parvathi for treatment provided certain conditions were met. 6 persons arrested on suspicion of links with abduction incidents in Jaffna. Six persons had been arrested of links with the abduction incidents in Jaffna. A divisional Politician including six persons had been arrested in connection with abductions and threats. Evidences from two persons, who had witness the incidents directly have been recorded.The “Lakbima” newspaper has published a news item, that some websites functioning in supportive of Tamil Eelam Liberation tigers, have quoted news items, that crimes have increased in the Jaffna peninsula. Toronto-area man pleads guilty to funding Tamil Tigers Toronto -- Prapaharan Thambithurai is a satellite dish installer and father of three. He lives next to the Canada's Wonderland theme park and considers himself a "true Canadian."On Tuesday, he admitted he was also a terrorist financier.The 46-year-old resident of Maple, Ont., pleaded guilty to "providing financial services knowing that they will benefit a terrorist group, namely the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," the Public Prosecution Service said in a news release.He is the first person in Canada to be convicted of a terrorism offence simply for fundraising. He is also the first convicted of financing Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, which the RCMP says raised millions in Canada.A statement of facts read in British Columbia Supreme Court yesterday said Mr. Thambithurai had collected $600 worth of donations as well as pledge forms between March 11 and 14, 2008. While he said the money was for humanitarian aid in Sri Lanka, he also told police he knew at least some of it would go to the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist organization under Canadian law. Reached by phone in Vancouver yesterday, he declined to comment ahead of his sentencing on Friday. He faces a maximum 10 years in prison, but the Crown is seeking two years while his lawyer wants a suspended sentence.Known as "Prapa," Mr. Thambithurai immigrated to Canada in 1988 and soon became president of the Eelam Tamil Association of B.C. He was also active in the World Tamil Movement (WTM), which the RCMP says is a front used to raise money for the rebels, who also go by the acronym LTTE."In Canada, the WTM is an LTTE ‘front' organization," Const. Paul Huston wrote in a warrant used to search the group's Vancouver office in 2005. "Members of the WTM hold fundraisers that operate under the guise of ‘cultural events.' "They advertise humanitarian objectives like medical relief and children's orphanages to avoid undue attention. Members of the WTM sell merchandise such as books, compact discs, flags, clothing, newspapers, pamphlets and videos to raise funds. They are sold at community events as well as selected business locations. The proceeds are then funnelled back to the LTTE."The World Tamil Movement has been under scrutiny in Canada since at least 1995, when its coordinator was arrested in Toronto for allegedly raising money for the rebels. He was ordered deported but remains in Canada.In 2002, after terrorist financing was outlawed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, an RCMP investigation found the WTM had raised millions in Canada and sent it to overseas to accounts linked to the rebels. Police searches of the WTM offices in Montreal and Toronto also turned up letters the rebels had sent asking for millions to be raised to pay for weapons and the "liberation struggle." Prosecutors have seized the WTM's assets. In addition, a U.S. federal court sentenced three Canadians to lengthy prison terms this year for attempting to buy $1-million worth of AK-47 assault rifles and Russian SA-18 surface-to-air missiles for the rebels.The Tamil Tigers were separatist guerrillas who fought for independence for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority, but their frequent suicide bombings and political assassinations, as well as their aggressive fundraising methods in the West, landed them on international terrorist lists.Last May, government forces surrounded the rebels and wiped out their leaders, bringing the war to a decisive end. Since then there have been repeated calls for an independent war crimes investigation. A multi-faith service was held on Parliament Hill yesterday to remember civilians killed during the final stage of the conflict. 11 May 2010 Tamil leaders call for day of mourning to mark 'catastrophe' after Sri Lankan war victory Ethnic Tamil leaders called Monday for a day of mourning for civilians killed during Sri Lanka's 25-year civil war, as the government prepared to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its victory over Tamil Tiger rebels.Sri Lanka's conflict ended in May 2009 after a massive military operation against the Tigers in their stronghold in the country's north. According to U.N. documents at least 7,000 civilians were killed in the last five months of the war. An estimated 80,000-100,000 people died during a quarter-century of fighting.A Tamil political party urged Tamil people Monday to mourn and hold silent prayers on May 17 to mark what it called a day of "catastrophe" after the rebels were routed on the battlefield and senior leaders killed."During the height of the war several thousand Tamil people were killed and hundreds of thousand others suffered heavy losses and were forced to flee their homes," said the Tamil National Alliance, the largest political party representing Tamils."This catastrophe is one of the worst in world history," the party said in a statement.The government, meanwhile, announced a week of celebrations to honour soldiers starting Wednesday, including a victory parade in the capital Colombo on May 20. During "war heroes' week," the army also plans to hold religious ceremonies and raise funds to help disabled soldiers, a government statement said.The government said last week it will establish a commission to investigate alleged human rights abuses during the war. Government troops were accused of shelling a small strip of land where hundreds of thousands of people were boxed-in during the last stages of the conflict.The rebels were also accused of killing noncombatants trying to leave the area under their control, and firing artillery from civilian-populated regions that led to retaliatory military fire.Nearly 300,000 people were left homeless after the final assault ended on May 18, 2009 with the death of the rebel group's chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, and all senior guerrilla leaders.About 100,000 refugees remain in government-run camps. Tens of thousands of others were sent back to their villages or live with relatives and friends. EPDP Jaffna Deputy Mayor placed in remand prison Jaffna magistrate Mr. Anantharajah ordered Monday the second suspect Ilango alias Regan, Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Deputy Mayor of Jaffna, for alleged involvement in threatening Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, to be placed in Jaffna remand prison until 24 May, when he was arrested and produced in Jaffna magistrate court, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, ruling party Jaffna Mayor announced that all employees of Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) are to abstain from duties Tuesday in protest against the arrest and detention of the Deputy Mayor, the sources added. JMC Commissioner had sent an announcement of the above protest in the form of an advertisement to local dailies for publishing.The dailies, however, said that the advertisement will not be published as it will amount to contempt of court.The inquiry into the alleged complaint against death threat issued to Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran was transferred from Chaavakachcheari court to Jaffna court as Regan was absconding in JMC area.Earlier, on 02 May Chaavakachcheari police arrested the EPDP coordinator of Thenmaraadchi zone, Alexander Soosaimuththu alias Charles, for allegedly threatening Chaavakachcheari Magistrate K. Prabakaran for having issued arrest warrant on EPDP suspects involved in the abduction and murder of student Kapilnath. Police launch three-pronged programme to win Northerners’ hearts Police have launched a three-pronged programme to win the hearts of the People in the Northern Province.The programme includes combatting crime, making people feel secure and building goodwill between the people and the Police in the North Senior DIG, Northern Province, Nimal Lewke said yesterday. "We want the people to know that we are with them, so that the people may interact fearlessly with the Police at all times when in need of assistance," he said.Special Criminal Investigation Units were set up in every Police Station in the North to investigate incidents of theft and robbery."Following this, the Police had been able to investigate and solve the five cases of abductions that were reported recently. The Police were able to apprehend the persons who were responsible and rescue the abducted. We have commenced legal proceedings against the suspects in Court," he said.Along with the Criminal Investigation Units, Community Policing, under a separate OIC in each town, has been launched with Town Commanders appointed to each street to coordinate with the Policemen on duty, he said."The Police have commenced another programme, along with the Banks, to create awareness among the people through a Public Address system, on the value of banking their extra money and putting their valuables in Bank vaults. By this the owners can be sure that their lives and valuables are secure," he said.In villages where people had been resettled, the members of each community development committee were recruited to assist the Police in Policing and programmes were launched to involve youth in sports and recreational activities with plans to finally train them in computer and other skills for their livelihood."As we have clearly understood that the inability to speak the Tamil language is a barrier to building goodwill, on May 17 we would be launching a programme where a hundred Policemen from the Jaffna District and another hundred from the Vanni District will be trained for six months so that they may be proficient in Tamil! Furthermore, we have printed a booklet, a dictionary, with the basic questions asked by anybody translated into Sinhalese and Tamil with the answers and these books have been provided to each and every Police station for on the job training," he said. India okays Praba’s mom A French deminer killed in Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Airlines to fly to Shanghai Sri Lankan Airlines will launch a four-times a week service to Shanghai in July 2010, the third Chinese city in its global route network, the airline said in a statement.The new service will expand the airline's cargo carrying capacity between China and Sri Lanka, with rapid connections in Colombo to Sri Lankan’s global route network, it said. "Sri Lankan’s services to Chinese cities are tailored to pamper Chinese travelers, with flights having Chinese cuisine; Chinese movies and even Mandarin-speaking stewardesses." Sri Lankan Airlines’ Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe said the national carrier expects the service to become popular very quickly among both tourists and business travelers of both countries. The airline said business links between China and Sri Lanka have been growing with several Chinese firms involved in ongoing infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka, including construction of ports, airports, power stations and highways. It said Shanghai is the world’s largest cargo port, serving China’s booming export economy and one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of 19 million. The flights on wide-body Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft will operate via Bangkok to China’s largest city and commercial capital on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flights leave Colombo at 01.25 in the morning and arrive in Shanghai at 12.45 in the afternoon. The return flight would leave Shanghai at 4.20 in the afternoon and arrive in Colombo at 9.55 p.m. 10 May 2010 India loses Lanka to China Ex IPKF chief Former head of Intelligence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, retired Colonel of the Indian Army R. Hariharan said that increasing military strength in neighboring Sri Lanka ‘is a strategic threat to India’, the Express Buzz reported.“Sri Lanka is increasing its troops strength to 200,000, about one fourth of India’s size, there is a strategic threat to the country,” Col. Hariharan said at a symposium in Chennai on ‘Sri Lanka, What Next’ organised by The Sunday Indian newspaper on Saturday.The panel of experts at a symposium stressed a Civil initiative to help reconstruction process in Sri Lanka. “There is a need to evolve a structure where the grassroots could participate in any resettlement,” Col. Hariharan said.Highlighting the role of the Union government, the Retired official said, “India did not use its position effectively to evolve a solution to the Sri Lankan issue.” “India’s strategic advantage in Sri Lanka suffered a huge blow with the defeat of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Even now India can intervene to resolve the issue,” the colonel said.He said the Sri Lankan issue was hijacked by politicians who were trying to internationalise the issue as such the voice of the people was not heard. Father Jegath Gasper Raj said LTTE was the last hope for Tamils to lead a dignified life in Sri Lanka.“There is no structured rehabilitation plans. Nothing is settled until settled right,’ he said.He said any political solution to the problem should provide the Lankan Tamils with basic rights including those of land and educational rights. He said there was a need to engage the Rajapakse government to reach out to the people. “The focus should be on people and they need to be given a healing hand,” he said.Consulting editor of Deccan Chronicle Bhagwan Singh said that India had lost Sri Lanka to China with the defeat of LTTE. “With no Tamil resistance, Sri Lanka don’t want India anymore.Colombo is awarding all plump contracts to China,” he said.With the war over, there is a need to form a civil society to help war‐hit people get back jobs by providing them education and opening of vocational training centres, polytechnics and nursing schools.“This would strengthen the Tamils there and help prevent large‐scale Sinhalisation,” he said. I was not involved in Aranthalawa massacre – Karuna Deputy Resettlement Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan calling on the Mahanayaka Theros of the Maha Vihares denied his involvement in the massacres of the Sangha and laymen.He said he had not been involved in the massacre of 33 Buddhist monks at Arantalawa in 1987.He told the Mahanayakes that he believed in peaceful co-existence of all communities in Sri Lanka and he was not opposed to the installation of army camps in any part of the country. For internal security, the deployment of the army was vital, he said.In resettling the displaced in the North and East all three communities Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim would be equally treated, he said. A Tamil group arrested in Italy say they were sent to Europe on a SL Defense Chief’s mission Arumainathan Krisnajegan (22) - Chavakacheri This group during the final phase of the war had crossed over to the civilian population area from among the LTTE. They were among the many thousands who were taken into custody by the Army as suspected LTTE cadres. This group had told the Italian police that they were to be given instructions as to what they should do by an individual whom they were to meet in Italy.They have stated that they were brought to Katunayake Airport by a Minister‘s subordinate. They were arrested in Palarivo city railway station in Italy.The ‘chief’ who came to meet them when they were arrested was an individual named Krishnan, a worker in the SL Embassy in Italy. This individual earlier was the leader of the campaign collecting monies in Italy for the ‘api wenuwen api’ program of the State defense Ministry of SL, reports say.When we inquired from Major General Prasad Samarasinghe whether this group was dispatched with the knowledge of Defense Ministry bigwig , he totally denied the allegations as false.All those who surrendered to the Army or those who were arrested were handed over to the rehabilitation camps . None of them was kept in the custody of the Army . After rehabilitation they were released. Whether they went to Italy after being released by illicit routes is a matter beyond his knowledge , the Major General stated.. The latter added that he would be able to give more information after he has inquired into this fully. 'Four Assassins of Ex-Lanka FM Killed During War' Four suspected assassins of former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was shot dead in 2005, have died during the last phase of the war against LTTE, a court was told.Four hardcore LTTE suspects involved in the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, have been killed during Eelam war IV that ended in May last year.This was stated during the hearing of the case at the Colombo High Court before Judge Kumudini Wickramasinghe yesterday.The Former Foreign Minister, 73, was shot dead by an LTTE sniper on the night of 12th August 2005, from the bathroom of the adjoining house, as he came out of the swimming pool at his residence.Emergency regulations in Sri Lanka were re-imposed after the assassination of Kadirgamar and are still in operation.Under cross-examination by Deputy Solicitor General Kapila Waidyaratne, SSP Ajith Wickramasekera said that a sniper had used a tripod to mount the gun used in the killing and six empty shells were found at the scene.Wickramasekara said he had rushed to the residence of Kadirgamar in Colombo after the incident and examined the scene, the Island Newspaper reported yesterday.He said the tripod had been placed near the toilet seat from where the sniper shot the former minister.When one looked out of the window of the bathroom, the swimming pool, the summer hut and the backyard of the former Minister's residence could be clearly seen, the newspaper quoted the witness as saying.The other two accused -- Muttaiah Sahadevan and Isidor Arokyanathan alias Babu -- have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.Former LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, intelligence head Pottu Amman, Charles Master alias Charles and Komathi Manimekala were also accused in this case but their names have been deleted from the chargesheet since they are dead.Deputy Solicitor General Kapila Waidyaratne and Senior State Counsel Shanil Kularatne appeared for the prosecution, the Island Newspaper said.Attorneys A Vinayagamoorthy and Thavarasa appeared for the first and second accused, the newspaper said, adding the case will be taken up on May 17. Nalini’s calls traced A special police team arrested a person alleged to have received a telephone call form Nalini serving a life term in a Madras prison over the killing of Rajiv Gandhi. On the detection of a mobile phone in the cell of Nalini, Sri Lankan authorities had conducted inquiries on the information supplied by the Indian Prison officers, a senior police officer said. A resident of Gurunagar, Jaffna Wairawapulle Vettrivel are the persons arrested.On an occasion when he had come to Colombo Nalini had telephoned him on the mobile phone of one Naagamma of Gunasinghepura, police have found out. Once Naagamma was arrested and interrogated, the senior police office said, that Vettrivel was arrested. Naagamma and Vettrivel were believed to be friends and when he was in Colombo, Nalini had called on Nagamma’s mobile phone and got in touch with Vettrivel, police stated.On April 20th Indian prison authorities found a mobile phone in the prison cell of Nalini. When it was found, Nalini had grabbed it from the prison officer and thrown it into the toilet pit. It had been later retrieved form the toilet pit, Tamil Nadu Minister of Law Duari Murugan had told parliament.Naagamma arrested in Colombo and Vettrivel arrested in Jaffna had known each other for a considerable period, and a special police team is conducting inquiries to establish the connection Nalini had with them. High level police sources stated that for future inquiries assistance of Indian authorities would be made use of. Meanwhile, in another development ahead of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Kollam, in Kerala State, India on Monday, 36 Tamils from Sri Lanka have been detained to know how they reached Kerala, an IANS report quoting an official said Saturday. Sri Lanka blacklists Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) representatives Sri Lanka defense sources say that the authorities have blacklisted the 272 Tamils elected to the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) in elections held last Sunday. These representatives of Tamil Diaspora were elected from UK, France, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, and Australia. Sri Lanka government has denied recognition of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE). The intelligence wings of Sri Lanka have already obtained information on these representatives and they will not be allowed entry to Sri Lanka. A chief of Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) has told media that they expect to arrive in Sri Lanka with the support of the international community to meet the Sri Lankan Tamils in their homeland. Country’s valuable lands are all now under the Rajapakse family -Anura Kumara Abducted person from Jaffna was released in Vanni A youth who was abducted last 5th from Jaffna Sanganai, had been taken to Vanni, but he had escaped is according to information The 18 years old Gobalasingham Thinakaran resident of Araly Centre, Araly had gone to Sanganai to buy clothes to a shop, was approached by an elder, who had covered his face by a cloth and had made him to become unconscious was stated by the involved person. While he became awake he found that he was in a vehicle at Vanni. The youth had informed along with him some too were in unconscious state in the said vehicle. He had escaped from the vehicle and with the assistance of another person had come to the main road on a bicycle and had boarded a bus to Kilinochchi bus stop. From there he had proceeded to Jaffna was stated. The Jaffna information states, the said youth was not harmed. The incident has created much exciting and tense amidst the people of Jaffna peninsula. 07 May 2010 Sri Lanka fears revival of war crimes charges Sri Lankan former army chief Sarath Fonseka could use his new position as an opposition lawmaker to revive calls for an international war crimes investigation, the government said Thursday.Troops wiped out Tamil Tiger rebels, who had fought for a Tamil homeland for decades, one year ago in a ferocious military offensive that caused widespread humanitarian concern.The United Nations reported that at least 7,000 civilians perished during the last four months of fighting, and it also accused the Tiger guerrillas of using civilians as human shields."Those bent on destabilising the country would now exploit Fonseka's parliamentary privileges to fast track their sinister campaign (for a war crimes probe)," Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse told the Island newspaper.Fonseka, the architect of the military offensive, fell out badly with President Mahinda Rajapakse, Gotobhaya's brother, after their victory over the Tigers and unsuccessfully tried to unseat the president in January elections.Fonseka is now being court martialled, but won a seat in parliament last month.He has accused Gotabhaya of ordering the execution of Tamil Tiger rebels as they surrendered.Sri Lanka has strongly resisted calls for an international investigation into alleged war crimes, saying no civilians were harmed by government forces in its battle against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).Sri Lanka insists it carried out a "humanitarian operation" to free Tamil civilians from rebel control, but the UN and Western nations, including the United States and EU member states, have called for an investigation. Sri Lanka CID says no evidence of Defence Secretary ordering elimination of surrendering LTTE leaders Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation department has informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate Court that it found no evidence of any orders to eliminate the surrendering LTTE leaders during the last phase of the battle with the rebel outfit. CID told the Chief Magistrate that their investigations have confirmed that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa or Commander of Task Force 1, then Brigadier, now Major General Shavendra Silva has never given any orders to shoot the surrendered LTTE cadres or their family members during the final operation in Wanni. The CID has requested the court to grant permission to consider General Fonseka as a suspect based on the progress of the investigations that have been conducted so far. Colombo Chief Magistrate Champa Janaki Rajaratna has issued notice on the Army Commander to produce Fonseka before courts on May 12th. The former Army Commander General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka last December accused the Defence Secretary and Major general Siva of ordering to shoot white flag-waving LTTE cadres. The announcement created a huge outcry from international community demanding a probe into Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes. Perumal tells Govt. to ignore Tamil Diaspora Former North-East Chief Minister A. Varatharaja Perumal has appealed to the Sri Lankan government not to pay heed to Tamil Diaspora and its machinations because those were irrelevant.Members of the Tamil diaspora were not going to return to Sri Lanka and had no stakes in peace and development there, Perumal was quoted as having said by Expressbuzz website."In fact, the Diaspora’s interests are at variance with those of the Tamils remaining in Sri Lanka," he added. "While the Diaspora wants instability and war in Tamil areas, Tamils living in Sri Lanka want peace, devolution and economic development "Therefore, the Rajapaksa government should ignore the Diaspora and instead talk to representatives of the Tamils remaining in Sri Lanka," the report quoted him as saying. Govt proposals to House next month The Government’s proposals for Constitutional amendments will be presented to Parliament next month, SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena said. The drafts in this regard are being formulated, he added. The Minister was responding to a query on the proposed amendments to the Constitution. He said the Government’s intention was to bring in amendments to the Constitution in keeping with the wishes of the people. Since the Government has a two thirds majority in the House it does not anticipate any difficulty in amending the Constitution, the Minister said. He said there is no reason for the Opposition to oppose any changes desired by the people adding that the Government expects the cooperation of the Opposition in effecting the necessary changes for the future of the country. Therefore, the Government is of the firm belief that the Opposition will cooperate with it to amend the Constitution and since the Opposition too has to work with the people’s interest at heart. Hence there would be no difficulty in seeing through any Constitutional amendments. He said the intention of the Government is to create an administration that is amenable to the wishes of the people in keeping with the overwhelming mandate it had received. GOVT. TRYING TO FEED CYANIDE TO PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY – RANIL The debate in parliament on Import and Export Control turned acid today with Opposition leader Ranil Wicremasinghe charging that the government was attempting to feed cyanide to parliamentary democracy.The tense situation arose following a clarification made by former minister of International Trade and present Minister of External Affairs Professor G. L. Peiris. The Democratic National Alliance parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the gazette detailing these regulations not being presented to parliament even after a lapse of one month since it was issued, was illegal.The MP pointed out that the said gazette had been published on the 9th of November.The Leader of the House, Nimal Siripala De Silva, refuted this claim saying MP Dissanayake's allegation was baseless.Deputy Minister of Finance, Chandrasiri Gajadheera, joining the debate made a clarification as well.This created an uproar amongst the members of the Opposition.The Deputy Minister noted that after the gazette was issued on the 9th of November, before the lapse of a month, it had been presented to parliament and that it is being presented to parliament once again after the 7th parliament of the country convened.After considering the facts presented by both parties, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa said that as the gazette had been presented to parliament within one month of it being published, as per the Import and Export Act, the debate could continue with regard to the relevant regulations.At this point, Opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe joined the debate.He said that while these regulations sought to import Hydrogen Cyanide, the government was attempting to feed cyanide to parliamentary democracy.Responding, Deputy Minister Chandrasiri Gajadheera said that those regulations governed 38 chemical substances including Hydrogen Cyanide.He added that those chemical substances were already used by industrial sectors.Meanwhile, UNP Ravi Karunanayake noted that a national policy on the economy needed to be introduced.He went on to say that if the views of the Opposition were made use of without casting them aside, the country could move forward swiftly. Monk Areested Over Alleged Abuse of Orphaned girls A monk has been taken into custody in connection with an allegation that two school girls of an orphanage in Uppuveli, Trincomalee had been abused.According to police media spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakody, the two girls aged 15 and 17 had made statements to police to that effect.The two school girls have been sent to Trincomalee hospital for an inspection.The girls had revealed of the abuse they had had to undergo at the hands of the suspect, to a teacher of their school. The school teacher had alerted the school principal and the principal had informed the police.The two school girls have told police that the monk had abused them. India ready to resume ferry services with Sri Lanka India is prepared to resume ferry services between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, Indian High Commissioner Ashok K Kantha said on Wednesday.The two ferry services are expected to connect Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka and Rameshwaran and Colombo and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu."The Government of India also favoured an early resumption of the ferry service between Talaimannar and Rameshwaram as also between Colombo and Tuticorin," a statement from the High Commission of India quoted Kantha as saying.Kantha was speaking after inaugurating a visa office in the northern town of Jaffna.In July 2009, India and Sri Lanka had decided to resume the ferry service between Cochin and Colombo after a gap of 25 years. That decision was taken at the SAARC transport ministers’ conference here which was attended by an Indian delegation led by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, RPN Singh. Speaking on this occasion on Wednesday, Kantha reiterated the commitment of the Government of India to promote closer ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka and conveyed that India was looking forward to opening a Consulate in Jaffnain the near future.He said the Jaffna visa centre would benefit the people of Jaffna and neighbouring areas as they would not have to travel all the way to Colombo to submit their India visa applications.This initiative on the part of the High Commission of India will facilitate the visa applicants to submit their visa applications in Jaffna and to take delivery of the passports from the India Visa Application Centre, Jaffna.The High Commissioner hoped that the opening of the India Visa Application Centre, in Jaffna would encourage many more people to obtain visas to India from this region and travel more frequently to India. This would promote the traditional close ties between the people of Jaffna and India. Pakistan seeks Lankan help to curb Taliban Pakistan has sought support of the Sri Lankan Army in curbing Taliban terrorists, 'Divaina' reports.In a report by Keerthi Warnakulasuriya, the newspaper says a senior Pakistani airman Anjum Nadeem has led a team of Air Force and Navy to the island to discuss the assistance.The team has met with defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as well as Army chief Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya and other top officers involved in defeating the LTTE.Curbing terrorism and countering suicide attacks have also come under discussion at these talks, said the newspaper. Lawyers continue to abstain from appearing in courts in Jaffna district Lawyers in Jaffna peninsula continue to abstain from appearing in courts in protest against the alleged death threats by Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) key operatives to Chaavakachcheari magistrate K. Pirabakaran, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna High Court Judge, R. T. Vignarajah summoned an urgent meeting Thursday attended by the magistrates, police officials and lawyers in Jaffna peninsula where he informed that Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapakse had assured him that immediate action will be taken to maintain law and order in the peninsula and requested the lawyers to give up their boycott of courts, legal sources in Jaffna said. Though all lawyers in the North had participated in the boycott when it was first launched, only lawyers in Jaffna, continue it now.Consequently, all trials and inquiries in the magistrate courts of Chaavakachcheari, Mallaakam, Jaffna, Point Pedro, Oorkaavattu’rai in the islets of Jaffna and Jaffna High Court have been postponed due to the absence of lawyers.Meanwhile, arguments arose in the above meeting when the lawyers present raised the issue of Regan, the deputy Mayor of Jaffna, EPDP key operative and a suspect in the alleged death threats to magistrate Pirabakaran, remaining free though the prime suspect, Charles, EPDP Thenmaraadchi organizer, is detained in remand prison after arrest.Whether political influence is involved in Charles being not arrested was also questioned by some lawyers participating in the meeting.Thereafter discussions on the issue of jurisdiction area of a court of law came up and it was told that Charles had been arrested within the jurisdiction of Chaavakachcheari court where the case was inquired into.However, since Chaavakachcheari magistrate Pirabakaran resides in Paa’ndiyan Thaazhvu which falls within Jaffna magistrate court jurisdiction area where the threats are alleged to have been made, the case was transferred to Jaffna magistrate court Thursday.Regan, the other suspect in the alleged death threat case is said to be living in the jurisdiction area of Jaffna magistrate court. 06 May 2010 India opens Visa Application Centre in Jaffna of Northern Sri Lanka Indian High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha on Wednesday ceremoniously opened a visa application center in Jaffna of northern Sri Lanka for the benefit of the residents in Jaffna and the adjacent war-battered northern region. The new center will facilitate the visa applicants in the North to submit their visa applications in Jaffna without having to travel to Colombo and to take delivery of the passports from the IVAC, Jaffna, the High Commission said in a press release. Full text of press release: The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka H.E. Ashok K. Kantha inaugurated the India Visa Application Centre (IVAC) of the High Commission of India, Sri Lankain Jaffna today. This will be operated by the VFS Global who have been successfully running the India Visa Application Centre in Colombo since February 2008. Speaking on this occasion, the High Commissioner of India hoped that this would benefit the people of Jaffna and neighbouring areas as they would not have to travel all the way to Colombo to submit their India visa applications. This initiative on the part of the High Commission of India will facilitate the visa applicants to submit their visa applications in Jaffna and to take delivery of the passports from the India Visa Application Centre, Jaffna. The High Commissioner hoped that the opening of the India Visa Application Centre, Jaffna would encourage many more people to obtain visas to India from this region and travel more frequently to India. This would promote the traditional close ties between the people of Jaffna and India. The High Commissioner also reiterated the commitment of the Government of India to promote closer ties between the people of India and Sri Lanka and conveyed that India was looking forward to opening a Consulate in Jaffna in the near future. The Government of India also favoured an early resumption of the ferry service between Talaimannar and Rameshwaram as also between Colombo and Tuticorin. The India Visa Application Centre is well located at No.89, Brown Road, Jaffna. The IVAC will function from 0800 hours to 1700 hours from Monday to Friday. Visa applicants can log on to www.vfs-in-lk.com for guidance about visa instructions. They can send e-mails to info.inlk@vfshelpline.com for visa queries. The IVAC helpline number is 011 4505588. The facilities to the visa applicants include longer operational hours; dedicated Call Centre Unit and e-mail support; information desk at the IVAC; flexibility of submission and collection timings and convenient procedure for submitting visa applications. The processing time for each visa application will normally take about three working days. The decision to grant or refuse visa will be the sole prerogative of the High Commission of India, Colombo. Mark Victory Day with ‘sense of grief’ -TNA MP Sumanthiran TNA National list MP M. A. Sumanthiran told parliament yesterday that the victory day celebrations on the first anniversary of the LTTE’s defeat should be celebrated with a "sense of grief".He said "the celebrations must be undertaken with a sense of sensitivity and as much as the soldiers who were killed and maimed are remembered, other Sri Lankans who were killed too should be remembered".Last year’s celebrations at the end of the war were "hurtful," the MP said. "We were taunted on the streets. That hurt. That kind of attitude does not promote reconciliation," he said.He said the celebrations should be undertaken with a sense of grief and not with a sense of "triumphalism". Sri Lanka parliament approves state of emergency Sri Lanka's parliament voted on Wednesday in favor of extension of the state of emergency by a further month.The motion was approved 132 voting for and 14 against in the 225-member assembly, officials said.While the ruling party United People's Freedom Alliance voted in favor, the main minority Tamil party Tamil National Alliance voted against.The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) were not present at the time of the vote. However, one of the 60 legislators from the UNP, Abdul Cader voted with the government.The state of emergency in force since August 2005 gave sweeping powers to the government troops which enable them to win the military battle with the former Tamil Tiger rebels.The government said it needed to relax some of the emergency laws in the current environment of peace with the end of the 30- year-old separatist war on May 18 last year.The government maintained that continuation of laws were still necessary to deal with moves to revive by the Tiger rebels.The opposition criticized the move as usage of laws to harass political opponents and muzzling of free media. Produce General Fonseka in Court Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Champa Janaki Rajaratnam yesterday issued notice on the Army Commander to produce retired General Sarath Fonseka, now in Army custody, before Court on May 12. The Judge issued notice on an application by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who are conducting investigations into a statement made by retired General Sarath Fonseka to a weekend English newspaper that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had given instructions or orders to Brigadier Shavendra Silva to fire at the LTTE suspects who surrendered to the Security Forces with white flags. The CID filing a further report before Court in connection with the statement by Fonseka to the newspaper, they said that according to their investigations Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had not given such instructions or orders. The CID moved court to grant permission to make retired General Sarath Fonseka a suspect in the case as he had made a false statement to the newspaper. The Judge directed the CID to submit a comprehensive report about their ongoing investigations against Fonseka before Court grant permission to make him a suspect. According to the investigations carried out by the CID, the LTTE suspects who surrendered to the Armed forces had been rehabilitated. The CID had also recorded two statements from a journalist who had recorded retired General Sarath Fonseka’s statement and the proprietor of the newspaper organization. The two statements had been forwarded to Courts, the CID said. Sub Inspector Anura de Silva appeared for the CID. 4 New Cabinet Ministers and 6 Dep. Ministers sworn in: Dr. Amunugama gets only a Deputy Minister post Army prevented Fonseka attending Parliament-JVP DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday told Parliament that the army had prevented DNA MP General Sarath Fonseka from attending Parliament.Gen. Fonseka was to be produced before a Court Martial yesterday evening, but he had been prevented from taking part in the Emergency debate which took place yesterday morning. Dissanayake said.Preventing Gen. Fonseka from attending Parliament amounted a breach of parliamentary privileges, he said.Therefore, the Speaker should immediately issue notice ordering the army to allow Fonseka to attend parliamentary sessions.Dissanayake said: "Sarath Fonseka has not been allowed to come to the House. So, he would not be here to cast his vote when the vote on emergency regulations is taken this evening. He is being held against his will because those who are holding him have been given orders that Fonseka must face the court martial session scheduled for 2.30 p.m. today. This is despite an order issued by the Speaker yesterday. The army has ignored the order given by the Speaker. In so doing, they have challenged the supremacy of Parliament and the Speaker’s authority. Gen. Fonseka’s lawyers informed the court martial yesterday that the House would meet today."Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa: "We will study this issue and give on order. I was told that the lawyers for MP Fonseka had not sought permission for their client to attend parliament today. I will look into this matter and inform the House of my decision." Praba’s house owner surfaces The owner of the house in which LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabakaran was living in just before his death, has surfaced at a camp for the Internally Displaced People (IDP) located in Vavuniya and is claiming ownership for the house and property, military officials said.Speaking to a group of journalists in Killinochchi today the military said that the owner of Prabakaran’s house located at Dharmapuram, Vishwamadu in Killinochchi claims that the house was taken away from him by force by the LTTE eight years ago.The house is located on a one acre land in a once LTTE high security zone where the military had subsequently discovered an underground bunker as well as 60 LTTE camps surrounding the house as part of the security for the Tiger leader. According to the Military, the LTTE leader’s personal security officer who is now under Military detention had confirmed that the man claiming ownership for Prabakaran’s house is the previous owner but disputed claims that it was taken by force.The security officer has insisted that the LTTE leader had paid cash for the house to the owner at the time it was taken and not by force. AS a result of the contradictory claims and was it is an offence to sell property to a terrorist out | ||
