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Srisaba's 25th anniversary Day - 06/05/2011 TAMIL UNITED DAY |
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30 May 2011 Jaya & India’s Lanka Policy-V Suryanarayan In her first interaction with the media, soon after unprecedented electoral victory, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa assured the people that she will exercise pressure on the central government to revise its Sri Lanka policy not only to expose the heinous crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government during the last stages of the fourth Eelam War and bring the guilty to book, but also to ensure that justice is done to the Tamils in the island nation. Jayalalithaa’s timely appeal in support of the Sri Lankan Tamil cause has been welcomed by Tamils across the world. However, it raises one important question — what is the role of federal units in the making of Indian foreign policy?In a large country like India foreign policy towards neighbouring countries will have its immediate fallout on contiguous Indian states. India-Pakistan relations will have its fallout on Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat; policy towards China will affect Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Jammu and Kashmir; policy towards Nepal will have profound consequences on Bihar, Sikkim, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh; India-Bhutan relations will have its effect on West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim; equations with Myanmar will affect Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur, India-Bangladesh relations will impinge upon West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam and the policy towards Sri Lanka will have its consequences on Tamil Nadu.Under the Indian Constitution the formulation and implementation of foreign policy comes under the exclusive jurisdiction of the central government. In actual practice, on several occasions, New Delhi has sacrificed the interests of the contiguous Indian states. Such a policy has also created frictions between the central government and the federal units. The problem is not peculiar to India; it is common to many countries like the United States, China and former Soviet Union. In Yugoslavia, before its disintegration, the federal units had their departments of foreign affairs. Lest I be misunderstood, I am not advocating that the federal units should administer foreign policy; what I am pleading for is a mechanism by which the interests of contiguous Indian states are fostered and protected by the central government. What is good for the people of Tamil Nadu need not necessarily be bad for the government of India. To put it differently the federal units must make their benign inputs into the making of India’s neighbourhood policy.A few illustrations are given below to drive home the point how the conduct of India’s Sri Lanka policy has adversely affected the interests of Tamil Nadu. The Sirimavo-Shastri Pact, 1964 by which New Delhi decided to confer Indian citizenship on large sections of Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka was not only a reversal of the time-tested policy of Jawaharlal Nehru, it was also concluded without taking into consideration the wishes of the affected people in Sri Lanka. All important leaders in Tamil Nadu — Kamaraj Nadar, V K Krishna Menon, C N Annadurai and P Ramamurthy — expressed their opposition and indignation. However, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, advised by the then Commonwealth secretary C S Jha, was more interested in befriending the Sri Lankan government than in protecting the interests of the people of Indian origin.The second example is the conclusion of the maritime boundary agreements between India and Sri Lanka in 1974 and 1976. As a result of these agreements not only the island of Kachchatheevu, which belonged to the Zamindari of Raja Ramnad, was ceded to Sri Lanka, the traditional fishing rights enjoyed by Indian fishermen were also given up. Faced with a similar situation in the 1950s when the central government decided to transfer Beru Bari to East Pakistan, B C Roy, then West Bengal chief minister, took the issue to the Supreme Court, won the case and prevented the ceding of Indian territory. No satisfactory explanation has been given as to why a judicial remedy was not resorted to by the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam government in Tamil Nadu in 1974 to prevent the transfer of Indian territory of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka. The tragic fallout is that the rich fishing grounds on the Sri Lankan side of the Palk Bay has become a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu fishermen and the Sri Lankan Navy, leading to the death of several Indian fishermen.It is not proposed to analyse the sharp twists and turns in India’s Sri Lanka policy during recent years, but one fact must be underlined. There are obvious limitations as to what India can do to influence the domestic developments in a neighbouring country, but Sri Lanka, as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi told the Lok Sabha in 1983, is not “just another country”, India has vital stakes not only in its stability, but also in the dignity and welfare of the Tamils. Based on this premise, New Delhi not only helped the Tamils to internationalise the gross human rights violations, but also made it clear to Colombo that it will not remain a silent spectator if a military solution to the problem was pursued. So effective was India’s policy that when Indian planes air dropped food and medicines in Jaffna in May 1987, not even one country raised its finger against India. But much water has flowed through the Palk Strait since 1987. More tragic, India’s Sri Lanka policy changed for the worse. When the war against the LTTE degenerated into a war against Tamil civilians during the last stages of the Fourth Eelam War and when nearly 40,000 innocent Tamils were massacred, India remained a silent spectator. Adding to this India also bailed out Sri Lanka in the United Nations. To our shame, in the United Nations we were in the company of China and Russia.Given this, Jayalalithaa’s welcome statement holds out the promise that Tamil Nadu will not remain a mute witness if distortions take place in India’s Sri Lanka policy. India invites Ranil for talks Two weeks after Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris visited that country, India had invited Leader of the main Opposition United National Party (UNP) Ranil Wickremesinghe for talks on the situation that had arisen in the wake of the release of the United Nations Experts’ Panel report, party sources said yesterday. They said Mr. Wickremesinghe was to leave for New Delhi yesterday and would hold talks with Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna. However, sources said he would not meet newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jeyaram during this visit.Shortly after her sweeping victory in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Wickremesinghe contacted Ms. Jeyaram and conveyed his good wishes. They agreed to meet on a suitable date.After the release of UN Panel report described by the government as the ‘Darusman Report, the UNP appointed a committee headed by veteran Civil Servant Bradman Weerakoon to study it and recommend how the party should respond to it.Though the committee report has been submitted to the UNP hierarchy, it is not yet in the public domain. Prof. Peiris visited India on May 16 to brief the Indian leaders on the UN Advisory Panel Report which called for an investigation into human rights allegations during the final stages of the war. Subsequent to this visit, there was a joint statement in which India asked Sri Lanka to probe alleged human rights violations. India had also stressed the need to evolve a political solution based on the 13th Amendment plus and expedite the implementation of various projects being funded by India. These projects include the development of the Kankasanthurai Harbour, the Palali Airbase and the Sampur Coal Power Project. After the visit to India, Prof. Peiris visit China and held talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing. To protest Major General Haturusinghe Defence Secretary gives reasons Defence Secretary Nandasena Gotabhaya Rajapksa has told several senior officials in the Defence Ministry that Jaffna commanding officer Major General Mahinda Haturusinghe was not aware that Majestic City Prabha was an LTTE informant. The Defence Secretary had made this statement with the aim of protecting one of his lackey’s Major General Haturusinghe.Disturbed by the statement made by former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka in the White Flag case that Major General Haturusinghe had received a monthly payment from the LTTE, the Defence Secretary has said it could not be believed that the Major General had given information about the security forces to the LTTE for such a small amount like Rs. 30,000 per month.Mahinda Haturusinghe worked under then Lt. Colonel Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the Army Headquarters during the 1990s. A senior military official said it was Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had protected Haturusinghe when he was accused of making a female army officer pregnant after promising marriage during that period. Constitution can solve 99% of Tamils' woes - Expat doctor Noel Nadesan, a veterinarian who owns a private clinic in Melbourne was closely related to Sri Lanka's conflict with the ruthless LTTE. As a young graduate in 1985, he set up the Medical Unit for the Service of Tamils (MUST), a charity organisation based in Chennai to help Lankan refugees. Members and leaders of the LTTE, PLOTE and EROS, used to frequent his place where his wife, a doctor from Peradeniya University attended to refugees in need of medical attention. He says MUST was the predecessor to the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation which was snatched away subsequently by the LTTE to further its unholy cause. Chennai is where he met Prabhakaran, in one of the joint meetings the organisations summoned. Except for PLOTE, all other groups including the LTTE were operating under a single banner and it was mandatory that the health centre got their blessings. Dr. Nadesan was met by the Sunday Observer last week during one of his frequent visits to Colombo, this time on a very important objective, to inaugurate a fully fledged medical centre built with funds mainly from his family, on the remote and a tiny island of Eluvaithivu, located close to Kytes in the Northern sea. It was the place where he was born 56 years ago and spent his entire childhood with his mother. His father - a trained school teacher was often away on duty. Dr. Nadesan bared his heart out as to why and what inspired him to venture out on a social cause while recounting personal perspectives including the changing role of Tamil leaders in Sri Lanka, political solutions, the UN Expert Panel report and the Tamil diaspora. He began by reminiscing about his childhood and youth. "When I was a ten-year-old boy, I used to get sick regularly. My father, a Tamil trained teacher was working in Yatiyanthota in a mixed media school. My mother had to look after me alone most of the time. Every time I got sick, she used to arrange for someone to take me to the Jetty. We had to go to another islet on board a small ferry to find a doctor. The situation in this tiny islet has not changed over the past half century. I am fifty six now. When the war was over, in June last year I went to my village and saw that people had just the same limited facilities we used to have when I was small. I inquired of my village people what they expected of me as an expatriate and a person with some influence. I felt obliged to help them. They said their biggest need was a hospital. I decided to build them a medical centre which was possibility within my reach. A friend of mine negotiated with the Department of Health. The Department agreed to run the place when completed. The land was provided by the local fishermen's society. Amazingly, we were able to complete the centre within one year and it is ready to be handed over to the Health Ministry now. An engineer from London, Sooriyasekaram, who is also interested in helping his kith and kin had been on the site almost full time managing the project. The official handing over will take place on Monday (May 30). Eluvaithivu, is a half an hour boat ride from Kytes, one hour from Nagadeepa. It belongs to a cluster of seven islets positioned between India and Sri Lanka. This cluster comprises one electorate - Kytes. The centre was estimated to cost Rs. 6.5 million but it ultimately cost Rs. 7.5 million. Ninety five percent of the money was from my family. My wife - Shiamala is a medical doctor, one of the most sought after general practitioners in Melbourne. She too funded this project generously". Dr. Nadesan completed his junior secondary and senior studies at Jaffna Hindu College. Up to eighth grade he attended a local school on the islet". I sat for my Advanced Levels at Hindu College and qualified to enter the Veterinary Science Faculty of Peradeniya University. My wife also completed her basic MBBS degree at Peradeniya". Dr. Nadesan and his wife began their relationship when they were 17 years of age and schooling. "I have two grown up children now. The elder son, 28, is an engineer and the daughter, 26, a lawyer "Basically what we have built is a primary health centre according to Health Department classifications. There will be one doctor in attendance and staff. Medical cases will be handled by the staff but if a case needs advanced medical care, it will be referred to a hospital on the mainland. This meagre population of 700 will not have to rush to another island in an emergency or for basic treatment. At present, a doctor from the next islet-Analaitivu visits this islet once a week. The Government has focused on islands with bigger populations. This is where the expatriate service comes in handy - to fill in the gaps. The expatriates do not need to fund the Government but they can help their own people. Most of the owners of eateries in Colombo are from my area. The reason is that we did not have enough land and water to cultivate so they took to this line of employment". Darusman Report Dr. Nadesan said that in his opinion this was an unnecessary intrusion by the West which undermines the domestic reconciliation and development program. "The report is counter productive in terms of reconciliation. TNA leader Sampanthan has welcomed the report. I have a question to ask him. Why did he not say anything when the LTTE hurled 300,000 people from Mannar to Puliyankulam and Mullaitivu? He did not make a voice against the LTTE who forced those innocent civilians to suffer. I wrote an open letter to the LTTE. Ananda Sangaree and DBS Jeyaraj also wrote open letters, I remember. Only a few people appealed to the LTTE not to do that. But the TNA kept quiet. I could mention a couple of important incidents which angered me. The LTTE started the final war. We all know that. When the Government declared the Puthukudirippu Safe Zone in the latter stages, the LTTE first moved their Voice of Tigers radio equipment in bulk containers. Their former place was bombed so they shifted their equipment to the Safe Zone putting civilian lives in danger. Additional GA Parthipan and the UNHCR head at the time, I remember spoke against it, but the LTTE refused to listen. They moved their artillery points to the Safe Zone and started firing. I will quote another incident. When former EROS leader Balakumar tried to flee in a boat in Mullaitivu in January 2009, the LTTE, knowing very well who he was, fired at him. He was critically injured and the bullets tore his fore arm. His hand is yet to heal. These are facts. Both parties have committed crimes, but they belong to the past. The Western governments kept quiet when the LTTE made blatant violations of humanitarian law. They even gave hope to the LTTE that there will be some kind of a ceasefire. That is why the LTTE continued with the war even when they were cornered. But now the West has come forward with a report of war crimes. They have their agenda to undermine Sri Lanka, for different reasons. The report means further suffering for IDPs. The Government will have their hands full and development activities targeting IDPs could assume a back seat. Heightens nationalism Although the report is against the Rajapaksa Government, it will affect the country as a whole. Even Opposition forces may feel the need to defend the Government and it will heighten nationalism. As a result extreme elements in both communities will get strengthened. This will ensure more votes for the TNA as well as some individuals in the Government.The ordinary people will gain nothing out of this process. That is my argument.It is time the TNA raised its voice for the Tamil people. As a diaspora group, we came to Sri Lanka two years back in April 2009 to speak about the war and Tamil people. I coordinated this group. We contacted MP Sampanthan to arrange a meeting. We were craving to get a clear picture of the things happening and wanted to meet everyone we felt important in that quest. He simply refused saying that he was flying to India.He did not want to talk to the LTTE or the Government about the plight of the people trapped inside the War Zone. He keeps shuttling between the Palk Strait dreaming of India as the solution provider. The TNA thinks the 13th Amendment can be strengthened by Indian intervention. I am against that notion. Sri Lanka can be pressurised by India." No to more politicians "My opinion is that the 13th Amendment is an empty law, if the Government is not ready to implement it. We have local government bodies and provincial councils. What is the need to have more political bodies under another Amendment to the Constitution? We don't need more politicians in this country. "The TNA may get elected over and over again, but if they do not cooperate with the Government, they will not get enough funding to serve Tamil people. Confrontational politics of the TNA must be done away with. The TNA completely lost their credibility by going behind the LTTE. They were obviously scared. So they had to bat for the LTTE. I assume they are the happiest that the LTTE is no more but they do not declare it. Ultimately this tribunal report is going to delay whatever the programs taking place on the ground. Apparently much has been done in the East by Minister Basil Rajapaksa. It may not continue at the same pace in the North. During the last two years, the Government could have done more in terms of development. It could have made use of the military to expedite activities. The election in the North was not the most pressing requirement in people's eyes. It could have waited.The franchise is a luxury which is not on the priority list of the people affected by the conflict. They need the basics. If the Government could appoint an interim authority headed by civilians it would have served the purpose of facilitating things between civilians, better than politicians going around with future elections on their mind. It took me, as a Sri Lankan expatriate, four days to obtain a permit to travel to the North. If a relative passes away we have to languish in Colombo for four days to travel to the North. Issues such as these could be addressed through a civilian authority. Diaspora in Australia "The situation in Australia calmed down even before the war finished. A few years back, the Leaders of LTTE fund-raisers were arrested by the police. Since then the LTTE took up a back seat. Most of the pro LTTE Tamils in Europe were engaged in thuggery as opposed to their Australian counterparts. In Europe, the LTTE faction has now split into two. A section is headed by Rudrakumaran whose followers are somewhat decent. The other is the thuggish group of Nediyawan who are backed by Tamilnet. These people have no interest to help Tamils here. They are in the business of making themselves rich. Most of the pro LTTEers in Australia support Dr. Emmanel's Global Tamil Forum because they have money". Political solution Govt. accuses JVP of trying to destabilize the Vanni The government alleges the Marxist JVP is seeking to destabilize liberated areas in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. A senior government official told The Sunday Island that the JVP was causing trouble, particularly in the Vanni, where post-war rehabilitation was going on apace.He alleged that destabilizing the Vanni was obviously part of its overall strategy in the wake of humiliating defeat suffered at the last parliamentary elections in April 2010 and the subsequent local government polls.Government sources said that the JVP was ‘politically active’ in the Jaffna peninsula and some parts of the Vanni region. But unfortunately, the party had conveniently forgotten that they couldn’t even have put up a poster in Kilinochchi if armed forces had failed in their anti-terrorism mission.They alleged that those hell-bent on sabotaging post-war development could throw their weight behind the JVP. Responding to a query, sources said that the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF), affiliated to the JVP was now spearheading an organization called ‘WE ARE SRI LANKANS’ campaigning against disappearances during the war.A senior security official said: "The organization launched its campaign recently in Trincomalee and is now planning to call a spate of protests in the Northern and Eastern Provinces."According to him, the new organization had been active in both Jaffna and Eastern universities and making an attempt to organize families of dead and detained LTTE cadres.The official expressed confidence the "LTTE families’ wouldn’t fall into the JVP’s trap. Whatever the JVP, the TNA and the diaspora said about the government, LTTE families’ knew the truth and the ground reality,’’ the official said.Another source pointed out that ‘WE ARE SRI LANKANS’ had made representations to the police and prisons authorities regarding those missing during counter-insurgency operations.The Military Police last Thursday night (May 26) arrested seven JVP activists putting up posters in Kilinochchi. The Army handed them over to Kilinochchi police for follow up action.The JVP said that the Military Police had rounded up the JVPers, led by Lalith Kumar Veeraraju as they were putting up posters demanding the immediate release of Tamil political prisoners, release of defeated opposition presidential candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka, repeal Emergency and restore media freedom.The JVP said that the Military Police arrested those putting up posters in spite of the judiciary on several previous occasions declaring that people couldn’t be detained for displaying posters.``The Rajapaksa government is adopting a dictatorial approach and making a shameful bid to set up one-party State,’’ the party alleged.The JVP said that the Rajapaksas were using the military to harass the legitimate political opponents and went on to assert they depended entirely on the military and police to counter growing resentment among the electorate.Last week’s attack by the police on garment sector workers protesting against the proposed Private Sector Pension (PSP) Bill at the 18th mile-post on the airport road revealed the duplicity of the government.The bottom line was that a despicable attempt was being made to suppress political dissent in the guise of countering anti-Sri Lanka efforts, the JVP said.Responding to JVP allegations, the government said that all those who criticized the government and security forces had failed to realize that the common enemy wasn’t the UPFA but the LTTE, which went to the extent of forcing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to declare it as the sole representatives of the Tamil speaking people ahead of Apr 2004 parliamentary polls. In fact, the military saved the day for the TNA now engaged in crucial political negotiations with the government thanks to eradication of the LTTE, the government said. Had the LTTE survived, the TNA wouldn’t have received an opportunity to represent the Tamil speaking community in political negotiations. 29 May 2011 Govt. buckles to India’s call The government has been forced to take some concrete measures to address issues faced by the North East population, informed sources say. These include substantial devolution of power and holding the Northern Provincial Council elections as soon as possible. This follows Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's demand that Sri Lanka provides a solid and long-lasting political solution to the North-East issue within the next six months. If the government fails to do so India might not provide the expected assistance to meet consequences of Ban Ki-moon's Panel of Experts’ report, informed diplomatic sources told Lakbima news."The government has decided to provide all powers to the Provincial Councils except those concerned with police and land. The Indian leader and the government had to take such a firm stance on Colombo due to the coming parliamentary elections in India and the pressure mounted on New Delhi by the newly elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha Jayaram," said our sources.The newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has called for taking Sri Lankan leaders before an international tribunal for alleged war crimes committed by the security forces during the last days of Eelam War IV. Sri Lanka relies heavily on India for its campaign against growing international pressure for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes allegations. Ex – Trincomalee LTTE commander ‘Col’. Paduman charged under PTA in Trinco courts Senior tiger leader&ex-LTTE trincomalee district military commander Sivasubramaniam varathanathan alias “Col”Paduman was produced in courts “Col”Paduman was charged in the Trincomalee High court for offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was remanded until July 26th Varathanathan a.k.a Paduman was indicted under the PTA for offences such as attacks on security installations & killing security personnel Paduman surrendered to the security forces in April 2009&was kept in custody thereafter on a detention order issued by the defence secretary. He was among a group of LTTE surrendees from eastern province who were kept in a special detention camp due to efforts made by”Col”Karuna Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias “Col”Karuna used his influence with the defence establishment to make special arrangements for Paduman Karuna had a soft corner for Paduman as the ex-Trincomalee commander had fallen out with Prabhakaran for supporting Karuna inside the LTTE When Karuna as Batticaloa-Amparai commander fell out with Prabhakaran&Pottu Amman in2004 Paduman the Trinco leader gave moral support to him In March 2004 Prabhakaran sent a helicopter (SLAF) to fetch Karuna&Paduman for consultations in the Wanni.Karuna declined but Paduman went In the Wanni Paduman was removed as Trinco commander& placed under “house Arrest” after interrogation.Karuna meanwhile revolted&broke away Though Pottu Amman wanted Paduman punished severely he was spared by Prabhakaran as Paduman had been the LTTE chief’s”secretary”for14years Paduman escaped from the LTTE on April 20th 2009 when the army rescued over 100,000 people from the tigers in Iranapalai & Ambalavanpokkanai After the LTTE debacle in May,Karuna went to Wanni&transported bus loads of eastern cadres &families to special detention camps in the east Varathanathan alias Paduman was placed under special custody on a detention order & .He cooperated with the Terrorist Inestigation division Ex-Trincomalee commander Sivasubramaniam varathanathan alias “Col”Paduman is the highest ranking LTTE leader to be charged in courts so far. LTTE denies KP’s allegation on Jaya’s life A statement purportedly originating from the defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has rubbished jailed ex-LTTE leader K Padmanathan's recent claim that the Tamil Tigers had once planned to assassinate Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa."KP's claim in a television interview that LTTE had once planned to assassinate Jayalalithaa was far from the truth and we perceive the act as a ploy to create fissures among Tamils," the statement said on Friday.According to the fourpage statement signed by A Anbarasan, said to be from the LTTE's media wing, and published in their official online mouthpiece www.viduthalaipulikal.net, Sri Lankan Sinhalese government, which has been under tremendous international pressure after the release of the UN panel report on war crimes, has used KP to plant wild allegations on the movement to create fissures among Tamils.The Rajapaksaled Lankan government, which had already been feeling the heat internationally, saw the changed political scenario in neighbouring Tamil Nadu as detrimental to his country, the statement said.Condemning KP for projecting himself as a senior LTTE leader, the statement said, "Persons like KP, who is in the custody of the Lankan forces, cannot lead the movement and the Tamil community knows that his actions in the recent past were very detrimental to the separate Tamil State."Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam alias Kumaran Pathmanathan alias Selvarasan Pathmanathan, better known as KP, was arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities from a foreign country in July 2009, barely a couple of months after the Lankan war ended with the killing of LTTE chief V Prabhakaran.KP surfaced during the recent interview to CNN IBNFirstpost a couple of days ago, his first to a TV channel outside Sri Lanka, to tell the world that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had once planned to assassinate Jayalalithaa.In the statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelamhas also appealed to the Tamil Diaspora to remain vigilant and not fall prey to the sinister designs of the Sinhalese government. Nediyawan released on condition bail LTTE International Wing leader Nediyavan who was arrested recently has been released on conditional bail by the Norwegian Courts.According to reports the Norwegian Courts had decided to release Nediyavan on conditional bail pending further investigation against him by Norwegian authorities.Nediyavan was arrested recently by Norwegian Police and produced in Court following a request that had been made by the Dutch Police who are investigating the LTTE’s activities in the Netherlands.According to reports Dutch officials who are conducting a special operation code named “Operation Koninck” have traced the LTTE financing trail to Norway based on information they had received from arrested LTTE members and thereafter launched a judicial probe within Norway with Norwegian assistance.The Dutch Officials are meanwhile also reported to have questioned Nediyavan for 2 days following which the Norwegian Court had granted conditional bail pending further investigation.Reports further state that Nadiyavan is meanwhile scheduled to be produced in Court again in Oslo on the 01st of June when the case is taken up for hearing once again. Tamil journalist attacked in Jaffna A journalist has been assaulted this morning in Jaffna by an unknown group of individuals. The 36-year-old, a resident of Sandilipay, Jaffna had reportedly been attacked near the Jaffna Hindu College on his way to work.The victim was working has a journalist in the Uthaya paper which is published in the Jaffna district.S. Kavidaran had been admitted to the Jaffna Hospital, where he is currently being treated for his injuries.However Uthaya team launched a complain this regard in the Jaffna police and police are carrying out further investigations. 27 May 2011 Under war crimes pressure, Sri Lanka to begin new rights probe Sri Lanka said on Thursday its dormant human rights commission would begin hearing new complaints, as the Indian Ocean nation remains under mounting Western pressure to investigate war crimes allegations made by a U.N.-appointed panel.The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, which has no judicial powers beyond recommending government authorities take action, said it will begin a probe of serious rights violations nationwide, including those from the war."We propose to appoint a panel of retired judges to look into all the pending important cases," commission chairman Priyantha Perera told Reuters. "We want this panel of judges to look into more serious violations in every part of the country."Western governments led by the United States have pushed Sri Lanka to establish a believable probe into the panel's finding of "credible evidence" government troops killed thousands of civilians at the end of the country's civil war in 2009.Sri Lanka says the accusations parrot propaganda from supporters of the defeated Tamil Tiger separatists, and dismisses the panel's findings as groundless and biased. It denies troops targeted civilians.The government said reactivation of the commission and appointment of the panel was not done to appease anyone."There was no special reason to reactivate now. Since the war is over, there was a need to activate," acting cabinet spokesman and deputy minister of economic development Lakshman Yapa Awbeywardene told reporters.President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has said the separate Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is already implementing reconciliation moves shaped by testimony taken from those affected by the war.Critics say the LLRC lacks independence, and is likely to go the way of four decades' worth of Sri Lankan probes into rights abuses since the first of three violent insurgencies began in 1971, and find nothing and hold no one responsible.Washington has warned that failure to credibly investigate the allegations and establish genuine reconciliation could lead to an international war crimes probe.Most diplomats involved with Sri Lanka see that as a remote possibility, given Chinese and Russian backing for Sri Lanka on the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. Human Rights council, meeting next week, may take up the matter.Sri Lanka will hold a military parade and memorial for fallen soldiers on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, which ended a quarter-century civil war. "Scrap emergency and PTA " - Friday Forum Sweeping changes The proposed changes includ the scrapping of emergency and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, an end to restrictions on freedom of movement in the north, and publication of the names and details of the many people in detention.When a panel of experts, commissioned by Ban Ki-Moon, finished its report alleging possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by both the Tamil Tigers and the government here, the government was outraged.Even before its publication a government minister started collecting signatures for a petition against the report.Pro-government full-page advertisements have appeared in the newspapers, one of them calling the three experts “liars”. Unwarrented Now an increasingly outspoken group of intellectuals, the Friday Forum, has issued a statement, calling such personal attacks “unwarranted” and pleading for what it calls a non-confrontational response.In a landmark call from within Sri Lanka, it urges that the country set up a domestic mechanism to address the issue of accountability on violations of human rights and humanitarian law during the war.It implies that the govermnent’s existing mechanism is inadequate and says past human rights inquiries have actually worsened the grievances of victims.The government is unlikely to accept the Forum’s suggestions and is preparing for a large military display on Friday and a military seminar next week, both extolling the war victory two years ago.Meanwhile, the former army chief, Sarath Fonseka, has said that only he can reply to international allegations made against the army.Speaking at his own trial on charges of spreading disaffection, Mr Fonseka said the government was using incompetent people in its own response. Lanka withdraws on-arrival visa for Indians Sri Lanka on Thursday withdrew the on-arrival free visa facility for Indian tourists.It means that Indians planning a trip to Sri Lanka after August should apply for their visas online for a fee or visit Lankan missions with an application. The new system will be implemented within 80 days, WA Chulananda Perera, Immigration and Emigration Controller General, told the Hindustan Times.Besides Indian tourists, visitors from 78 other countries will be impacted by the decision.“Only tourists from Singapore and Maldives, countries which gives on-arrival visas to Lankans, will continue to get the reciprocal facility,’’ Perera added.For example, Lankans visiting India need to either get a visa from the High Commission of India or apply online for it.The proposal to set up an online visa system was put up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and was expectedly given the green-signal by the Lankan Cabinet of ministers on Thursday.“Foreigners visiting and travelling via Sri Lanka will be able to obtain visas through the website of the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka by personally applying for them on payment of the prescribed fees,’’ a government statement said.Perera said the visa processing fee was yet to be decided but will be nominal.“Those who do not have private access to internet facilities, will be able to apply for visa through private agencies to be established for the purpose and also through Sri Lankan Foreign Missions and from the Head Office of the Department of Immigration & Emigration,’’ the statement added.Perera said applicants will be able to apply to get a visa either within a day or within three days. ``The system will be very easy and data base for each applicant will be maintained online,’’ he added.Travel or ticketing agents would also be able to apply for the visa on behalf of the tourist.In August last year, the government had withdrawn the facility but overturned the decision after a clamour of protests from the tourism industry. Tourism is one of the main earners of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka and, which is finally witnessing a revival after decades of civil war. In 2009, more than 85000 Indians visited Lanka; that number went above 1.2 lakh last year.Perera, however, said tourism will not be affected by the change in system; it will only make it easier for the tourist, he added. Korea should shun Sri Lanka In the final months of the decades-long war in Sri Lanka in 2009, tens of thousands of civilians were killed as government forces closed in on the Tamil Tigers. The government’s strategy included repeated shelling of civilians, targeting hospitals and the total exclusion of independent monitors, including international aid agencies and foreign journalists.Next week, the Sri Lankan army will hold a conference in Colombo to tout its view of counterinsurgency operations and encourage others to copy its methods. Many countries with professional armies have declined the invitation.Inexplicably, Korea is expected to attend.The conference looks good on paper: military officials and conference panelists will “share their knowledge on counterinsurgency and enumerate contributory factors in militarily defeating the [Tamil Tigers].” The participants will discuss operational and tactical issues such as intelligence, field engineering, medical support and operating behind enemy lines. There are sessions on rehabilitating former combatants and accommodating minorities through political reform. Without a hint of irony, there is even a session on the role of human rights in counterinsurgency operations.The conference agenda neatly parallels the government’s official version of the war’s final weeks. Government officials describe the final assault on the Tamil Tigers as a “humanitarian rescue operation” and claim that its forces followed a policy of “zero civilian casualties.”The problem is that this version of events bears little resemblance to reality. Northeastern Sri Lanka in early 2009 was a scene of incredible cruelty and suffering, where more than 300,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were trapped in the rapidly shrinking battlefield. While the Tigers prevented civilians from fleeing to government-held areas of safety, government forces ruthlessly stuck to their strategy of using indiscriminate firepower, hitting hospitals and killing civilians, including in the government’s declared “no-fire zone.” Both sides prevented adequate humanitarian aid from arriving.During the final two years of the fighting, the government actively prevented journalists, human rights groups and aid workers from reporting on the situation. But the government has been unable to bury the story.A report by a panel of experts issued in April by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, says that as many as 40,000 civilians were killed in the final months of fighting, most from government shelling. The government knew that it was killing civilians, the report said; it received live pictures of its operations from advanced surveillance drones. A video that the UN concluded was genuine shows government soldiers executing prisoners in cold blood.The report concluded that both government forces and the Tamil Tigers conducted military operations “with flagrant disregard for the protection, rights, welfare and lives of civilians and failed to respect the norms of international law.” It called on the Sri Lankan government to investigate the allegations and recommended that the UN set up an international investigation.The government reacted with blanket denials and vicious attacks on Ban, the panel of experts and anybody who has called for investigations. It said the expert report is “illegal .?.?. biased, baseless and unilateral.” President Mahinda Rajapaksa has repeated claims that, “There was no wrongdoing.” And when a member of parliament suggested investigations, the information minister replied that, “Only a traitor can resort to this type of betrayal.” In a country where government critics have been prosecuted, physically attacked and killed, this was an effective way to shut down public discussion.What does Sri Lanka want to teach other countries? Sri Lanka is calling for a “re-evaluation of the rules of military engagement” in fighting terrorist groups, presumably to allow governments to ignore long-standing laws of war in counterinsurgency operations. The idea that other armies would attend a conference in Sri Lanka and then emulate the Sri Lankan “model” is a frightening proposition.There are indeed important lessons to be learned from the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, a cruel and brutal insurgency. But lessons will not be learned as long as the Sri Lankan government distorts the truth and tries to keep its atrocities hidden.The Sri Lankan conference is little more than a public relations exercise to legitimize unlawful military tactics. No professional, law-abiding military should take part in it. Several countries, such as the U.S, Canada, Australia, Japan and most EU countries, have already said that they won’t attend. Korea should follow suit.Instead of attending the conference, Korea should support the call by the panel of experts for an international investigation into allegations of laws-of-war violations during Sri Lanka’s tragic conflict. Fonseka calls for independent judiciary Biased Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka said that ‘white flag case’ and other cases against him were biased.He pointed out that the presence of the Attorney General in courts at several occasions showed the way how Attorney General Department is influenced by politics.Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka is to continue with his statement when the case will be taken up again on May 31. Moves to infiltrate SL Prime Minister D.M Jayaratne has warned Sri Lankan diplomats to be cautious of attempts by some countries to create an environment to “infiltrate” Sri Lanka.The Prime Minister’s office quoted the Premier as saying that this has become clear when looking at the developments in Libya and Egypt.He said that Sri Lanka is a powerful but yet small country which defeated terrorism and brought an end to a more than 30 year old war.However he said that from the time the war came to an end there is an attempt to throw various allegations against Sri Lanka and divert the war victory into something negative.The Prime Minister urged newly appointed Sri Lankan envoys for overseas missions to give the correct picture regarding Sri Lanka and draw investors to the country.He said this at a meeting with newly appointed Sri Lankan envoys including former Minister Ferial Ashrof, former Rupavahini Chairman Sarath Kongahage and former Director of the Colombo National Hospital Dr. Hector Weerasinghe. 26 May 2011 TNA disappointed again as govt. puts off response to its proposals The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) left the sixth round of Bi-partisan talks, with the government yesterday, disappointed as the latter had once again not responded to its draft on devolution, TNA sources said.TNA Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran said:At every meeting we have been waiting for the government to announce it response to the draft we had forwarded. But, each time we are told that the response would be announced at the next meeting.A TNA Parliamentarian who wished to remain anonymous said that if one were to use a popular but common Sinhala saying, "It has been a case of Balagiri Dosaya Adha Nevai Heta (a continuing case of postponement, not today, but tomorrow).Asked about the recent statements, made by Presidential advisor on International Affairs and Parliamentarian Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena, who is a member of the government committee, to the Tamil Media earlier this month, that the government had given serious thought to setting up a second chamber, recruiting 10,000 Tamil policemen and devolving land as well as Police powers under the 13th Amendment, which was reported in Tamil national dailies on May 10, Sumanthiran said that he did not wish to comment as this was a matter both sides had been requested to keep confidential.The TNA delegation is led by MP R. Sampanthan and comprises MP’s Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran, M. A. Sumanthiran and Presidents Counsel Kanag Iswaran.With the resignation of the former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake from the Committee, Parliamentarian Prof. Rajiv Wijesinghe had been appointed as replacement. The other members are Leader of House Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of External Affairs Prof G.L. Pieris and Galle District MP Sajin De Vaas, Gunawardena as the secretary.The 7th round is scheduled to take place at the Presidential Secretariat on June 23. Thamilselvan widow and children released from custody at Panagoda cantonment Former LTTE political commissar Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan’s family has been given a taste of freedom under a restricted release order.Thamilselvan’s widow & two children had been kept under protective custody for nearly two years at a chalet in the Panagoda army cantonment.The family had surrendered to the military in May 2009 after fleeing with other civilians from the Mullivaaikkaal area under LTTE control.After identifying themselves to authorities the family was placed in a special detention camp at Vavuniya for LTTE members &their families.From the detention camp Thamilselvan’s widow Sasirekha established contact with ex- eastern LTTE commander Muraleetharan alias”Col”Karuna.Due to Karuna’s efforts the family was removed from the detention camp&housed at Panagadoa cantonment chalet under protective custody.Thamilselvan’s wife Sasirekha is a former LTTE woman fighter whose nom de guerre was Isaichelvi.Her family hails from Chulipuram in Jaffna.The two children are a 12 year old daughter Alaimagal (daughter of waves)& a 08 year old son Oliventhan (son of light).The family was allowed to maintain “supervised”contact with close relatives.They were able to meet relatives with security personnel present.The family is now free from military custody under a restricted release order to live in a particular locality subject to certain conditions.The restricted release was chiefly to enable the two children to attend school.The family cannot go beyond a certain area without permission.Sasirekha has been barred from having links with LTTE elements in the Tamil Diaspora or play any role in propagating her late husband’s name.The release of Thamilselvan’s family was due to efforts made by ex-LTTE chief Selvarasah Pathmanathan alias KP who is also in govt custody.KP has been cooperating with authorities to bring about normalcy & secure release&rehabilitation of ex-LTTE cadres through a gradual process.Thamilselvan family was given a restricted release under this new scheme. More LTTE families under detention are likely to be released soon Thamilselvan was killed in his sleep on November 2nd 2007 at Kilinochchi when the bunker he was in was bombed by the Sri Lankan Air Force. India warns Rajapakse regime -don't indulge in stupid claptraps using KP According to Diplomatic sources, India has sternly warned the Sri Lanka (SL) Rajapakse regime not to indulge in stupid claptraps using K P and thereby aggravate the situation.India has made these comments in response following the interview with the Indian media of the newly emerged LTTE leader K P alias Kumaran Pathmanathan who is supposedly under arrest without any charges being filed , but pampered , mollycoddled and is enjoying every luxurious comfort under the patronage of the Rajapakse regime .During the recent Indian tour of the SL foreign Minister , India obtained the signature of SL via another route to a joint announcement. India had therein stated that SL shall provide a solution to the SL Tamil issue founded on the 13th amendment ; withdraw the emergency regulations and conduct an independent investigation into human rights violations in SL. A few days later , the Rajapakse regime through K P who was in its pampered and protective shadow, in an interview to the Indian media stated that Prabhakaran , Pottu Amman and Karunanidhi were responsible for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. Notwithstanding this , India had issued a stern warning to the ‘regime’ to formulate an honorable solution to the Tamils’s issue without precipitating a needless crisis by making unnecessary announcements through K P after the war . 25 May 2011 Human Rights Watch appeals to ignore the conference arranged by Sri Lankan forces. A request has been made to ignore the military conference regarding war crimes which is organized by the Sri Lankan troops. The Human Rights Watch which has its base in New York had made this request.The Human Rights Commission mentioned, by holding the conference, the Sri Lankan military is attempting to hide the killings of thousands of civilians killed during the final phase of war against the Tamil Eelam Liberation tigers. 54 countries were given invitations to attend the conference which is organized by the Sri Lankan government on the captain “Terrorism eradication”. The conference will be held from 31st May to June 2nd in Colombo. The experiences gained by defeating the TamiL Eelam Liberation tigers by the Sri Lankan forces will be shared with other country military officials at the meeting. The Sri Lankan forces advanced missile attacks against the civilians and hospitals during the war against the Tamil Eelam Liberation Tigers. To hide these crimes, the conference is organized states sources. The Human Rights Watch mentioned by attending to this conference, the foreign military will not gain anything about military obedience and relevant procedures. The Untied Nation Council’s Secretary General’s Advisory Panel report and the American State Department’s report mentioned that thousands of civilians were killed during the final war by the Sri Lankan forces, but before and after the war, the Sri Lankan President and Military Commander Jagath Jayasooriya informed that civilians were not killed during confrontations. During humanitarian rescue operations by the troops, minimal deaths were occurred was mentioned by them. But such statements were rejected by the Human Rights Watch wanted to investigate the war crimes occurred in Sri Lanka, by appointing a International Investigation panel. China backs Sri Lanka China on Tuesday said it supported the Sri Lankan government’s efforts towards reconciliation, and indicated it would back the country against any international pressure following a recent United Nations report accusing the government of war crimes.Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told visiting Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris in talks on Tuesday that China supported the Sri Lankan government, and people, resolving their own issues, indicating China’s opposition to international interference as well as the U.N. report, which called for an international investigation into the closing stages of the civil war.“China believes that the Sri Lankan government and people have the capacity to achieve national reconciliation, social stability and economic prosperity,” Mr. Yang said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.The visit of the Sri Lankan minister to Beijing follows his trip to New Delhi last week, which was his first diplomatic stop as the country looks to mobilise support following the release of the U.N. report. Indian officials last week expressed concern over the pace of reconciliation two years on after the end of the war, and had called for accelerated initiatives.In talks here, the two sides also discussed the state of a number of infrastructure projects Chinese companies have undertaken in Sri Lanka, including the port at Hambantota, the Mattala airport and the Colombo-Katunyake expressway.The Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry said in a statement the two sides had discussed arrangements proposed by Sri Lanka for the second phase of the Hambantota project. Last year, the China Harbour Engineering Company signed a $ 810 million contract with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to complete the project within 36 months. Dutch authorities seek permission to question KP and other former LTTE leaders in Sri Lanka Dutch authorities investigating the financial network of the Tamil Tiger leaders in the Netherlands plan to interrogate former and current LTTE leaders in Sri Lanka and are in the process of seeking permission from the Sri Lankan authorities, a Dutch media report said. A Radio Netherlands report said Dutch authorities are currently negotiating with Sri Lankan Attorney General Mohan Peiris to get permission to interrogate 13 witnesses in Sri Lanka including former and current LTTE leaders next month. Reportedly the investigators also plan to interrogate Kumaran Pathmanathan, alias KP LTTE arms procurer currently detained by the Sri Lankan government. Eastern Provincial Council members walkout Members of the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) staged a walkout today to protest the manner in which the house of Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan was searched by the police last week.TMVP members of the council, Somasundaram Pushparajah and Poopalalapilai Prashanthan, staged the walkout after making a statement to the council voicing objections to the search carried out on Pillayan’s house and the arrest of a TMVP member, Pradeep Master.Following the walkout, several council members expressed their views on the incident and subsequently the deputy chairperson of the council Ariyawathi Galapathi suspended sittings till 21st June.Plain clothed officers entered the residence of the Chief Minister last week and searched his house before leaving.Subsequently the held an urgent meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and discussed the incident but decided to continue supporting the government. Jaffna Government Agent states, Nediyawan threatened her to resign from her duties. Jaffna Government Secretary Emelda Sukumar said, Nediyawan threatened her to resign from the post she was holding. She said, during the past period, Nediyawan gave her many threats.Nediyawan urged her not to function in support of the government, and when she heard that Norway police had arrested him gave much relief which was quoted in the “Lankadeepa” newspaper in its main column. First Hindu-Buddhist Cultural Association opened in Jaffna The first Hindu-Buddhist Cultural Association in Jaffna was established to strengthen religious and cultural ties on Monday with the participation of senior priests of both religions, senior citizens and senior military officials.An officer of the Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna said that the new Hindu- Buddhist Cultural Association is a fulfillment of a timely step to overthrow efforts of a few organized anti-social factions whose attempt it is to harm the unity between communities by disrupting the reconciliation process of the government.The inauguration of this association held at Palam Road, Kantharmadam in Jaffna was attended by Parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera and about 25 Buddhist monks from Colombo, Rev. Vasudeva Kurukkal with several other Hindu Priests and more than 100 senior Jaffna citizens.Commander of the Security Forces-Jaffna Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said the organization will be an inspiration to the work that the security forces in Jaffna have been implementing to promote harmony between religions and communities. 24 May 2011 TNA appeals to Russia, China The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will request Russia and China to urge the Sri Lankan government to work out a long lasting political solution to the national question, parliamentarian and party media spokesman Suresh Premachandran said yesterday. Russia and China supported Sri Lanka in its war against terrorism and as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, had at the time thwarted an attempt to bring a resolution against Sri Lanka.Mr. Premachnadran said his party had sought meetings in Colombo with the ambassadors of these two countries.“First, we will meet the Chinese and Russian diplomats based in Colombo. Later, if invited, we are ready to visit these countries. These are the countries that backed the war. In the post war period, there are issues that need to be addressed. We will brief them on all those matters,” he said and added that some months ago two TNA representatives visited China to study its foreign policy. When asked whether the TNA would meet Indian leaders any time soon, Mr. Premachandra said no such meeting had been planned yet. LTTE leader apologizes to India for Rajiv's killing A top LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan has apologised to India for V Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.He said Rajiv's assassination was "well planned and done actually with Prabhakaran and (LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Amman). Everyone knows the truth".In an interview to CNN-IBN Firstpost, Pathmanathan, who was Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, said "I want to say to the Indian people and especially to the Gandhi family...I want to apologise for Prabhakaran's mistake. Please forgive us. We beg you....Sorry for all this. We know the feelings of the son (Rahul) of Rajiv Gandhi....How father and daughter are attached (reference to Rajiv's daughter Priyanka)".He said Tamils in Sri Lanka should be helped to live as humans as "we have already paid a high price. We don't have anything to lose". Seminars on ‘Indian intervention’ The JVP said that they would hold a series of seminars next month to educate the masses on what they cited as the ‘Indian intervention’ in the political, economic and defense issues of the country.JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told Daily Mirror that the recent joint statement issued in the aftermath of the talks between the External Affairs Ministers of the two countries showed how Sri Lanka had succumbed to pressure by India.Mr. Silva said, “If anyone carefully reads the statement, it will be clear. The present government has agreed to work according to the dictates of India. On the one hand, the government has given into pressure by the western world, and on the other, to India. This is serious. We have to educate the people on the impending danger.” Tamil Tigers sneak through Schagen (part 1) The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) waged a bloody war for a quarter of a century in Sri Lanka, but on May 17th, 2009, it admitted defeat to the country’s majority Sinhalese regime. Tamil Tiger founder and chairman Velupillai Prabhakaran died the following day, killed while he attempted a desperate escape from the battlefield in an ambulance.Meanwhile, some 8,300 km north of that battleground, Tamil Tiger representatives in places like Schagen, The Hague, Breda, Zeist, Raalte and Ammerzoden had yet to capitulate. Their struggle for a Tamil homeland continued. The Dutch police said that until their arrest in 2010, the Dutch Tamils had remained active in raising funds and organising meetings to gather support for their struggle and liberation organisation.This came to light through digital information obtained from Ramachandran S., 52, a Dutch Tamil from Schagen who was arrested in April last year. He had ‘plans for financial activities’ in his possession, which called for continued fundraising to support the remaining LTTE warriors hidden in the jungles of northern Sri Lanka. For that purpose, a new fund was supposed to be set up under Ramachandran’s supervision, according to a judicial report on the investigation. Operation Koninck The investigation into possible criminal activities by the Tigers in the Netherlands has been ongoing for the past two years under the code name ‘Operation Koninck.’ The criminal investigation department has so far identified 38 Tamils and five legal entities as suspects. They are under suspicion for financially supporting or taking part in a criminal organisation. The LTTE was placed on a European Union list of terrorist organisations. According to the judiciary, the LTTE has been responsible for a reign of terror in northern Sri Lanka. It has carried out numerous bomb attacks and assassinations. The Tigers murdered former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa two years later. The United Nations and UNICEF have also accused the Tigers of recruiting child soldiers.Ramachandran is one of the two Dutch Tamils detained for 13 months. According to the judiciary, he is one of the international leaders of the organisation. The Dutch officials say that he ranks high within the LTTE and has been responsible for large sums of money coming through from the Netherlands, which has subsequently been used to buy arms. It is assumed that Ramachandran oversaw a flow of money worth some EUR136 million worldwide, according to an analysis by the fiscal investigative body Fiod, based on information obtained from a USB stick found in his home.Dutch authorities also say that Ramachandran organised the money flow. Messengers with cash are sent to countries where purchases can be made. Money was being transferred, and sometimes LTTE money in a certain country would be used to buy jewellery, which in turn would be resold elsewhere. The bookkeeping was meticulous, with even the travel costs of the suspects neatly written down, as were the salaries received by the two main suspects from the LTTE. Rent and insurance were also reimbursed. Battlefield Another Tamil detainee, locked up since last year, is 46-year-old Srirangam R. from The Hague, who is believed to be the leader of the Tamil Tigers’s Dutch division. This man, like a number of other suspects, fled from Sri Lanka to the Netherlands two decades ago. The Dutch public prosecutor’s office suspects him of being instrumental in a number of functions, including fundraising and propaganda.In cooperation with Sri Lankan colleagues, the Dutch investigative team was able to inspect Tamil Tiger documents which were seized by the Sri Lankan military in areas which had been under LTTE control until 2009. Among those documents was a form filled out by Ramachandran in 2003, saying that he was responsible for LTTE activities in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. He wrote on the form that he had been active in the organisation since 1989, and that he had also worked in other countries. The documents were created when LTTE representatives from abroad met each other in Sri Lanka.“By going to the battlefield and visiting the warriors, I realised how many obstacles and how much grief these people have to endure while they sacrifice themselves in a life of combat. This has formed and stimulated us even more,” Srirangam wrote about the meeting in 2003. The text had been translated from the Tamil language. Almost all the Tiger suspects speak little Dutch although they have lived in the Netherlands for many years. Espionage 'Operation Koninck' started in 2009 after a report by the Dutch intelligence and security bureau AIVD. For years the AIVD, in cooperation with intelligence services from other countries, investigated the overseas activities of the LTTE representatives. Criminal investigations into Tamil Tiger activists are also ongoing in countries such as Canada, Australia, the UK, France and Italy. The AIVD reported on extortion practices by Tamils in the Netherlands to the Dutch judiciary in October 2008.The Dutch public prosecution office suspects that LTTE has organised fundraising activities in the country since 1984. The LTTE held the Tamil community in the Netherlands, numbering some 10,000 people, in its iron grip, according to the Dutch authorities. Detailed records were seized from the suspects, listing all the Tamil families in the Netherlands, complete with specific codes identifying each of them. The Tigers knew how much these people earned, and in turn they had to donate money to the Tigers according to their income.Donations are raised during sporting events, fairs, lotteries and demonstrations. The Tigers also make house calls to Dutch Tamils. Since 2005, the Tamil Tigers in many countries started organising large fundraising activities for their ‘ultimate war’ which would lead to a free Tamil state. In the Netherlands, the Tigers demanded a donation of EUR2,000 from each Tamil family. People who have given their donation would get a specific number which can then be shown to guards on the borders of Tamil territory, and this would be used as an entrance code. Those who refuse to pay, Dutch authorities say, would be threatened: not paying the so-called war tax would have consequences for family members in Sri Lanka.According to Dutch investigation, the LTTE in the Netherlands is divided into seven districts. Each district head is responsible for fundraising for the organisation’s war funds. It is believed that the Tigers have set up a number of dummy organisations which hand over money to the LTTE. These organisations include the Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC), the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO), the Tamil women’s organisation TVO, and the Tamil Dutch art and cultural organisation TKCO. Pirabakaran’s death ‘war crime?’ source: srilanka Guardian According to Tamil sources who are close to the government and who flew to Sri Lanka in the first available flight following the defeat of the LTTE two years ago, confirm that they have watched the video footages of Pirabakaran’s final moments.They state that the LTTE leader surrendered to the army and was taken into captivity. The video footage confirmed Pirabakaran’s surrender and how he was made to worship the foot of a senior army official.Immediately following this, he was kicked and beaten, and an army officer chopped his head with an axe. There was further boot kicking by the soldiers following the chop on his head.One source claimed ‘it was horrifying to see the end of Pirabakaran in this manner’.The government of Sri Lanka has not released this video public, and the Defence Ministry is using it as a tool to appease the very trusted people specially those Tamils who were opposed to the LTTE.Will the UN treat this as war crime on a capitulating leader and call upon the Sri Lanka government to submit this incriminating evidence in its investigation? As soon as Gen. Fonseka began giving evidence on the white flag case in the Colombo special High court , when it began sessions at 11.00 a m on Monday (23) , the lights went out in the court premises. Nalin Ladduwahetty, the Lawyer who appeared on behalf of the General then requested court to postpone the case as it was dark and the notes on the evidence marked for his client cannot be read . However the General said he could read it and went on to give evidence. The judge then opened a window to allow light to seep in and requested Fonseka to give evidence from the box close to her. Fonseka then continued with his evidence.Later on , after a recording officer of the court went out of court and returned , the power supply was restored at about 11.30 p m . The recording of evidence went on until 1.30 p m . The case was then postponed until tomorrow when the remaining evidence of Fonseka is to be recorded.Might we recall that we had reported in an earlier article that there had been various pressures brought to bear in relation to the giving of evidence by Fonseka.Today , before his friends in the court premises , Fonseka has expressed that no matter what pressures are exerted on him he would go on with his evidence. 22 May 2011 INDIA, THE U.S. AND RAJAPAKSA Both India and the United States have now made it clear the ‘price’ President Mahinda Rajapaksa has to pay for not having to face charges on war crimes and crimes against humanity.Both countries want the 13th Amendment plus to be implemented and the emergency regulations lifted. In addition to that, the Indians are demanding that delays in implementing a series of Indian funded projects in the north and east be cleared.These include the Kankasanthurai to Jaffna rail link, development of the Pallali airport, the development of the Kanksanthurai port, the first phase of the 50,000 houses for those displaced in the north and the Sampur power plant project which is a joint project between the Sri Lankan and Indian governments.The Americans for their part want the speeding up of issuing death certificates to those declared as disappeared during the war, a statement from the government as to how many civilians were killed in the last phase of the war and an accountability mechanism to investigate and prosecute those who committed human rights abuses.The backing of both India and the USA were crucial in winning the war and in return President Rajapaksa gave a series of assurances to both governments. The key promise was the full implementation of the 13th Amendment. But once the war was over the President began giving various excuses for the delay in keeping his promise. Both the Indians and Americans figured out that Rajapaksa had no intention of keeping his commitments.India played a key role in defeating the EU led resolution against Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Commission in Geneva two years ago and the Americans stayed out even refusing to give its allies in Europe satellite imagery as proof of human rights violations.Now both countries are united in demanding that the promises be kept and if not …The Americans have turned full circle and are now leading the charge with the UN panel report while India is making it clear real progress will have to be made if she is to help us.The mistake Rajapaksa made was to believe that he could fool New Delhi and Washington the same way he makes hundreds of promises to Sri Lankan voters during election times and forgets them.The events in the Middle East and North Africa are a clear signal that no leader is safe from the international legal system. Bigger and stronger dictators than Rajapaksa who believed that the family would run the country for ever have ended up in jail in their own countries or been prosecuted in the war crimes tribunal. Billions of their stolen assets have been seized.The names of those who are taking kickbacks by the tens of millions of dollars are widely known at least among Colombo’s jet set. The media which used to report corruption stories almost every weekend has been intimidated into silence.The main opposition United National Party continues with its infighting while its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is protected by none other than the President himself.It took 30 years of crude dictatorships for the people to rise against them in countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Libya and Syria. The Rajapaksa clan would be making a huge mistake if their calculation is that they can pilfer the country’s wealth for that long. Indian pressure makes TNA talks progressive - Sumanthiran There are signs that the government is taking its discussions with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) seriously, said TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran. He added that the government has agreed to discuss in-depth power sharing and the quick release of the detainees.“The government has been hesitant to discuss these issues properly and in the past has been giving us false promises. But it has now agreed to consider these matters in-depth at the next meeting. This is a great opportunity for the country to come up with a proper political solution -- and also a great chance for the government to show commitment to genuine reconciliation,” he said.However it is speculated that India has been also applying pressure on the government to come up with a devolution package, building upon the 13th Amendment, and ensuring expeditious and concrete progress in the ongoing dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka and representatives of Tamil parties. The joint release issued by India and Sri Lanka after External Affairs Ministers G. L. Peiris’s Indian tour confirms this statement. “The External Affairs Minister of India urged the expeditious implementation of measures by the Government of Sri Lanka, to ensure resettlement and genuine reconciliation, including early return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their respective homes, early withdrawal of emergency regulations, investigations into allegations of human rights violations, restoration of normalcy in affected areas and redress of humanitarian concerns of affected families.” Jayalalaitha invite Ranil to visit Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister Jayalalitha had given invitation to Opposition party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe to visit Tamil Nadu. The invitation was given to him through the telephone was quoted in a Sinhala News Agency.Jayalalaitha gave this invitation, as a gratitude of receiving a greeting message from Ranil Wickramasinghe for her victory in the Tamil Nadu elections. Ranil accepted the invitation and shortly will visit to Tamil Nadu, is much expected.Both the diplomats had a long conversation over the phone regarding the north and east situations and attention was focused in submitting a settlement plan which could be accepted by all the communities in the country. Shavendra Gets A Diplomatic Promotion Sri Lanka’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, General Shavendra Silva has been granted a diplomatic promotion by the government following a Cabinet decision.The government maintains that he has been granted ambassadorial status in order to enable him to deal with senior UN officials.Following the government’s move to grant General Silva an ambassadorial position in the diplomatic service, he will now enjoy the same status, salary and other perks enjoyed by the head of the mission.However, General Silva will remain as the Deputy of the Sri Lankan mission. Sri Lanka’s mission in New York is headed by Permanent Representative, Dr. Palitha Kohona. An official from the External Affairs Ministry confirmed to The Sunday Leader that General Silva has been granted an upgrade to the rank of ambassador.“For a career diplomat, ambassadorial status would result in the official’s next appointment being that of ambassador.However, in this instance, General Silva is on a contract and his appointment would grant him similar status and perks enjoyed by the ambassador while holding the post of a deputy head of mission,” the official explained.General Silva took up office as the Deputy Permanent Representative to the Mission in New York this year after performing the role of Commander of the Sri Lanka Army’s 58th Division during the final war against the LTTE.He took the lead in capturing several former LTTE strongholds including the Mannar Rice Bowl, Nachchikudha, Devils Point, Pooneryn, Kilinochchi, Elephant Pass, Vishvamadu and Puthukkudyiruppu.According to the External Affairs Ministry, the government has decided to get General Silva to play an active role when dealing with UN officials since he was a key player in the final stages of the war against the LTTE where the government is now being accused of committing war crimes. Two intelligence unit reports on Pillayan with President: A majority of the Jeyananthan Force allegedly with Pillayan The President who held discussions with the East Chief Minister Pillayan yesterday, had stated that he would give an answer to the conflicts and issues which have arisen in regard to the TMVP party in Batticaloa after inquiring from the IGP and the reports from him are received. The Govt. intelligence units of SIS and the Army DMI have by now forwarded two comprehensive reports to the President on the situation in the East, according to informed sources within.Based on these reports , it is revealed that a number of LTTE members identified as of the Jayananthan Force which defeated the Govt. Army Jayasikuru operations during the past war and from the East are now supporting the Chief Minister Pillayan and not Minister Karuna. The intelligence units of the Govt. have still not been able to trace the stocks of vital weapons in the East even two years after the war ended , since Karuna Amman the LTTE leader who was in charge of the LTTE arms is now with the Govt. Reports of the intelligence units say. The intelligence units also add that among these weapons , there are also aircraft destroying missiles.No matter what , it is learnt that the defense Secretary had now ordered a search for these weapons and the place where they are hidden.After Sivanesathurai Chandrakanathan alias Pillayan was appointed as the Chief Minister of the East , an intellectual who arrived from Australia was made by him as his Secretary . However , this individual was later found murdered by shooting at Athurugiriya in the South. The media at that time reported that the deceased had very close and cordial relations with India. 21 May 2011 Rajiv Gandhi's 20th death anniversary today New Delhi: Today is the 20th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and people still remember India's youngest Prime Minister, who dreamt of the 21st century India.On May 21, 1991, in Sriperambudur at 10 o'clock in the night, Journalist R Bhagwan Singh was discussing the Lok Sabha polls with fellow journalists in the media enclosure. He could see former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi walking towards the podium. Thousands of supporters, mainly women, were pushing each other for a glimpse of the man who, it seemed, was all set to return as the prime minister. But seconds before Rajiv was about to mount the podium, a huge explosion took place. Initially, people thought it was a cracker blast.Deccan Chronicle Consulting Editor R Bhagwan Singh said, "I remember telling my friends how can these Congressmen be so stupid and have a powerful cracker next to the dais. But then, within moments we saw people screaming, running around, some black, some burnt. We got up and ran and we saw on the right side of the carpet. Rajiv was on his face, head turned down and then we saw Moopanar and Jayanti Natrajan and Karate Thyagarajan who were bending and trying to turn and see whether it was him.""They turned to see and there was no face! The entire thing had blown up. It was a gruesome and horrible death for a leader who wanted to find a solution for the Tamils in Sri Lanka."Amid the chaos and confusion, local Congress leaders rushed to identify the shattered pieces of Rajiv's body.R Bhagwan Singh says, "You are meeting me 20 years later and I'm describing the incident like it happened yesterday. Do u think I have forgotten? It hurts me deeply! Because I have covered the Sri Lanka issue, I have been there and seen people disintegrate and die. Through all the mess, the assassination keeps coming back to my mind."For Communist leader D Pandian, it was just another hectic campaign day. He was looking forward to putting his feet up after many days on the election trail. He was there to translate Rajiv's speech into Tamil. But, fate decided otherwise."I was shouting where is Rajiv. I could not see him anywhere. I was surrounded by dozens of dead bodies," recalls Pandian.Most eye witnesses who CNN-IBN contacted, did not want to talk about that tragic night. It troubles them even today - 20 years on. Ban stands by report UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon stands by the expert panel report on Sri Lanka and is still awaiting an official response to it from the Sri Lankan government, the UN has said.However the UN reiterated that it is for the Sri Lankan government to investigate what happened during the last stages of the war and the UN will not get involved without being given a mandate to do so.UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky, speaking at a press briefing in New York said that accountability is for the national authority in any given case and in this case accountability is for the Sri Lankan authorities.“ Well, as you know, we’ve been very clear; the report has been published in its entirety. You can see the recommendations that there are there, and the Secretary-General stands by the report that’s been prepared for him by the Panel of Experts. That’s the first point. The second is that we have repeatedly said in the run-up to the report being published, and after the report was published, that the Government of Sri Lanka is welcome to provide its response, its official response, to the report. And we would welcome that. We haven't seen it yet,” the UN spokesman said. Call for LTTE ban in Norway War crimes committed by LTTE "We have an investigative team coming from the Netherlands to question him. I also hope the Norwegian police would be able to interrogate this man to shed information on the LTTE activities in the Norway", said Gitmark."LTTE was a major player in the civil war in Sri Lanka. UN report on the civil war has condemned both the government and the LTTE in the strongest of words when it comes to war crimes".He also claimed that there are recent reports of LTTE illegal fundraising in the Norway. LTTE fund raising in Norway "I think it is not in the interest of the people of Sri Lanka for the LTTE to raise money in Norway and other places to renew its violent struggle against the government of Sri Lanka." The Conservative Party MP told the BBC."There had been numerous recent reports on the LTTE raising money in the Norway. I have urged the Norwegian police to take immediate action to see if this is the case and if that is the case to punish the responsible".Dutch police however had not revealed the details of the interrogation of Nediyawan. Arrests in Netherlands In April 2010, Police in Netherlands arrested several Tamil community leaders in the country.Computers, paperwork, phones, documents, photos, DVDs and a sum totalling more than 40,000 Euros were seized."Among the suspects are the leaders of various organisations of Tamils in the Netherlands, which probably play a role in the international network of the LTTE," the justice ministry said in a statement.Leaders of the Tamil Co-ordinating Committee (TCC), the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO), the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO), the Tamil Women Organisation (TWO) and the Tamil Arts and Cultural Organization Netherlands (TKCO), are believed to be among the suspects.Norwegian parliamentarian Peter Gitmark also blamed the government of Sri Lanka for continues violation of human rights. International observer to watch cases against former Sri Lanka Army Commander Sri Lanka's opposition sources say that a special representative of the Inter Parliamentary Union will arrive in Sri Lanka soon to observe the judiciary proceedings against former Army Commander of Sri Lanka, Sarath Fonseka.The representative of the Inter Parliamentary Union is learnt to be Mark Trowell, Q.C. of the Western Australia Bar Association, informed sources say.Trowell is an international observer experienced in observing similar cases such as the trials against Anvar Ibrahim of Malaysia.The representation is believed to be a result of the lobbying by the opposition regarding the rights of the ex-parliamentarian Fonseka. Sri Lanka police question Fonseka's daughter at the airport The Sri Lankan police have briefly detained and questioned the youngest daughter of the jailed former army commander Sarath Fonseka at the Colombo airport on Friday when she was returning to the country from the United States.The former army chief's wife Anoma Fonseka said her daughter Aparna Fonseka was questioned by the police on the whereabouts of her brother-in-law Danuna Tilakaratne.Danuna Tilakaratne, who was accused of earning profits from arms procurement deals of the Army that were awarded to him by the former Army Commander General Fonseka during the war with the LTTE, is wanted by the police, and remains at large. 20 May 2011 Sri Lanka students and military training Students’ unions in Sri Lanka have raised objections to a new government scheme under which all university entrants will have to undergo three weeks of training in military camps.They have petitioned the country’s Supreme Court to try and stop the programme which begins next week. Petition The government has defended the initiative which it says is about leadership skills. This Sunday morning, every student who has recently won a university place will have to report to a specified military or police camp.There are 28 dotted around the country.Each prospective student, male or female, will be schooled for three weeks in disciplines including physical drill, conflict management, and “Sri Lanka’s future and global changes”. Leadership skills The government says carefully chosen experts will increase the students’ leadership skills and mental and physical fitness.But student organisations are not happy.Their unions have said they don’t think training in military camps is a positive thing, and have appealed against the scheme in the Supreme Court, which is to give a ruling on Friday. Despotic measures An online petition is circulating, calling the measure “despotic”; and a union leader said it pointed to the military’s spreading influence which has seen ever more officers heading government institutions.An ethnic Tamil student, who received a summons letter in the majority Sinhala language with no translation, expressed apprehension; his father said he believed it was a plan to discourage Tamil and Muslim students from taking up higher education.But ethnic Sinhalese and Muslim students told the BBC they had no problems with going to the camp.The Sri Lankan military often speaks of its own discipline but earlier this year it admitted there had been 50,000 deserters. Night-long vigil by Tamils in UK Hundreds of British Tamils held a night-long “vigil” at Trafalgar Square, central London, to press their demand for an independent international investigation into allegations of human rights abuses against the Sri Lankan Government.In a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron, delivered to Downing Street, the British Tamil Forum (BTF) which organised the vigil with other local groups urged him to intervene to facilitate such an investigation. A UN report, it said, had “concluded” that there was “credible evidence to institute an independent inquiry into the conduct of the war in Sri Lanka”. No confidence in probe The letter said that the Tamil people had “no confidence” in the Sri Lankan Government’s ability to conduct an impartial probe alleging that previous commissions of inquiry appointed by the Government had “proved ineffective and a sham”.“It continues to defy calls for an inquiry despite irrefutable and compelling evidences including video recordings showing cold blooded summary executions of prisoners of war,” it added, describing the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), appointed by the Government, as “an attempt to deflect mounting international calls for an independent inquiry”.Protesters, who waved placards and raised slogans, were addressed by MPs from the three main parties — Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats — besides representatives of human rights groups, including “Stop the War Coalition”.“As Tamils, we have been waiting for two long years to this day, seeking justice for our dead, injured and orphaned in many thousands,” said Father SJ Emmanuel., president of the Global Tamil Forum.Suren Surendran, official spokesman for BTF, said his group planned to step up its campaign to “seek justice”. How Jaya's victory changes Indo-Lanka relations After staging a spectacular victory over her bête noire M Karunanidhi-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu assembly elections, J Jayalalithaa, leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has called upon the Indian government for action against the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa for alleged war crimes and genocide of Tamils.Speaking at her very first press conference, Jayalalithaa said "The President of Sri Lanka must be tried for war crimes and brought before the International Court of Law… India can no longer remain a silent spectator… If necessary, an economic blockade will have to be resorted to bring a recalcitrant Sri Lanka to heel."What will be the effect of Jayalalithaa first salvo against Rajapaksa? How will it impact India's Sri Lanka policy? These are some of the questions likely to be debated more frequently in the coming months.Whatever be the effect, Jayalalithaa now sworn in as the new chief minister of Tamil Nadu, has thrown a spanner in the uneasy equation New Delhi had built with Tamil Nadu's outgoing Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. And India's handling of Sri Lanka is likely to undergo a subtle change as a result of Jayalalithaa's rise to power in Tamil Nadu.Jayalalithaa's negative views on New Delhi's handling of Sri Lanka issue are nothing new; in fact in the run up to the state elections, she had needled her opponent saying, "lives of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils could have been saved had Karunanidhi seriously considered withdrawing support to the Centre instead of threatening to withdraw support to it, as he was doing frequently."However, Jayalalithaa's focus on Sri Lanka immediately after her electoral success shows it could be one of the key issues on her agenda in dealing with the Centre.During her present tenure, Jayalalithaa appears to be determined to quickly fulfil her electoral promises; in fact she has set herself a deadline of 18 months to do so. On the very first day in office, she signed a slew of orders approving a number of freebies for the people including distribution of 20 kg of rice free to people below poverty line and an increase in old age pension.And if Sri Lanka issue is within her 18-month agenda (as it appears) we can see more fireworks in New Delhi-Chennai relations in the coming days. The reason for this is simple: she does not belong to the ruling coalition in New Delhi and the Sri Lanka Tamil issue could become the foil for Jayalalithaa to needle the Centre as and when it suits her.Jayalalithaa's approach to Sri Lanka Tamil issue in the past had been lukewarm though she had periodically been demanding the return of Kachativu to India. One of the main reasons for this was the rise of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for whom she had no love lost. This was to be expected as her mentor and the founder of the AIADMK, MG Ramachandran had fully backed Rajiv Gandhi and the India-Sri Lanka agreement of 1987.In fact in 2002 during her earlier term as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, she had arrested Vaiko, leader of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazagham for his vociferous support to the LTTE and its leader Prabhakaran as the LTTE was a banned organisation in India.However, her attitudes to the LTTE-led Eelam struggle took an about-turn after she struck a political alliance with Vaiko in 2006. Though she abandoned Vaiko in the recent election while cobbling up the AIADMK-led front, she appears to have retained her strong sympathy for Sri Lankan Tamils. Is it only political expediency? Though Jayalalithaa is well known for whimsical decision making (and reversing them), it would be facile to dismiss her comments on Sri Lanka Tamils as mere political opportunism. Vaiko is no more there as an ally to influence her, and after her thumping victory her need for any political posturing would be minimal. So it would only be fair to conclude that like thousands of her fellow countrymen, the Tamil Nadu chief minister has probably been genuinely moved by the UN panel report on war crimes and human rights violations during the Eelam War.So Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to tread more cautiously on Sri Lanka Tamil issue now than ever before. Perhaps it was this caution that induced External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to ask his Sri Lankan counterpart Professor G L Peiris, during a recent three-day visit to New Delhi, to observe "restraint" while dealing with Indian fishermen who stray into its waters during talks.The true test of India's attitudes to allegations of Sri Lanka war crimes will be when the issue comes up in UN human rights forum in the near future. Can India stand now as an unqualified supporter of Sri Lanka as it did on the last occasion? This is a question that Sri Lanka foreign office must be debating right now.The rout of the DMK, an important partner in the Congress-led coalition in New Delhi, is likely to have far reaching consequences on the fate of its future status within the coalition. Already the Congress party has lost a lot of mileage in national politics for its role in ignoring the 2G scam for a long time and the unqualified political support it had extended to the DMK leader Karunanidhi, although DMK minister P Raja and M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi were among the main accused.On the other hand, the Congress party as a junior partner of the DMK's electoral front in the Tamil Nadu assembly poll suffered one of the worst drubbings in its history. To survive as a credible party in the state, the Congress has to take a serious relook at the future of its long term political relationship with the DMK, to survive. At the same time, DMK has the numbers in Parliament which will continue to be important in sustaining the Congress-led coalition in New Delhi.The DMK is said to be unhappy with the congratulatory telephone call made by Congress President Sonia Gandhi to Jayalalithaa on her electoral victory. The DMK probably considers this as a move by Congress to build bridges with Jayalalithaa. According to media reports the DMK was even considering of giving up the ministerial berths in New Delhi while continuing to support the Congress-led coalition in Parliament. (It is difficult to believe the DMK would consider such a move, as it needs to retain its footholds within the Central cabinet more than ever before, as 2G case is rapidly building up). At the same time, Jayalalithaa will also have some political compulsions to build a working relationship with the Centre (and as a corollary the Congress party) if she wants to implement some parts of her agenda. So she might not want to take a confrontational path with the coalition government in New Delhi except on some of popular grievances like petrol price hike.As Sri Lanka Tamil issue is essentially a subject in the external affairs jurisdiction, she needs the cooperation of New Delhi if she wants influence India's Sri Lanka policy. So there is a strong possibility that she might scale down her rhetoric on Sri Lanka Tamil issue to enable New Delhi to take positive steps to meet her demands midway. In real terms India's Sri Lanka policy in the coming months may turn out to be less tilted in total support of Rajapaksa as in the past.In this context, media reports emanating from Colombo on the proposed visit of an Indian delegation to meet the President probably on May 26 are interesting. According to them the high power Indian delegation visiting Sri Lanka would be insisting on Sri Lanka fully implementing the 13th amendment to the Constitution including those land and police powers to provincial councils to address Tamil grievances are of special interest. What happens to the allegations of war crimes committed by Sri Lanka? It may become a silent casualty as Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh do a delicate balancing act in maintaining a working relationship with both the Dravidian parties. At best, India would probably maintain its silence in public on the UN report, while urging President Rajapaksa in private, visible follow up action on the issues contained in the UN report as a trade off for its conditional support or neutral posture as and when the issue comes up in the UN forum.Though this assessment may sound cynical, unfortunately foreign policy compromises are more often made with short term goals than laudable long term objectives. As Henry Kissinger said "No foreign policy -- no matter how ingenious -- has any chance of success if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of none." This is so true of policy making in both the countries. SL: Govt. summons Norwegian envoy In spite of Norway’s denial of a direct role in 12 LTTE personnel leaving Sri Lanka via the Bandaranaike International Airport, the government of Sri Lanka summoned Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo Hilde Haraldstad to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Foreign Secretary Karunathilake Amunugama raised the issue.Authoritative sources say Amunugama had expressed concern over the alleged involvement of Colombo-based Norwegian diplomatic staff in the clandestine operation. Ambassador Haraldstad was told that a statement attributed to former Norwegian peace envoy, Minister Erik Solheim, which endorsed the actions of the embassy staff wasn’t acceptable. Minister Solheim went to the extent of accusing the government of Sri Lanka of ex-judicial actions, including killings during the last phase of the conflict Denying any wrongdoing on its part, the Norwegian embassy said it was not at liberty to discuss individual cases but clarified its policy regarding asylum for refugees.The Norwegian newspaper, Aftenposten, in a May 12, 2011 news item captioned, Norway to help refugees from Sri Lanka, reported that the Norwegian authorities had secretly purchased tickets and obtained political asylum for persons deemed to be at risk in Sri Lanka.The External Affairs Ministry said that further investigations would shed light on the Norwegian operation. The Norwegian Opposition and Norway-based experts have been critical of their operation here. Ambassador Haraldstad told Amunugama that she couldn’t confirm the figure given by Aftenposten with regard to the number of Sri Lankans given asylum in Norway. The Foreign Secretary met Ambassador Haraldstad in the absence of External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris, who was in New Delhi to reach consensus on a range of issues.A senior government source alleged that the latest incident would be detrimental to an ongoing initiative to enhance bilateral relations.Responding to a query, sources said that the two governments had explored the possibility of a meeting between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who is also the leader of the Norwegian Labour Party on the sidelines of the forthcoming UN summit in New York. They said that the Norwegian leader had been at the helm during 2000-2001 and since October 2005 during Solheim’s peace efforts in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan President meets TMVP leader Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday met with the leader of the Tamil People's Liberation Tigers (TMVP) and Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan at the Temple Trees.A group of 20 TMVP members had met with the President and said the party was willing to cooperate with the investigations being carried out on the recent killings that have taken place in Batticaloa.However, the TMVP members have expressed their displeasure at the manner in which the investigations are being carried out.They have condemned the searching of the Chief Minister's office and residence.Chandrakanthan's office and residence were searched for weapons by the Sri Lankan Army Tuesday. The Police have arrested three persons under suspicion for last week's killing of a coordinating secretary to Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman.The President meanwhile had said that the detained TMVP members would be released if there are no charges against them.Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya, Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, and Susil Premajayantha had also attended the meeting. President Mahinda Rajapaksa seeks Batti report President Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked for a report from the police on the recent incidents in Batticaloa which resulted in the arrest of some members of the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) and the Batticaloa house of TMVP leader and Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan being searched.According to the TMVP the President had asked for a report after meeting a TMVP delegation in Colombo Thuresday led by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan. Minister Basil Rajapaksa, UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayanth and Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya also attended the meeting.TMVP spokesman Azad Maulana told News Now.lk that the TMVP delegation initially met Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday morning and raised their disappointment at the way they were being treated by the police and security forces in the East.Following that meeting the delegation met President Rajapaksa this afternoon and at that meeting the President had expressed “regret” at what had taken place and asked for a full report from the police, Maulana told News Now.lk.He also said that both the TMVP and the government had agreed on a mechanism for future corporation to ensure there is no rift between the two sides.Meanwhile in a statement UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayanth said that the President had, at the meeting, told the police to work cordially with political parties supportive of the government and also respect the post of a Chief Minister when using the law against him.The UPFA General Secretary also said that the President had noted that it was the responsibility of all parties concerned to ensure the security of the eastern province.According to TMVP sources, five TMVP members have been arrested so far over some of the recent incidents reported from Batticaloa. Of those arrested was top TMVP official, Pradeep Master.However the relationship between the TMVP and the government took a turn for the worst when the police searched the house of the TMVP leader himself. The TMVP was brought to power in the East with the support of the government. French Ambassador on East tour: Hopes to strengthen relations with SL The French Ambassador in Sri Lanka Christine Robichon who was on tour in Ampara district last week visited South Eastern University of Sri Lanka in Oluvil to participate in the inauguration ceremony of two new courses which are Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) administered by the Post Graduate Unit of the Faculty of Management and Commerce.The Ambassador accompanied by the Embassy's Attache for Cooperation, Development and Humanitarian Affairs Constance Theisen and the Competent Authority for Eastern University Prof Ranjith Arthanayake, held cordial discussions with the Registrar M S Sathar, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Commerce M D M Amjath, the senior lecturing staff, council members and administrative staffs of the University on the academic programme and physical development activities in progress.Addressing at the ceremony she said she was happy to see for herself the development of the university. She said France has always had close relation with Sri Lanka and hoped to further strengthen it. She said she is confident that visits of this nature would fulfill this purpose.At the conclusion of the ceremony the Registrar presented a memento to the Ambassador while the Dean Amjath handed a memento to Prof Ranjith Arthanayake in memory of their visit to the University. Arrest at Cochin airport: police probe LTTE links The Crime Detachment Wing of the Aluva Rural Police has launched an investigation into the antecedents of a suspected former LTTE combatant who was arrested from the Cochin International Airport here on Tuesday.Jeevadass Marimuthu, 30, hailing from Jaffna in Sri Lanka, was detained by immigration officials while attempting to board an Oman Air flight to Muscat. He was found possessing an Indian passport with his name as Peter Savari Muthu, Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu. Jeevadas said he had been on his way to Paris seeking political asylum. He confessed to obtaining the travel documents from a passport agent in Tamil Nadu.Official sources said the investigating officials had taken him to a hotel in Kochi where he stayed on Tuesday and collected evidence. Investigation was also on to trace Guna, the Tiruchi-based agent who had given him the passport, and another person in Kochi who accompanied him to the airport. Jeevadass had worked in an artificial limb-making factory owned by the LTTE in Jaffna and left for India a couple of years later. For the last few months, he had been living with his relatives at a refugee camp in Tamil Nadu. On questioning, Jeevadas said he chose Kochi as the transit point from India on instruction from his passport agent. Meanwhile, the incident has raised suspicion among the authorities that Kochi is being used as a safe exit point to Europe by the former LTTE militants. In July last, a Sri Lankan national identified as Nandakumar of Jaffna was arrested while attempting to board an international flight with a French passport. On interrogation, he said he had been on his way to Paris to join his maternal uncle and also confessed to obtaining the document from a passport agent in Tiruchi. 19 May 2011 TNA welcomes agreement The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) welcomed both Sri Lanka and India agreeing that the end of armed conflict here created a historic opportunity.In a statement the TNA welcomed both Sri Lanka and India agreeing that the end of armed conflict here created a historic opportunity to address all outstanding issues in a spirit of understanding and mutual accommodation imbued with political vision to work towards genuine national reconciliation.Commenting in the joint statement issued in the aftermath of the meeting between the External Affairs Ministers of the two countries, TNA leader R. Sampanthan told Daily Mirror that, according to the statement, the External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka affirmed his Government’s commitment to ensuring expeditious and concrete progress in the ongoing dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka and representatives of Tamil parties.Mr. Sampanthan said that his party was now looking forward a Devolution Package that caters to the rights and aspirations of Tamil people. Asked whether the TNA was planning to meet the Indian political leadership, he said, “There is no immediate plan as such at the moment. Well, we will watch the developments, and take it from there.”Responding to a query about such plans to meet with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha, Mr. Sampanthan replied that it too would depend on future developments.“We have sent our felicitations to her. There is no immediate plan for a meeting. Again, we will watch the developments and take it from there.” Sri Lanka Tamil party says next round of talks focus on power devolution, not the senate Sri Lanka's major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran has said that the focus of the next round of talks is devolution of power.The Tamil legislator has told a local Sinhala daily Divaina today that the government proposal on setting up of a second chamber of the parliament would be considered only after an agreement is reached regarding the power devolution.MP Sumanthiran, a lawyer by profession, who represents the TNA negotiating team with the government, says that the two parties have agreed to the measure.Accordingly, the next round of talks is to focus on the power devolution, he said.The parliamentarian further has said that the talks were postponed until May 23 since the government wanted to discuss with the coalition parties about the power devolution. The TNA meanwhile has welcomed the government's commitment for an expeditious and concrete progress in the ongoing dialogue between the two sides as affirmed by the External Affair Minister to the Indian government.Commenting on the joint statement issued by the two countries Tuesday, the TNA has expressed contentment that both Sri Lanka and India had agreed that the end of the conflict has created a historic opportunity to work towards a genuine national reconciliation.Sri Lankan government has agreed that a devolution package, building upon the 13th Amendment, would contribute towards creating the necessary conditions for such reconciliation. 18 May 2011 India calls on Sri Lanka to probe rights record India broke with past practice on Tuesday and called on Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during the island's civil war, upping pressure on President Mahinda Rajapakse. India has not joined recent demands from the United Nations and Western countries for a probe into alleged war crimes committed during the final stages of the conflict which ended in May 2009 with the crushing of Tamil rebels. During a visit by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris to New Delhi, India "urged the expeditious implementation of measures by the government of Sri Lanka, including... investigations into allegations of human rights violations," a statement said. The strongly worded message comes amid tensions over fishing rights in the sea separating the two countries which have resulted in several Indian fishermen being shot dead by the Sri Lankan navy. As well as a rights' investigation, India also pushed for speedy resettlement of ethnic Tamils displaced by fighting; "genuine reconciliation" with the ethnic minority group and the early end of emergency laws. Sri Lanka is extremely sensitive about interference in its internal affairs and has vigorously resisted pressure for a war crimes investigation, insisting its own probe -- condemned by international human rights groups as a sham -- is sufficient. In a military campaign that has since been dogged by war crimes allegations, Sri Lanka's army defeated the Tamil Tiger separatist rebellion in May 2009, ending 37 years of bloodshed. The tropical Indian Ocean island is a mostly Buddhist nation ruled by the majority Sinhala ethnic group, but with large ethnic Tamil populations in the north and east. Peiris told reporters that Sri Lanka was "forging ahead having left terrorism behind us," adding that the mood on the island was one of "hope and aspiration for the future." "The need of the hour is a sense of oneness and solidarity. The wounds of past should be allowed to heal," he said. "This is a time for rapprochement, to leave behind the pain and anguish of the past." He defended the continuation of emergency rule two years after the end of the island's civil war and said the country's judicial system was robust enough to deal with rights abuses, if any were unearthed by an investigating commission. Tamils to hold vigil in Trafalgar Square Thousands of Tamils will hold a vigil in Trafalgar Square on Wednesday evening to mark the second anniversary of the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka and to call for an independent international investigation into allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.As many as 40,000 non-combatants died in spring 2009 as the Sri Lankan government moved to crush Tamil Tiger separatists and end the island's 26-year conflict.Evidence of atrocities on both sides has emerged. Government soldiers have been accused of shelling hospitals, targeting civilians and attacking aid workers, while rebels are said to have used civilians as shields and shot those attempting to flee the fighting.A UN report last month accused both sides of potential war crimes, but its findings were dismissed as "baseless, biased and unilateral" by the Colombo government, which also tried to stall its publication.MPs from the UK's main parties – among them Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat), Virendra Sharma (Labour) and Theresa Villiers (Conservative) – are expected to attend the event.At the end of the vigil, demonstrators will deliver a memorandum to Downing Street, urging the prime minister to honour the call he made in October for an independent investigation into the allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.The president of the Global Tamil Forum, which represents the diaspora, said it was time for a proper investigation."This is one of those memories that we, the Tamils, the world and the world leaders could do without," said Father SJ Emmanuel."As Tamils we have been waiting for two long years to this day, seeking justice for our dead, injured and orphaned in many thousands."We wait very patiently with a heavy heart, praying to God, hoping there will be a leader who will at least now, after two long years, hear our cry for justice and deliver just that to establish moral authority." INDIA - SRI LANKA : Joint Press Statement Statement issued by the GOI and GOSL due to visit of Prof. Gamini Lakshman Peiris, Minister of External Affairs, Colombo External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris who is on an official visit to India at the invitation of the Government of India, had discussions on current issues of mutual concern with the External Affairs Minister, S.M. Krishna, on 16 May 2011. 2. During his visit, the External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka called on Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and met with Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister, Shri S M Krishna, External Affairs Minister and Shri Shivshankar Menon, National Security Advisor. Smt Nirupama Rao, Foreign Secretary, called on the visiting dignitary. 3. Delegation-level talks, led by the two External Affairs Ministers, were held on May 16, 2011. The two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations. They assessed the developments that had taken place since the visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India in June, 2010 and the bilateral Joint Commission meeting at the level of the Ministers of External Affairs held in Colombo in November, 2010. Issues relating to regional and international issues of common concern were also discussed. 4. Both sides agreed that the end of armed conflict in Sri Lanka created a historic opportunity to address all outstanding issues in a spirit of understanding and mutual accommodation imbued with political vision to work towards genuine national reconciliation. In this context, the External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka affirmed his Government’s commitment to ensuring expeditious and concrete progress in the ongoing dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka and representatives of Tamil parties. A devolution package, building upon the 13th Amendment, would contribute towards creating the necessary conditions for such reconciliation. 5. The Minister of External Affairs of Sri Lanka reiterated the commitment of his Government to continue to address issues related to resettlement and reconciliation in a focused and progressive manner. In this regard the Minister of External Affairs of Sri Lanka referred to the work of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and set out the steps taken by the Inter-Agency Advisory Committee (IAAC) chaired by the Attorney General in implementing the Interim Recommendations of the LLRC in relation to detention, law and order, administration and language issues and socio-economic and livelihood issues. In response, The External Affairs Minister of India urged the expeditious implementation of measures by the Government of Sri Lanka, to ensure resettlement and genuine reconciliation, including early return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their respective homes, early withdrawal of emergency regulations, investigations into allegations of human rights violations, restoration of normalcy in affected areas and redress of humanitarian concerns of affected families. 6. The External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka expressed appreciation of the humanitarian and other assistance including demining and livelihood support measures extended by the Government of India for early relief and resettlement of IDPs. In this context, both sides noted that forward movement had taken place towards construction of houses for IDPs and other infrastructure development projects, including rehabilitation of Kankesanthurai harbour, rehabilitation of Palaly Airport, repair and construction of hospital and schools, setting up of Vocational Training Centres, construction of the Cultural Centre in Jaffna, restoration of railway lines and restoration of the Duraiappah stadium in Jaffna. 7. Expressing satisfaction at the progress of work on various railway projects in Sri Lanka undertaken with India’s assistance, both sides agreed to facilitate the work for their timely completion. In keeping with the understanding contained in the Joint Declaration of June 9, 2010, both sides agreed to the early conclusion of Agreements related to the Joint Venture Thermal Power Project between NTPC and CEB at Sampur, Trincomalee; finalisation of remaining agreements including reconstruction of the Palali-KKS railway line, establishment of a new signalling and telecommunication system and procurement of rolling stock from India; and to continue ongoing dialogue for early finalisation of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Progress on the feasibility study for the interconnection of India Sri Lanka electricity grids was reviewed. It was also agreed to enhance cooperation in the energy sector and to promote dialogue on security and defence issues of relevance to the bilateral relationship. 8. Reviewing the outcome of the Joint Working Group meeting on Fisheries held in New Delhi on 28-29 March, 2011, both sides agreed that the use of force could not be justified under any circumstances and that all fishermen should be treated in a humane manner. The Indian side conveyed that the incidents of continued violence against Indian fishermen in the vicinity of Sri Lanka were of serious concern. In this context, both sides noted that the Joint Statement on Fishing Arrangements of 26th October 2008 had led to a decrease in violent incidents. Furthermore, the two sides emphasised the importance of an early conclusion of the draft Memorandum of Understanding on Development and Cooperation in the field of Fisheries between India and Sri Lanka. 9. Both sides reiterated their commitment to promote cultural and people-to-people contacts and enhance connectivity including through early operationalisation of the ferry services between Tuticorin and Colombo and Rameswaram and Talaimannar. The two sides also agreed to encourage two-way flow of investments including in the development of ports and ports related services in Sri Lanka. 10. Both countries agreed on the need for reform of the UN Security Council. 11. Sri Lanka reiterated its strong support for India’s legitimate claim for permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council. UNHRC 'ignored allegations on Sri Lanka" An international human rights watchdog has accused the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) of ignoring credible allegations that war crimes had been committed by both sides during the war in Sri Lanka.In a public statement issued on Tuesday marking the two year anniversary of the military victory of the Sri Lankan government over Tamil Tigers, Amnesty International (AI) has called for the support of the UNHRC to assist in the efforts to initiate an international investigation on Sri Lanka.On 27 May 2009, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution praising Sri Lankan Government's efforts "to ensure the safety and security of all Sri Lankans and to bring permanent peace to the country," Damage This resolution "has done profound damage to efforts to end impunity and secure reconciliation in Sri Lanka and to the credibility of the UN in Sri Lanka," says AI.The AI statement says that there is "mounting evidence that war crimes may have been committed during the armed conflict". Support Due to what it calls ineffective response by the Sri Lankan authorities, AI says, "it is time for the Human Rights Council to support international efforts to investigate the allegations"."The Human Rights Council and the members of the United Nations also have a responsibility to support genuine efforts to encourage the Sri Lankan government to better protect the rights of all Sri Lankans and to avoid a repeat of the violations that became so commonplace," it adds University students in Jaffna defy subjugation, observe Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance More than 600 students from all the faculties of Jaffna University, came together Monday to observe Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance, defying the threatening presence of Sri Lankan riot police commandos, Sri Lanka Army soldiers and intelligence operatives at the University premises between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The Jaffna University Students Union urged the Tamils to excel in knowledge by continuing to focus on education and resolved that any effort to find a political solution should be founded on ‘historical realities’ and that those who claim to conduct ‘negotiations’ with the government should be mindful that their mandate is vested with people and all sections of the Tamil Nation should be consulted before finalising any model. Sinhala and Muslim students also took part in the remembrance event. Several student representatives from various faculties spoke at the event, which was titled Valika'l Sumantha Vaaram (The Week of Pains). Many of the speakers urged the International Community to follow up the UN Panel report and enable a permanent solution. The event, which was earlier scheduled to take place at Kailasapathy Auditorium, was conducted at the hall of the Student Union, as the University administration, pressurized by paramilitary hierarchy in Jaffna, had denied access to the auditorium. Sri Lanka intercepts Canada-bound LTTE propaganda material Sri Lankan authorities have discovered Tamil Tiger propaganda material inside a cargo container bound for Canada from the Tamil Nadu port of Chennai through Colombo.The authorities on Tuesday have asked the police to investigate the shipment from Chennai and detained the Canada-bound container with a consignment of promotional material for the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."There were 45 cartons of LTTE books to an address in Canada," an AFP report quoting a police official said.Sri Lankan security forces vanquished the LTTE organization within the island two years ago but the rebels are active and continuing their struggle for a separate homeland overseas among the Tamil diaspora and in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu which is home to 80 million Tamils.The Sri Lankan government has repeatedly warned that although the rebels are no longer a threat in the country they are secretly trying to re-group and operating camps in Tamil Nadu.Sri Lankan Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne has said that the Tamil Tiger leaders in the United States and Norway are trying to review the separatist movement again. Won't allow anti-India activity by China: Sri Lanka Conscious of India's concerns over China's forays into the Indian Ocean region, Sri Lanka Tuesday assured New Delhi that it would not allow any country to use its soil to launch hostile action against any other country.Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, who concluded his three-day visit to India Tuesday, told reporters here that there was no scope for any confrontation between its close friends on its soil and said both China and India were helping the island nation in its development.'We would certainly not allow one country to use sri lanka as a launching pad for hostile action against any other country. That is the universal principle and we accept that. There is no way that we will allow any country to use Sri Lankan soil or waters to take hostile action against any other country,' Peiris said. He noted that both China and India were carrying out port, airport and road construction for Sri Lanka, apart from being involved in the power and energy sector.'So there is no hostility or competition. Both are our friends. There is no reason for fears or suspicions. These are commercial relations,' he said, adding that there was 'no question of China encircling' India by developing the Hambantota port in southern Sri Lanka.Peiris said during his 'brief but productive' visit to India, he had met with the top Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to discuss issues relating to the region and the international community.'We have always had the support of India, consistently. The relation remains as strong as ever. It is a special, unique relationship. The discussions reflected the empathy of India for Sri Lanka's challenges and there is reservoir of goodwill between the two countries,' he said.Peiris also expressed appreciation of India's humanitarian and other assistance including de-mining and livelihood support measures for early relief and resettlement of internally displaced persons and other infrastructure projects.India is carry out reconstruction of the Kankesanthurai port, Palaly airport, repair of hospitals, schools, roads and railway lines. These apart, India is on the verge of concluding agreements for a joint venture power projects with Sri Lanka in Sampur, Tricomalee; a deal on reconstruction of a railway line between Palaly and Kankesanthurai; and a comprehensive economic partnership agreement.Sri Lanka, apart from agreeing to the need for reform in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), also strongly supported India's legitimate claim for permanent membership in an expanded UNSC. Dutch Tamils arrested for illegal Tigers fundraising Tamils in the Netherlands have been forced to donate money to the LTTE, the Tamil separatist army, to pay for its war against Sri Lanka’s government army. Dutch court authorities say the Tigers held these people in ‘a stranglehold’, forcing them to pay a ‘war tax’.The investigation has been going on for two years. Several people have been arrested, including the alleged leader of the Dutch branch of the Tigers. Reprisals Court documents, published by Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, say that the Tamil Tigers systematically extorted large sums of money from Dutch Tamils. If they refused, they were threatened with reprisals.Tens of thousands of Tamils live in the Netherlands. The majority came to the country after the Tamil separatist war broke out in the mid-1980’s. The Tamil Tigers have been listed as a terrorist organisation in EU-countries such as the Netherlands since 2006.The Netherlands is not the first European country where Tamils have been arrested for money laundering and extortion. Last year, Tamils in Switzerland and the UK were arrested for the same reason. While the Dutch Tamils are still awaiting trial, in the UK and Switzerland several people have already been convicted. Common Dr Christopher McDowell of the City University London has published extensively on the Tamil diaspora in Europe. He told RNW that it used to be very common for Tamil groups to raise funds for the homeland."From the early 1980s, hundreds of thousands of Tamils fled Sri Lanka and moved to Europe, the US or East Asia,” he says. “Many of them felt quite guilty because they got out and were safe. Out of this guilt, they were willing to give money to the people who stayed behind."According to Mr McDowell, most people didn’t overtly pledge money for the military cause. “The LTTE was very effective in promoting humanitarian causes to help their own people,” he says. “A number of these causes were very closely entwined with the LTTE and most people tended to turn a blind eye to that." Globalisation The Tamil diaspora has become known for its ability to raise huge funds – with or without criminal intent – for the people in their homeland. "In the ‘80s you saw a very rapid and sudden movement of Tamils across the globe," Mr McDowell says. "They took advantage of the upcoming globalisation and new technologies to keep the diaspora closely in touch with themselves. They were easy to target." Defeat The Tigers’ defeat in 2009 quickly lead to a severe weakening of the organisational structure of the LTTE, including a worldwide power struggle, which has subsequently lead to less money being raised."This conflating of crime and political fundraising was particularly nasty. People obviously felt under enormous pressure against threats of physical violence," says Mr McDowell. "But despite the end of the war, fundraising apparently still continues." Sri Lanka's ancient port city Trincomalee requested to be declared a world heritage city Director General of Archeological Department Senarath Dissanayake says that Sri Lanka has made a request to the UNESCO to proclaim two of historical venues of eastern port city Trincomalee as world heritages.These two venues are the ancient port in Trincomalee and the Old Dutch Fort. The ancient harbor is also known as Black Harbor.The Director General said that if these venues were declared as world heritage sites that would be an immense boost to the city that is already a major tourist attraction inthe country.Sacred City of Anuradhapura, Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Ancient City of Sigiriya, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sacred City of Kandy, Old Town of Galle and its fortifications, Golden Temple of Dambulla and Central Highlands of Sri Lanka are the present world heritages of Sri Lanka. Pillayan’s house searched The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP) is to hold an urgent meeting tomorrow after the house of Eastern Province Chief Minister and TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan was subjected to a sudden police search this evening.A TMVP official said that plain clothed officers entered the residence of the Chief Minister and searched his house before leaving. The official did not say if the officers had recovered anything.The TMVP said that Chandrakanthan was at his residence at the time it was searched and he was outraged at the incident.According to the TMVP official the party, which has been supporting the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will hold an urgent meeting tomorrow regarding the latest incident.Just yesterday top TMVP official Pradeep Master was arrested on suspicion over the recent killings reported from the Eastern Province.Pillayan, a former LTTE cadre, has long been used by the government in its propaganda for the change seen in the Eastern province following the defeat of the LTTE.However with the latest developments it is likely that the TMVP will look at pulling out its support to the government in future.Pillayan had in recent times also fallen out with former TMVP leader and current government Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman. 17 May 2011 Go beyond 13th Amendment: EPDP The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), an ally of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has renewed its call for the abolition of the concurrent list in the 13th Amendment and for the establishment of a senate or second chamber as part of a solution to the national question. Minister and EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda said he submitted his proposals to the government at a recent meeting. He said he had called for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution as an initial step in evolving a political solution. “We want the government to go beyond the 13th Amendment in the devolution of power. We asked the government to establish a senate and to abolish the concurrent list,” he said.When asked whether his proposal for a senate is similar to what the government had outlined to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), he said there could be differences of views on the matter. Soon after the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987, the government introduced the 13th Amendment to the Constitution providing for the establishment of nine provincial councils in the country with powers devolved under the provincial and concurrent lists. The provincial councils have full statute-making power with respect to the Provincial Council List, and shared statute-making power with respect to the Concurrent List while matters set out in the Reserved List are under the central government. G.L briefs India on UN External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris briefed his Indian counterpart S. M. Krishna on the UN panel report, during a meeting in New Delhi yesterday. The meeting took place at the Oberoi hotel in New Delhi and was attended by Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardena and India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Askok Kantha.Minister G.L. Peiris and Minister S.M Krishna also discussed various issues of bilateral and regional interest to the two nations, officials said. Pradeep Master arrested Top TMVP official Pradeep Master was arrested by the police in Batticaloa yesterday evening, TMVP sources said.According to TMVP officials a reason for the arrest was not submitted to the TMVP or the family members of Pradeep Master.TMVP sources also said that Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanasethurai Chandrakanthan has lodged a strong protest over the arrest with government officials at the highest level.The arrest follows twin killings in Batticaloa last week in two separate incidents of supporters of Chandrakanthan and Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna.Both Chandrakanthan and Minister Muralitharan have been at loggerheads over several issues and the recent killings were also believed to have been connected to the rift.Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya had visited the East over the weekend to asses the security situation following the twin murders. Release Fonseka; Only he can counter Darusman Report –Kiriella Retired General Sarath Fonseka should be released immediately, because he is the only person who could help the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime reply the war crimes allegations levelled against it by the UNSG commissioned Darusman Report, the UNP said yesterday.Senior Vice Chairman of the UNP, Lakshman Kiriella told The Island that the government, by replying to 31 questions posed by the UNSG’s Experts Panel, even before the Report was released, has already incriminated itself.Since the damage has been done, the Rajapaksa regime should at least now swallow its pride, release Fonseka and use his services to refute the charges, as it was he who had led the armed forces in defeating the LTTE and could speak with authority on its operations, Kiriella said.Fonseka, he said, was considered a political prisoner by the international community, which was bound to question his absence from any delegation that was sent to contest the Darusman Report.If the Rajapaksa regime had listened to the UNP’s views and advice without foolishly branding them as traitors, most of the charges could have been overturned even before it was made public, Kiriella said.The government should at least now stop trying to whip up public emotions and sensibly reply to the allegations, he said.Kiriella also called on the authorities to provide Sinhala and Tamil copies of the Darusman Report, to all Sri Lankan public representatives if there was to be a constructive discussion on it.In the current situation it was imperative that the media should also be allowed to report freely, because such a policy would far outweigh the perceived disadvantages, he said. Tamil community marks week of mourning A week of mourning the dead of 2009 began last Thursday in a Scarborough banquet hall, where Canada's top politician for the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam was first to light a candle. Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ram Sivalingham of Mississauga then dropped petals in front of the flame, which was positioned in front of a poster reading, "Our heartbeat is always for thee!"The turnout was around 30 adults and some children, though thousands in Toronto are said to have elected members of the internationally-unrecognized government last May.But the message brought by Sivalingham and Sam Sangarasivam, the TGTE's information minister, was unwavering: the Sri Lankan government which crushed separatist Tamils in 2009 must be prosecuted for war crimes and genocide, and one day Sri Lankan Tamils will have a sovereign state of their own.The week of mourning, including a candlelight vigil Sunday, May 15, in Scarborough's Albert Campbell Square and demonstrations in downtown Toronto this coming Wednesday, are aimed at getting the United Nations to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court.A UN report last month said 100,000 died on both sides of the three-decade long civil war, including at least 7,000 during its final months when remaining Tamil Tiger rebels were trapped with large numbers of civilians. Both sides committed human rights violations, it said.TGTE representatives say tens of thousands of Tamil civilians must have died in the last months of fighting, and blame the Sri Lankan government. "Almost 60,000 people killed in just a week," said Sam Sangarasivam, the TGTE's information minister. "Girls, ladies, men, old people - just killed."Later, Sangarasivam, also known as Sam Sangar, did not dispute that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam did not let the civilians leave. "We are saying that nobody's right. According to the United Nations report, LTTE was wrong too."Sivalingham pronounced the UN report "useful, to a certain extent" but added that "it is not going to give us victory.""The word genocide is not in that report. If it were, we would be more certain to get that separate state," he said. "We all have to work harder and prove to the world it is genocide."The deputy prime minister also said in his remarks that 20 countries which took part in the Second World War, Canada included, also "participated in one form or another" in Sri Lanka's war against Tamil rebels. "From our point of view, it is the third world war."Questioned about this, Sivalingham said the 20 countries were helping the Sri Lankan government, "more or less," by providing arms "or pilots or fighter planes, things like that."Canada gave some sort of assistance, perhaps information technology, "but we don't have any proof," he said, before leaving for a similar ceremony in Mississauga.Earlier, RoyWignaa Gardiner, a Scarborough man who is Ontario secretary for TGTE's internal affairs ministry, recounted a history of the Tamil struggle for rights and independence in Sri Lanka, saying, because of that nation's propaganda, "the freedom struggle of the Tamils was unduly portrayed as terrorism. “All we are asking for is a simple divorce, like Singapore and Malaysia," Gardiner added. â?¨"There's no point in fighting for 60 or 70 years. Why not depart as friends, demarcate our boundaries and be two separate countries instead of fighting and killing each other?"After the speeches, Gardiner welcomed Soo Wong, a Toronto public school trustee who will run for MPP in Scarborough-Agincourt this fall as a Liberal, as a friend of the Tamil community.Wong said she was thrilled last year to assist in elections of the TGTE, which she called a significant event. "This is the first sign of your community coming together," she said.Gardiner, in turn, promised Wong support in her campaign. "As citizens of Canada, it will be our duty to work for you in the elections," he said. Murder spree in Jaffna: Brother of Deputy Mayor, Jaffna murdered The elder brother of the Deputy Mayor of Jaffna had been murdered yesterday night. His body was discovered this morning in a Hotel at Kachcheriady Road, Jaffna.The deceased is Thurairaja Suresh, a resident of Colombothurai district, Jaffna. He is a member of the EPDP Organization and the elder brother of the Jaffna Dep. Mayor Thurairaja Ilangovan Rigan. The relatives had told Police that they suspect foul play. There had been no external injuries to his body , and the police is conducting further investigations.Meanwhile, a young girl was found dead by hanging in a house at Nachchchikuda district, Kilinochchi. She is Wimaladasan Pavithra over 19 years of age. It is suspected that she had been hanged after being cut and stabbed. Her body is lying at the Nachchikuda Hospital.So far no suspects had been arrested in connection with both these murders. 16 May 2011 Visit of Indian senior officials to Sri Lanka likely to take place after May 26 Diplomatic sources say that the visit of the top level Indian diplomats to Sri Lanka is likely to take place after May 26.The visit of the Indian delegation comprising National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar was to take place last Friday but postponed due to tensions between India and Pakistan after the killing of Osama Bin Laden.The delegation is expected to hold discussions with the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and other senior politicians and officials.India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok Kantha left for New Delhi on Friday for consultations. He is expected to return to Sri Lanka within a week.Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka Prof. G.L. Peiris will arrive in New Delhi today for discussions with the Indian leaders on the Darusman report.Minister Peiris is to meet with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Norwegian Embassy says it assists Sri Lankan refugees, not LTTE cadres The Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, which has come under the scanner of Sri Lankan government following a report in a Norwegian newspaper that it assisted Tamil Tiger rebels to seek refuge in Norway, denied that it has been secretly helping the LTTE members to flee the country. The Norwegian Embassy issuing a statement today said the local media have mistranslated the Norwegian newspaper article and represented the refugees as members of the annihilated terror outfit LTTE. The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten in a May 12, 2011 article titled "Norway to help refugees from Sri Lanka" reported that the Norwegian authorities secretly have purchased tickets and obtained political asylum to persons who are deemed to be at risk in Sri Lanka. Tamil prisoners in Vavuniyaa launch protest More than 200 prisoners and detainees, imprisoned in Vavuniyaa, have launched a fasting protest from Friday demanding the prison officers to transfer back four fellow inmates recently relocated to Anuradhapura prison. The protesting prisoners also demand to end physical harms against them and to stop harassing their relatives who come to visit them. A fasting inmate, 29-year-old Akilan, was wounded and admitted to Vavuniyaa hospital Saturday when the prison officers allegedly prompted a gang of prisoners to launch an attack on those who were fasting, according to the protesting Tamil prisoners. The attack on the protesting prisoners has taken place after the prison officers invited four representatives of the protesting prisoners for ‘talks’ on Saturday, according to the Tamil prisoners who managed to alert media on what was going on inside the prison. The prison authorities in Vavuniyaa prison refused to comment on the protest of Tamil prisoners. Gunmen fire at the house of Sri Lanka President's son's coordinator Unidentified gunmen have fired at the house of a coordinating secretary of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa's eldest son, parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa on Sunday, the police said.The gunmen have fired six rounds at the house of the coordinating secretary as he returned home by 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.The coordinating secretary who lives in Galweva, Beliatta was not harmed and none of the residents of the house were injured. However, several windows of the house were damaged in firing police said.No arrests have been made so far but the investigations are carried out to arrest the culprits, Beliatta police said. Batti tense after twin killings A tensed situation prevailed in Batticaloa after back to back shooting incidents during the week.Sources in Batticaloa said that security had been tightened following Friday’s killing of M. Ilangkumaran (34). Ilangkumaran was reportedly a staunch supporter and a close aide of the Eastern Province Chief Minister and leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan. Ilangkannan was also a bar owner in Batticaloa.On Wednesday Rasamanikkam Mathiyalakan (38) the SLFP Batticaloa coordinator and an assistant of Deputy Minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman was shot and killed. Mathiyalakan had been confined to a wheelchair since 2007 after being shot by the LTTE in 2007. The TMVP has been at loggerheads with Muralitharan for the past several years.TMVP spokesperson, Azath Moulana confirmed that Ilangkumaran was a supporter of the party but added that he was not a member of the TMVP. “He has been supporting the party and the Chief Minister in a lot of ways. It is a very well know fact,” Moulana said.The killings triggered speculation whether the rift between Pillayan and Karuna had once again erupted. Moulana however said it was too soon to come to such conclusions until investigations are over. “The people are tensed following the two incidents. Security has also been tightened to control the situation,” Moulana said.Mathiyalakan, who was initially with the EPDP later associated with the military intelligence before joining Muralitharan’s camp. He was also the Secretary of the Aanapanthi Pillayar Kovil, Batticaloa.Meanwhile, police said it had taken measures to ensure normalcy in the area following the two killings.Police spokesperson, SP Prishantha Jayakody told The Nation that investigations were already underway with regard to both those incidents. He added that no arrests had been made in connection with the two incidents.The government had said that it would disarm all armed groups operating in the north and east. “Yes. We are in the process of disarming the illegal armed groups. No one, including the paramilitary groups, can have weapons other than the police and the security force personnel,” SP Jayakody said. 15 May 2011 India wants police and land powers for PCs India is to ask Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution giving full land and police powers to provincial councils as part of measures to address Tamil grievances. The move comes as the government gave the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) a blueprint this week on what it believes is one of the key issues it would address. It is the setting up of a second chamber or a senate within the provisions of the existing constitution.The move has not met with approval by the TNA. “We can give thought to it only after the 13th Amendment is implemented in full,” TNA’s Suresh Premachandran told the Sunday Times.At present, some provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution remain in force. Main among them is the establishment of provincial councils that were expected to be the instruments of devolution. However, some of the powers including land and police have not yet been vested in the councils. India’s request, the Sunday Times learns, is to be conveyed to the government when a top-level three-member Indian delegation visits Sri Lanka.The delegation will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa among others. Comprising National Security Advisor Shiv Shanker Menon, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, the delegation was originally due in Colombo on Friday.However, the visit was postponed because of rising tensions between India and Pakistan. After the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US Navy seals in a safe house in Pakistan, New Delhi has accused Islamabad of harbouring terrorists wanted for attacks in India. Though the delegation is now due in Sri Lanka on May 26, the date is yet to be confirmed. This is to take place after India’s High Commissioner Ashok Kanth, who left for New Delhi on Friday, returns to Colombo. He has gone for consultations as well as for tomorrow’s visit to New Delhi by External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris.Among the issues Dr. Peiris is to address in India is to explore the possibility of India issuing a statement countering claims in the UN Advisory Panel’s report that as many as 40,000 civilians were killed. Another is to brief the Indian authorities on the blueprint the government has given the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to establish a second chamber or senate.As revealed exclusively in the Sunday Times last week, the Indian delegation is to ask the government to speed up accountability and reconciliation issues raised in the UN Panel’s report. Zero promises met, TNA charges Though the talks between the government and the TNA seemed to be going ahead the TNA has charged that not a single pledge made by the government has been met so far.TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran said that though the government had assured his party of providing access to relatives to visit those being held in detention centres during the talks held in April, so far they have failed to honour that promise.He said that as per the agreement with the government those relatives ought to have been given access to visit those held in detention centres by the end of April. However,when relatives had arrived at the camps they had been turned away by the security officers.MP Sumanthiran lamented that when they had questioned the government in this regard, govt. representatives had merely expressed apologies.In the meantime all promises made to the TNA with regard to the freeing of political prisoners have also been broken, the MP charged.M. A. Sumanthiran also expressed his dissatisfaction regarding the resettlement scheme for displaced persons, who are currently being put up in scores of refugee camps.He also added that during talks with the government, the TNA had at no stage arrived at a final decision in respect to devolution of power. He alleged that instead of devolving of power the government had attempted to appoint a senate as a solution to the North-East issue.MP Sumanthiran explained that, at that stage, the TNA had opted to discuss devolution and power sharing avoiding any decision on the appointment of a senate. Sri Lanka government talks with Tamil constituent to continue on May 23 Sri Lanka government sources say that the next round of talks with the major Tamil constituent Tamil National Alliance (TNA) regarding a political solution to the Tamil demands will take place on May 23.The government sources say that the talks have entered into a crucial stage. The government has discussed setting up of a second chamber or a senate in the legislature at the talks held yesterday with the TNA, sources added.However, the local Daily Mirror reported that the TNA has declined to accept the government's proposal to establish a senate as a substitute for a 'power devolution arrangement'.The government replaced the resigned delegate former Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka with former peace secretariat head Prof. Rajive Wijesinghe.TNA also included President's Counsel K. Kanag-Iswaran in its delegation. Deputy minister calls for Muslim representation in Sri Lankan government-TNA discussions A senior member of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), deputy minister Basheer Segu Dawood has called for Muslim representation in the talks between the government and the major Tamil party, Tamil national Alliance (TNA) to find a solution to the ethnic issue.Dawood has said the Muslims in the country have the right to demand for representation in the government and TNA discussions.Speaking at the M. A. Bakeer Markar Memorial Lecture organized by the All Ceylon Union of Muslim League Youth Front, the deputy minister had said the Tamil community in the country now had the advantage of striking a deal with the government following the developments that have taken place after the release of the report by the UN Secretary General's panel of experts on Sri Lanka.According to Dawood, the Muslims have not been benefited by the recent developments and should therefore unite to call for their rights.Dawood in his speech had also condemned the panel report. TNA has doubts about second chamber proposal The Government has proposed a Senate or a second chamber under the existing Constitution among other matters to address grievances of the Tamil community. A two-page blueprint outlining the proposal was given to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for study on Thursday when a delegation met Government representatives.TNA President, R. Sampanthan, who received the document, expressed reservations on the proposal saying it does not make any reference to addressing Tamil grievances. A copy of the proposal obtained by the Sunday Times reveals that the Alliance has been given several options to study.The introduction to the proposal says that the Senate or the second chamber can serve a variety of purposes. They are “creating confidence building measures among communities, thus facilitating reconciliation and mutual trust amongst them, underscoring stability and sustainability of the constitutional framework relating to power sharing arrangements, functioning as a possible brake against hasty actions of Parliament, promoting reasonable oversight and reflection of exercise of legislative power and developing instruments and mechanisms which facilitate practices of good governance.”The proposal has listed the following “salient features and options relating to the creation of the proposed Second Chamber.” Option 1 The Second Chamber will consist of Members elected from the twenty-five administrative Districts of the country. These Members will be elected by the Members of the Provincial Councils representing the respective Districts. Each District will return three members, thus the total elected would be 75 members. The President will nominate 15 Members to the Second Chamber. Thus the total number of Members of the Chamber would be 90. Option 2 The Second Chamber will consist of Members elected directly by the People, each Province electing 7 members, thus 63 members will be elected in this manner. The President will nominate 17 Members to the Senate. Altogether there will be 80 members in the Senate. Option 3 The proposed Second Chamber will consist of Members elected by the Provincial Councils, each Provincial Council electing 7 Members, thus 63 Members will be elected in this manner. The President will nominate 17 members to the Senate. Altogether there will be 80 Members in the Senate. The following powers are suggested as basis for discussion: (i) the power to initiate legislation in respect of particular categories of subjects. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the Sunday Times learns, is not in favour of the proposal. TULF congratulates Jeyalalitha on her victory The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) has congratulated Ms. Jeyalalitha Jeyaram for leading her party, the AIADMK to unprecedented victory by obtaining 87% of the total number of seats, at the Tamil Naad Assembly election.The Tamils of Sri Lanka join the seventy million people of Tamil Naad in rejoicing and celebrating this historical achievement with hopes for a bright future for the People of Tamil Naad and the Tamils of Sri Lanka", TULF leader, V. Anandasangaree said in a congratulatory message."We hope that without confrontation, by your goodwill and perseverance, you will help to bring back peace and tranquility to Sri Lanka wherein all communities will enjoy equal rights and opportunities and live together happily and peacefully.", he noted."Please accept my congratulation on your assumption of office as Chief Minister of Tamil Naad". Premadasa threatened to commit suicide, says former Indian envoy in new book President Ranasinghe Premadasa threatened to commit suicide if his demand for the Indian Peace Keeping Forces IPKF to cease their operation against the LTTE was not met before July 29, 1989, according to a former Indian high commissioner.The threat was made to Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s special envoy B.D. Deshmukh. The envoy who had come to Sri Lanka to deliver a special message from the Indian premier was startled by President Premadasa’s threat which was made in the presence of India’s High Commissioner Lakhan Mehrotra who reveals the details in his book, My Days in Sri Lanka.The book is now on sale in Sri Lanka at Vijitha Yapa Bookshop. This and other dramatic details are revealed in the 254-page book. President Premadasa also threatened to declare the Indian Army in Sri Lanka as ‘an occupation force’.. Mr. Premadasa also threatened that if his demand was not met, he would recall Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner from India and told Mr. Mehrotra he also could go back to India, the ex-envoy says.Mr. Mehrotra describes the days when Sri Lanka-India relations were at their lowest ebb and says the situation was leading to “a step by step escalation of the hostile drive against India”. This was nine days before IPKF was asked to stop operations against the LTTE.“If on that day hostilities were to break out between the IPKF and Sri Lankan Army: If the Indian High Commission in Colombo were to be surrounded by blood thirsty JVP demonstrators; If the diplomatic relations between the two countries got fractured and their missions in each other’s capital wound up; if Sri Lanka’s Parliament were to abrogate the 1987 accord, all according to the President’s declared plan, the situation could reach a point of no return.“Things were getting hotter by the day and moving towards a direct confrontation between the two armies”, Mr. Mehrotra says in the book. He adds, “It was the President’s calculation that a few clashes in the North East between the IPKF and the Sri Lanka Army would bring enough coffins into Colombo to create a sense of national outrage against what he was about to declare as an occupation force”.Mr. Mehrotra dramatically says, “A war with India of President Premadasa’s own making was close at hand”. The IPKF Commander Amarjeet Singh Kalkat warned that it would be most unfortunate if the President of Sri Lanka forced the IPKF’s hand to shoot Sri Lankan Armed Forces, as he took orders from the President of India, not from the President of Sri Lanka. 14 May 2011 Declare Rajapakse a war criminal: Jayalalithaa tells Centre Set to form the next government in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa today said the Centre should declare Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse a "war criminal" for the "genocide" of Tamils in the island nation.India should come out with economic sanctions against Sri Lanka to compel the government to take steps to mitigate the sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils and provide them "an honourable and decent life," she told Jaya TV.She said the State Government's role on Sri Lankan Tamils' issue was limited and it was for the Centre to do something for the betterment of the Tamils.Jayalalithaa, whose party led front scored a spectacular victory in the assembly polls, said her first priority would be to restore the state to its prime position in the country.She said the top agenda for her government would be to restore "law and order" which had "totally deteriorated". Jayalalithaa, set to become chief minister for a third term, said her aim was to implement all her poll promises, including nationalisation of multi-system cable TV operators, within 18 months of assuming office.Jayalalithaa replied in the affirmative when asked whether she expected the landslide victory.She said she could gauge the mood of the people and that was why she had been maintaining that her party would get a landslide victory and ignored predictions by poll surveys, the AIADMK leader said."The people were waiting for an appropriate moment to vent their anger. They had done it now," she said.Jayalalithaa thanked the people for voting her party to power and the Election commission for conducting free and transparent polls in the state.She said the state had been pushed into a debt trap with a borrowing of Rs one lakh crore. "The state's treasury is empty and I have to start from the scratch. Restructuring a house is an easier job but building a house is a tough task. We are entrusted with such a tough task," she said. Sampanthan denies spearheading separatism TNA leader R. Sampanthan says there is no basis for persistent allegations that they are pursuing a separatist agenda in spite of the conclusion of the war. The Trincomalee District MP says interested parties are working overtime to undermine the TNA. "We deny these unsubstantiated allegations with the utmost contempt they deserved," Sampanthan told The Island.The veteran politician was responding to allegations that his party had been appointed the Sri Lankan representative for three Diaspora groups namely GTF (UK), Nediyawan Group (Norway) and TGTE (US).Sampanthan said that the TNA was having negotiations with the government to explore ways and means of reaching a negotiated settlement to the national issue. "We aren’t interested in reviving the separatist movement. What we need is peace with dignity and urgent measures to address contentious issues," the MP said. 'Walk to the troops': SMS sent Tamils to their death Dr Palitha Kohona, a dual Sri Lankan-Australian citizen, denies Tamil allegations that he is a war criminal. Photo: Andrew Taylor BEATEN and with nowhere left to run, they received the text message just before 9 o'clock on a Sunday morning.It came, through an intermediary, from the Sri Lankan foreign secretary, apparent instructions for a surrender: ''Just walk across to the troops, slowly! With a white flag and comply with instructions carefully. The soldiers are nervous about suicide bombers.''At dawn the next day, a group of nearly 20 - Tamil Tiger soldiers and civilians - scrambled from behind their defensive sand embankment, walking under white flags towards the Sri Lankan army's 58th Division.Within half an hour their leaders were found, shot dead. None who surrendered are known to have survived.The man who sent the text message was Dr Palitha Kohona, a dual Sri Lankan-Australian citizen, a former Australian diplomat and trade negotiator for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is now an ambassador for Sri Lanka, the country's permanent representative to the United Nations.A report to the UN Secretary-General last month named him as party to the failed surrender talks, and two Tamil groups have accused him of war crimes.Dr Kohona denies the claims, telling The Saturday Age that while he sent the text message it was not a guarantee of safety. ''Absolutely not. This would be have been way beyond my authority to promise,'' he said.The ruthless separatist war waged by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam against the Sinhalese-majority Sri Lankan government came to its bloody end in May 2009.The Tigers, who once controlled a third of the island, were forced into a narrow strip of coastal land, hemmed in by the sea, a lagoon, and a relentless assault from the army.Many Tigers vowed to fight to the death, but as the bodies piled up, some sought a way to surrender, to save themselves and thousands of civilians they held hostage. Under heavy shelling, they rang and sent messages to diplomats, journalists - anyone they thought could broker an agreement with the government.Through a European intermediary, they got a message to Dr Kohona. He was contacted on behalf of a man called Pulidevan, head of the Tiger peace secretariat. He offered an unconditional surrender.Willing to walk out with him under a white flag were members of his family, Nadesan, the head of the LTTE's political wing, an LTTE colonel called Ramesh, and more than a dozen civilians.At 8.46am on Sunday, May 17, Dr Kohona sent a text message to a third-party intermediary, which was passed on to Pulidevan.At 6.30 the next morning, Pulidevan and Nadesan, carrying white flags and followed by about 15 others walked towards the army, which had been told to expect them. A Tamil man who watched them leave told The Saturday Age they walked towards the soldiers as instructed.''The soldiers had trucks,'' he said. ''They took the people behind the trucks … Then we could just hear shooting and people yelling. The shooting was fast, like a machinegun.''The deaths of Pulidevan and Nadesan were reported within half an hour. The body of Pulidevan's wife, also shot, was found too.Dr Kohona told The Saturday Age the text message was not part of any negotiations with the Tigers. He did not believe the group tried to surrender. ''The text is likely to have been in response to an inquiry, but not from anyone associated with the LTTE. This was not an effort to arrange a surrender, which I had no authority to do.''The Saturday Age has confirmed with three independent sources that the message sent by Dr Kohona to a third party was in response to an offer from Pulidevan of an unconditional surrender. The message was passed to Pulidevan.But while Palitha Kohona was regarded as a key player in negotiations, evidence is emerging that the Tamil Tigers' planned surrender was known at the highest levels of the military and the government.The report to the UN Secretary-General on the conduct of the war, released last month, said both Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brother, Defence Secretary Basil Rajapaksa, gave assurances that their surrender would be accepted.The Sri Lankan government has maintained the surrendering Tamils were shot by other cadres as they deserted. It says it pursued a humanitarian rescue operation.Dr Kohona addressed the UN Security Council this week, saying that at the end of the war ''the government adopted a zero civilian casualty policy. Our troops endeavoured to distinguish between combatants and civilians, and the protection and liberation of the civilians from the clutches of the terrorist group was their highest priority.''The Secretary-General's report said the UN was unable to accept the government's version of events.In January, an application to the International Criminal Court by two Tamil diaspora groups alleged Dr Kohona was culpable for the deaths of those who surrendered.Sri Lanka does not recognise the court, and its citizens are exempt from its proceedings, but Dr Kohona's status as an Australian citizen means he could face prosecution before it.Rajeev Sreetharan from US-based Tamils Against Genocide, said while it was unlikely Dr Kohona was the sole mastermind of any surrender plan, his role warranted investigation.But Dr Kohona said he had no idea how Pulidevan and Nadesan died.''The version [presented by the report to the UN] appears to be a convenient entree to establish criminal conduct,'' he said. Norwegian diplomatic staff in Sri Lankan refugee secrecy Norwegian embassy personnel in Colombo have secretly aided Tamil rebels out of Sri Lanka and provided political asylum in Norway for years.Staff members have helped approximately 12 people so far, purchasing flight tickets, driving some to the airport, and issuing visas at short notice both for emigrants and those who had already escaped from Sri Lanka, alleges Aftenposten.Norwegian Opposition politicians call the move “quite unusual” and “bordering on activism”, fearing it will damage international relations between the two countries.Head of research at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Iver B. Neumann, believes “it is a considerable violation of sovereignty as well as the basic principle of international politics.”“It also undermines Norwegian interests because a small-sized country such as Norway benefits from transparency, rather than how this matter has been handled,” he says.Meanwhile, Erik Solheim, Minister of International Development, defends the practise, saying there is a long tradition in Norway for helping people at risk.Many other LTTE opposition members are in prison without trial, have gone underground, or simply disappeared since the bloody civil war ended two years ago. “We occasionally go even further. Our role in this matter has been one facilitating the peace process, and we therefore believe we have a humanitarian obligation to assist. It is completely obvious Sri Lanka is a country where people are subjected to various forms of persecution. We are reasonably sure there were liquidations during the last stage of the civil war,” says the minister.Sri Lanka's embassy in Oslo has not commented on the matter to The Foreigner as yet. Peiris, Gunawardena to hold talks in New Delhi Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Coordinating Secretary to the President, will visit New Delhi to hold a broad range of talks with the Indian leadership on post-conflict management issues in the island nation.In the three-days they will spend in New Delhi from May 15, the Sri Lankan team will apprise the Indian top bureaucracy and leadership of their concern over the United Nations Secretary General's Panel of Experts Report on Accountability in Sri Lanka (submitted to the UNSG on April 12 and released on April 25). Mr. Gunawardena, MP, is the presidential pointsman for the Foreign Ministry.The report holds both the LTTE and the government responsible for the humanitarian tragedy that took place during the last stages of the war, leading to the death of innumerable civilians caught in the conflict. The report has five findings against the government and six against the LTTE.Ever since the report was released, the United Nations has come in for severe criticism from most quarters in Sri Lanka. The government said it would not respond officially to the report because it was not a U.N. document, but would brief the United Nations Secretary General on the steps that Sri Lanka had taken during and after the war. Sri Lanka preferred to name the report “The Darusman Report,” after committee chairman Marzuki Darusman, a former Attorney General in Indonesia.President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the government was “making a complete assessment of this highly biased report and would place these finding before the world to bring home the truth about the final phase in eradicating terrorism and the current efforts at reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction.” Addressing Editors of Sri Lankan print and electronic media at Temple Trees, his official residence, on Wednesday, he said: “The report of the Darusman Committee on the final phase of the operation to defeat terrorism in Sri Lanka is a tendentious document that makes grossly false allegations about Sri Lanka and its security forces. The government will defend the good name of the country and expose the false allegations that are abundant in this report.”He emphasised that although there were questions about the validity of the panel that prepared this report, Sri Lanka would not take it lightly because it was necessary to expose the abundance of false allegations made, and it was the responsibility of the government to safeguard the good name and the image of the country. ‘Darusman Report’ won’t help national reconciliation process, says KP Prabhakaran's successor, T. S. Pathmanathan or simply 'KP' as he is known, says the controversial ‘Darusman Report’ will not help the ongoing national reconciliation process. Instead, it can cause irreparable damage to ambitious reconciliation efforts, he asserts.Pathmanathan asserts the report commissioned by UNSG Ban Ki-moon will only strengthen the hands of those hell-bent on undermining the post-war recovery process. The UNSG’s move received the backing of the US, UK, EU comprising 27 countries and South Africa in spite of Sri Lanka strongly disputing the ‘Darusman Report.’Pathmanathan was responding to ‘The Island’ in the wake of Tamil Diaspora groups planning to hold a major rally and protest next Wednesday (18) at the United Nations, New York, to coincide with the defeat of the LTTE on May 18, two years ago. Excerpts of the interview: The Island: The war ended in May two years ago on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon. You were taken into custody abroad and brought to Colombo in August 2009. Were you given an opportunity to meet LTTE combatants undergoing rehabilitation in government custody? Are you satisfied with ongoing rehabilitation efforts? Pathmanathan: I was given an opportunity to speak with ex-LTTE combatants held in the North. On the invitation of the government, a group of Diaspora representatives, too, joined the meet. We met only combatants undergoing rehabilitation. We are happy with the progress made since the conclusion of the war, though we believe the rehabilitation process can be further improved and stepped up. Of some 11,600 in custody, several thousands are now living with their families following rehabilitation. We should appreciate the support given by various countries and other international agencies to rehabilitate those who once took up arms. The Island: Do you think the Tamil Diaspora could help rehabilitation efforts undertaken by the government? Pathmanathan: Now that the war is over, rehabilitation of those who fought for the LTTE and resettlement, reconstruction and restoration of civil administration remain key priorities. The Diaspora can play an important role in the process to provide relief to those affected by the war. I’m also involved in an attempt to attract Diaspora activists and their expertise to assist war weary people. The Island: The government and a section of the Opposition strongly oppose UNSG Ban Ki-moon’s move targeting SL over unsubstantiated war crimes allegations. UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on Apr 25 wrote to UNSG Ki-moon urging him to drop his anti-SL plans. The UNP MP alleged that the UNSG’s action would undo national reconciliation efforts. As LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s successor, could you comment on the crisis caused by the UN? Pathmanathan: There is absolutely no point in living in the past. The conclusion of hostilities gave us an opportunity to develop areas devastated as a result of fighting. The UNSG’s move couldn’t have come at a worse time for those genuinely interested in going ahead with post-war recovery plans. The ‘Darusman Report’ is nothing but an obstacle to national reconciliation. The bottom line is that it will not benefit any community, except to cause fresh wounds, leading to further divisions among the people. The Island: There is a simmering controversy over Ragaven Paranchothy contesting May 2 federal polls in Canada on the Conservative ticket. A section of the Canadian media has accused him of being an LTTE agent on the basis of his alleged association with you (last person to call you on Aug 5, 2009 before you were arrested). Ragaven has strongly denied LTTE links, insisting that he was in touch with you only as a journalist. Was he involved with the LTTE? What was he talking with you when foreign agents pounced on you? Pathmanathan: Paranchothy is an LTTE supporter. He is still working with for an ‘LTTE radio station.’ The Island: Do you follow LLRC (Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission) process? Is national reconciliation possible in spite of continuing disputes among political parties? Do you think talks between the government and the TNA can settle contentious issues? Pathmanathan: Dialogue is the only way forward. Contentious issues such as power sharing can be discussed and understanding reached through dialogue. Nothing can be as important as confidence building measures to facilitate a relationship between the majority community and the Tamil speaking minority. In spite of a 30-year-war, we should be patient and strive to achieve maximum possible benefits for the Tamil speaking people through negotiations. We should follow veteran politician, the late S. Thondaman. Thondaman worked tactfully to secure citizenship rights for upcountry Tamils. The great CWC leader’s efforts took several decades, but he doggedly pushed towards his target amidst severe hardships. We’ll not get anything by being emotional or playing to the gallery. What the TNA should know is that the national issue, which couldn’t be solved for many decades couldn’t be settled in two months. So, patience is the name of the game. And nothing could be achieved by adopting a hostile approach towards the government or trying to undermine the incumbent administration. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is sincere. Failure on our part to reach an understanding with the President will be a tragedy, as we’ll not get another opportunity. This is our last chance and every effort should be made to bring ongoing consultations among the government and various Tamil political parties and groups to a successful conclusion. The Island: Throughout eelam war IV (Aug 2006 to May 2009) you were abroad. Were you constantly in touch with the British Tamil Forum and other LTTE front organizations, including the ‘Nediyawan faction’ to explore ways and means of forcing SL to stop military offensive? Pathmanathan: We tried hard to stop the war. It was a difficult task which we failed to achieve, in spite of having support among a section of the international community.Wiki Leaks recently revealed how Pathmanathan, three days before the conclusion of the war, had phoned the then Norwegian Ambassador Hattrem to arrange unconditional surrender of LTTE leaders to a third neutral party. According to a US diplomatic missive originating from Colombo, Hattrem had got in touch with the then US Ambassador Robert O’ Blake, who in turn discussed the issue with the ICRC, though the plan never materialized. The Island: You are widely believed to be the person responsible for giving the LTTE wherewithal to wage war by procuring arms, ammunition and equipment over the years. Were you ever involved in actual fighting or handled weapons? Pathmanathan: I wasn’t involved in combat operations at any level. The Island: When did you last visit Sri Lanka before Aug 2009? How did you arrive in the Vanni and leave? Pathmanathan: During negotiations between the LTTE and the then President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s government (Apr 1989 to June 1990) I arrived in Sri Lanka through the Bandaranaike International Airport. I accompanied Anton Balasingham, who led the LTTE negotiating team. The Island: Are you making an attempt to bring Diaspora groups under one umbrella? Do you think the Diaspora groups will listen to you at the time they are pushing for an international war crimes tribunal? Pathmanathan: The vast majority of Diaspora Tamils understand the ground situation. They now realize the futility in waging war, as other means exist following the battlefield defeat. Unfortunately, there are some elements, who still believe the incumbent administration should be taught a lesson for finishing off the LTTE. 12 May 2011 Tamil Nadu party to demonstrate if India supports Sri Lankan President The Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit on Wednesday promised to stage demonstrations across the state if the central Indian government supports Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his criticism against the United Nations Expert Panel report on Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes.The BJP unit has said that India should not repeat the "mistake" of supporting Sri Lankan President, whose government is facing charges "war crimes" according to a press report by Indian news agency PTI.State party president Pon Radhakrishnan has alleged that the Central Government of India and the Tamil Nadu Government had made a "mistake by helping Sri Lanka in killing thousands of innocent Tamils, in the pretext of eliminating LTTE."He was responding to Sri Lankan President's statement that India should come forward and help Sri Lanka to defend against the allegations made by the UN Expert Panel.The President has said that India's support was important to counteract the allegations made in the report."India has always acted with co-operation with Sri Lanka. Our relations have been good at all times," President Rajapaksa has said. Northern PC polls soon -MR President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that elections to the Northern Provincial Council would be held soon after the resettlement and the registration of voters in the province were completed.Speaking to newspaper editors at Temple Trees, he said this in response to a question by an editor who asked why elections to the Northern Provincial Council were being delayed. Replying to a question from another editor on whether devolution of power to the people of the North would not have precluded many of the issues raised in the UNSG’s Panel report,the president said that the government did not intend to pander to the LTTE but hoped to satisfy the aspirations of the people.An editor asked what action the government intended to take with regard to the accusations made in the Panel report. The president said the accusations had all been rejected by the government but that it would not remain silent as it was duty bound to make the world aware of the truth,He said discussions had already been held with foreign diplomats, ministers and governments in order to inform the international community.When asked why a government delegation had met Mr. Darusman and his panel if the government intended to reject the report, the president said the delegation had not gone to reply to the accusations but to inform the Panel of the functions and the activities of the LLRC.The president said an Indian delegation was expected here shortly to discuss the report. “India has extended its support since 2005 -- and we trust that they will continue to support us,” he said.With regard to the attacks on media personnel, such as Keith Noyar, he said that investigations were hampered by the lack of witnesses. He said the victims were free to come and reveal the facts and that this matter would receive serious attention at the next Security Council meeting.The president said that discussions were continuing on the private sector pension scheme and that implementation of the scheme was being delayed due to the protests. “This scheme is intended to benefit private sector employees, but it is being projected by the trade unions as being adverse and detrimental to the workers,” he said.He said the government would not use the EPF money for its expenses as alleged. He said his government had raised EPF interest to 13%.Ministers G L Peiris, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Basil Rajapaksa, Keheliya Rambukwella, Anura Priyadarsana Yapa, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Mass Media Ministry Secretary W P Rangala also were present at the briefing. Associate of Tamil deputy minister fatally shot in Eastern Sri Lanka A close associate of Sri Lanka's ruling party Deputy Minister of Resettlement Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan was shot and killed today in Batticaloa in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, the police reported.The deceased, Rasamanikkam Madialagan, 38, of Puliyanthivu area, is the coordinating officer of Minister Muralitharan and a ruling party village organizer. He was also the administrative secretary of Anaipanthi Pillaiar Kovil in Batticaloa.Unidentified gunmen have fired three shots at him while he was dining inside his house, police sources said.The deceased was a former member of EPDP and military intelligence, sources further said. Three years ago he had been serving in the Army intelligence unit and had left . In a gun shooting attack on him when he was in the armed service he became physically disabled and was moving about in a wheel chair. Basil lashes out at disruptive foreign elements and their local agents Economic Affairs Minister Basil Rajapaksa alleges that some foreign elements are working with a section of the Tamil politicians to undermine the post-war recovery process. Minister Rajapaksa says anti-Sri Lankans elements are jeopardizing the national reconciliation process for their personal benefit.Minister Rajapaksa was addressing a public gathering at Mavadipuram Kandaswami kovil on Monday (9) following the release of nine Gramaniladhari divisions in Valikamam North in the Tellippalai area for civilian resettlement by the Army. The released area had been a part of the Kanesanthurai High Security Zone (HSZ), one of the largest such zones maintained by the military to thwart LTTE attacks.Minister Rajapaksa alleged that certain disruptive international elements and some Tamil politicians had tarnished the country’s image. Due to their sordid operations, the resettlement process had been badly affected, while they continued to receive perks and privileges being on the payroll of what the minister called evil forces."I’m here (in Jaffna) with a special message from President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The President wants me to assure you that he would give everything to you except the lives lost during the conflict. You will be given everything by the government to live a peaceful life in your original places of living," the Minister said.Alleging that in spite of the conclusion of the war attempts were still being made to cause chaos in the country, the Minister said: "Beggars never want their wounds healed because they live on it. Similarly, disruptive foreign elements spend lavishly to post-war environment in the country for their benefit. The Minister went on to urge the Tamil speaking people to join hands with the government to preserve peace achieved at a heavy price paid by the armed forces and ordinary.The military said that about 3,500 families would be benefited by the latest release of land.The military said that the remaining areas of Kolankallady had been handed over to the Government Agent of Jaffna by the Army. Several villages coming within Kolankallady had been released several weeks ago, the they said, adding that civil authorities were in the process of ascertaining the ownership of the lands.Minister Rajapaksa said that the President had directed the early release of land to their rightful owners. This wouldn’t have been possible without the restoration of peace by the government, the Gampaha District leader said. Earlier, the area around Thelippalai cancer hospital and the Thelippalai Union College located within the HSZ were de-mined and made accessible to on humanitarian grounds. With the further shrinking of the HSZ, the public will be free to visit Naguleshwaram and Mavadipuram temples, Keeramalai Ponds, Raja Rajeshwari Kovil, Kolankallady Kovil et al.Hindu priests, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development Douglas Devananda, Governor Northern Province Maj. Gen. (Retd) G. A. Chandrasiri, TNA (Tamil National Alliance) Parliamentarians for Jaffna District, Commander SF-J Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe, Government Agent Jaffna Mrs. Emelda Sukumar, General Officer Commanding 51 Division Maj. Gen. Janaka Walgama, Divisional Secretary Thelippalai S. Muralitharan, a section of senior officers of the Army and many other government officials also attended the function at the Kandaswami kovil. TNA trying to revive LTTE’s separate state dream - Karuna Deputy Resettlement Minister Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, aka Karuna, salleged thatthe TNA was trying to revive the separatist movement,He was commenting on the report that the TNA had been appointed as the Sri Lankan representative of three LTTE groups – GTF (UK), Nediyawan Group (Oslo) and TGTE (New York)."When the UN panel report was released it was the TNA which threw its weight behind it initially," he told The Island during a brief interview yesterday.He said that the TNA must have agreed with those parties to carry out the separatist agenda and that was why it had been named as their local representative.He said some sections of the Tamil Diaspora were trying to refuel the ethnic conflict by calling upon the international community to intervene in Sri Lanka’s affairs. "The three-decade North-East conflict has been brought to an end by the government and no room should be left for the separatists to threaten the unitary status of Sri Lanka," he said. According to Muralitharan, the report compiled by a panel of advisors to the UN Secretary General is completely biased as it voices the opinion of the LTTE supporters and some western forces. "The report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has presented the true facts after collecting evidence from all over Sri Lanka and it should be taken into consideration before accusing Sri Lanka of war crimes," he said."The residents of the North and the East have presented true facts about the war to the LLRC and not only Tamils but also the other ethnicities have suffered equal injustices and causalities during the war," he said."The war is over and these reports should now be discarded and everyone should concentrate on the development of the country," Muralitharan said.According to him a lot of development has been taking place in the North and the East soon after the commencement of resettlement. "Fisheries and other industries have been picking up in these areas and livelihoods have been restored. Eighty percent of infrastructure has been completed in Batticoala and a lot of development is happening in the Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mulattivu areas with a lot of investments coming along," he said. India regains bargaining power on SL The Indian troika comprising National Security Advisor Menon, Indian foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary, Pradeep Kumar reckoned as India’s policy making body are due to arrive in SL shortly. The Indian troika came to SL on an earlier occasion when the war was just about to be concluded. On that occasion, only Menon of the present delegation came with that troika. Menon was the Foreign Secretary at that time, while security advisor Narayanan wielded most power in the troika. He had a thorough knowledge not only of the SL war but also of Prabhakaran. After relinquishing his post as security advisor he is now made a Governor. Some say, he was obliged to resign his security advisor post in the wake of the terrorist attack that was launched on Mumbai, India. Speculations were rife then, that he was pressurized by the Congress Govt. to tender his resignation accepting responsibility for the inefficiency and inadequacies in the security divisions. Some charge him of trying to steer the Indian policies pertaining to the SL war according to his unilateral fancies whereby the Indian Govt. lost its grip and leverage over SL to accomplish a political solution for the SL Tamils. Specially, he lost focus on the China’s ramifications into SL during the process of providing aid to SL Govt. blindly to destroy the Tamil Tigers and Prabhakaran.In any event, before the arrival of the Indian troika in the Island, the SL Govt. has sent a warm message to India – the Cabinet approved the handing over of the Kankesanturai harbour development to India which was long overdue, and for which the Indian Govt. had been making consistent requests for a long time.With the release of the UN panel report in SL, the Govt. began seeking India’s support. In India’s ‘shopping list’ it was this project which occupied the top slot prior to the approval, which the SL Govt. had to now necessarily give the green light. The next in priority in the ‘shopping list’ was the Sampur project which was languishing in the Attorney General’s Dept. Sources within the Govt. say, that too will receive approval. CEPA is the project next down the list. However, it is surmised that just because the approvals were given to these projects, it does not mean that India will be able to support SL Govt. to defeat the UN panel report that easily. As the SL political parties are uniting against the panel report so have the political parties in India begun to unite against Mahinda Rajapaksa by insisting that a trial shall be conducted against him on the war crimes. Already, the main political party Bharathiya Janatha party, the Communist party, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi and his Alliance party, the Tamil Nadu opposition leader Jayalalitha have expressed support for the panel report while various other parties in Tamil Nadu have also staged demonstrations supporting it .Every party and civil Organization in India vociferously clamor that the Indian Congress Govt. ought to support the international investigation into SL war crimes. Hence,in this climate it renders it impossible for India to support SL Govt. against the stand taken by America and European countries . This is precisely why India is now seeking the political solution for the Tamil people via the SL Govt. It is India’s fervent hope that if it succeeds in securing the 13 plus solution, it can please the parties in India as well as America and European countries. The SL Govt. was aware that India had already read the panel report before its release. The SL Govt. is also of the conviction that Nambiar, the Chief of staff of Ban Ki-moon had read this and may have apprised India of the facts contained therein. The Tamil Diaspora too is of the opinion that India during the final phase of the SL war used Nambiar to avert the ceasefire proposal through the UN.The panel report was completed as far back as 31st of March. It is the view of some that there was a delay to hand over the report to the SL Govt. and its announcement by Moon because of pressures exerted on him by India through Nambiar to postpone this release until the Indian Tamil Nadu State elections were over. Perhaps the Congress Govt. would have entertained the apprehension that in case the report is put out in the middle of the Tamil Nadu state elections, the Tamil Tiger sympathizers would exploit the report against Karunanidhi and the Congress govt. If the question raised by Jayalalitha today, whether the Congress Govt. was in a deep slumber until the war was over it was asked by her during the elections, the Congress Govt. would have been subject to grave embarrassment. Some sources say, now, it is India’s plan to block the panel report from being brought before the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) during the May –June sessions, and have it postponed until September, in which event, India will have sufficient time to complete its ‘shopping list’ requirements while also pressurize the SL Govt. to grant the political solution for the Tamil people.The biggest challenge facing India right now is convincing America and European countries, Int. Human Rights Organization and the Tamil Diaspora with a view to accomplishing its objectives. It is well to recall that India used Prabhakaran and the Tamil armed groups to kindle the SL war in order to serve and secure its needs: it made SL to sign the Indo – Lanka pact and took the Trincomalee harbour under its control. After the war was concluded, India thought that it has lost its trump – the bargaining power. On the contrary, today India through the panel report has clinched a greater bargaining power than before. Meanwhile Mahinda nurses the notion that India is possessed by the fear that if it offends SL Govt. it can push the latter into the fold and open embrace of China, and at the same time it is also frightened of antagonizing America and the European countries by aligning with SL. The SL Govt. may be handling India’s pressure viz a viz the precarious and perilous situation India is driven into. 25 suiciders from Kelaniya in the ready to against Moon –Minister Dr. Mervin Minister Dr.Mervyn Silva yesterday warned Ban Ki Moon not to stick his neck out into Sri Lanka, and if he does he has 25 suicides already with him at Kelaniya in readiness to deal with it.He made these comments when he launched a signature in blood campaign at Kandy on the 10th against Ban Ki Moon.Mervyn in his characteristical vermin style added, Darusman was not born to a mother but an offspring of a scoundrel. See this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch? 11 May 2011 Wikileaks: Sri Lanka 'rejected rebel surrender offer' The Sri Lankan government rejected a surrender offer by Tamil Tiger rebels at the end of the war, reports released through the Wikileaks website say.They say that Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa dismissed US pressure to allow a mediated surrender with the words "we're beyond that now".The leaked US cables suggest requests for the International Red Cross to go into the war zone were refused.Sri Lanka's government has repeatedly denied all these accusations.The Sri Lankan civil war came to an end in May 2009 with the death of their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran after the Tamil Tigers made a last stand in the north-east of the island.The leaked US documents - which appeared in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten - say that on 16 May 2009 the Norwegian ambassador called his US counterpart to report that he had received a phone call from Selvarasa Padmanathan - known as "KP" - stating that the rebels were prepared to surrender without conditions to a neutral third party.Correspondents say that although Padmanathan was abroad at the time, it would not have been unusual for him as rebel head of foreign relations to make the offer. 'Energetically refused' The documents say that the US ambassador then called the International Red Cross (ICRC) who told him that their staff were prepared to go into the conflict zone by military helicopter to mediate a surrender.ICRC head of delegation Paul Castella is quoted in the document as saying that Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa initially agreed to the arrangement, but first wanted the names of the rebel leaders who were prepared to surrender.But the documents say that "despite helpful efforts from Norway" the rebels failed to provide such a list.The documents say the government rejected repeated US requests to allow the ICRC into the conflict zone to help many dead and wounded civilians there.According to the US cables, presidential adviser Basil Rajapaksa "energetically refused" to give the ICRC permission, accusing it of failing on "three consecutive days to evacuate the wounded, even though the Additional Government Agent had said it was safe to do so". EU supports UN Panel report on Sri Lanka, encourages to engage with UN Chief Expressing support to the report of the Panel of Experts appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General to advise him on accountability in Sri Lanka, the European Union Tuesday urged the Sri Lankan government to recognize the constructive objectives of the report, and encouraged it to engage with the UNSG on its contents.Recalling that the EU had welcomed the appointment of the Panel by the UNSG last June, the High Representative, Catherine Ashton in a statement issued today, said the EU considers that the publication of the report is an important development."The Panel has concluded that there are credible allegations that major violations of international human rights and humanitarian law were committed on all sides in the conflict," the statement said."The EU reiterates its view that an independent process to address these extremely serious allegations should contribute to strengthening the process of reconciliation and ensuring lasting peace and security in Sri Lanka."The EU emphasized that as the report says, the issue of accountability should be seen as an essential part of the process of national reconciliation.The Expert Panel appointed by the UNSG to probe the accountability during the last phase of the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government forces and the Tamil Tiger terrorists concluded that both sides had violated human right and humanitarian laws.The Sri Lankan government has rejected the report saying that it is fundamentally flawed and based on biased material that is presented without any verification. India's support important to tackle impasse over war crime report: Rajapaksa Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that India's support was important in his government's attempt to tackle the current impasse over a report by an UN advisory panel, accusing it of committing war crimes during the last phase of conflict with the LTTE."India has always acted with co-operation with Sri Lanka. Our relations have been good at all times", Rajapaksa said while addressing the local heads of media institutions during his regular monthly interaction.He was responding to a query on India's stand on the panel report which had accused both Sri Lanka and the LTTE of war crimes allegedly committed during the last phase of the military conflict that ended in May 2009."India will respond appropriately at the appropriate time", the Sri Lankan leader said.The Sri Lankan president added that his government was not taking the report lightly. Sri Lanka Army questions former Tamil National Alliance MP Sri Lanka Army had questioned the former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian M.K. Sivajilingam, the Sinhala daily The Divaina reported today.The Army has reportedly questioned Sivajilingam on his attempt to mobilize people to urge the Army to withdraw the Army camp established in Velvetithurai village.Valvettithurai, popularly known as VVT, is the birthplace of slain leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Velupillai Prabhakaran.Sivajilingam is a close relative of Prabhakaran. He undertook the funerals of the Tiger leader's parents when their other remaining children did not participate.The newspaper said that former MP Sivajilingam who contested the general election in 2010 in an alliance with the Left Front led by Dr. Wickramabahu Karunarathne had the demand to withdraw the VVT Army camp in his election manifesto as well. 10 May 2011 Canada MP to initiate All Party group on Lanka Asylum seekers “For me the focus is people being treated with fairness, equality, dignity and justice,” she said.The newly elected Tamil MP, who hails from Jaffna, insisted that it is important that the culprits are identified for a genuine reconciliation process.“Whoever the wrongdoer was its still wrongdoing and it is important to have some reconciliation people need to have some identification and that is what is lacking now.”Rathika Sitsabaiesan added that the asylum seekers are arriving in countries like Canada though very difficult and dangerous journeys simply because they did not feel safe in Sri Lanka.“I don’t think it is fair for somebody who is here to pass a judgment on their choices and their sense of safety,” she said.“I think we need to treat all asylum seekers that they truly are asylum seekers and treat them with dignity and respect.” Govt, TNA talks progress without policy differences- Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena, MP Five rounds of talks which took place between the government and the TNA have progressed without any policy differences so far. The talks were based on the unitary system of government.These remarks were made by Parliamentarian Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena given the responsibility of monitoring the External Affairs Ministry. Gunawardena also functions as the secretary in charge of the talks between government leaders and the TNA leadership.He said that the government side during the discussions said that they cannot agree to devolve police and land distribution powers to the Provincial Council under the 13th amendment. However, the government said that they have already taken action to appoint seven hundred Tamil police officers. The government team further said that if the necessity arises the government will extend this number even to ten thousand.Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena MP further said that the government is considering the re-introduction of the Senate as a solution to satisfy the aspirations of the minority communities. Although government has agreed on creating the second chamber, the Senate, they have not decided on the formalities to set up the Senate. Whether the members to the Senate, are to be elected by Parliament or the Provincial Councils, by the people will be looked into at a later stage.Speaking of the LTTE suspects in prison, he said some of them are rehabilitated before they are released. “On the question of the others, the Attorney General will study their problem, case by case and decide on what future action should be taken,” Gunawardena said.There were almost 385,000 persons in the refugee camps when the war ended. Today this number had drastically reduced to 11,000 persons. Now they are free to leave the camp and earn a living outside the camp and come back in the evening to the camp. The government continues to give these people free dry rations.Since the landmines are not completely cleared in the North, there is a delay in resettling these displaced persons. US Deputy State Secretary Robert O Blake personally visited these camps and was very satisfied with the facilities extended to these displaced persons, by the government.Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena MP further said that the other parties in the government have so far given a friendly nod to the talks between the government and the TNA.Once, these talks are successfully completed the government will talk to other smaller political parties on this issue and finally with the UNP.He said that the Bank of Ceylon and the People’s Bank have given around Rs 80 billion as loans to the people of the Northern Province. This is a good example of the rapid economic development taking place in that part of the country.Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena MP said since there is a political vacuum in the North foreign investors are reluctant to start projects there. Once the elections are held there and the new Provincial Council is formed, these issues could be sorted out successfully. Thereafter millions of dollars will be invested by foreigners in the Northern Province. South Africa backs ‘Darusman Report’ In the wake of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) throwing its weight behind UNSG Ban Ki-moon’s controversial move to initiate a war crimes investigation targeting Sri Lanka, the Government of Sri Lanka is stepping up diplomatic efforts. The External Affairs Ministry is expected to take up the issue with the South African government and explain post-war national reconciliation efforts.Senior Minister Dew Gunasekera told The Island that a cohesive strategy was needed to meet the threat on the diplomatic front. "We’ll have to explain the situation to the ANC soon and thwart ongoing efforts to undermine the recovery process on the basis of the moon report."An External Affairs Ministry source alleged that the pro-LTTE lobby in South Africa had intensified its campaign.The following is the full statement issued by the ANC: UNSG Ban Ki-moon, had appointed a Panel of Experts to advise him on accountability in the Sri Lankan conflict. Amongst those who served on the panel is Yasmin Sooka, a prominent South African jurist. The Panel of Experts concluded that there were serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed by both the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE), some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.The African National Congress has consistently condemned any act of violation of human rights in all conflict areas.We have noted, with regret, that the breakdown of the ceasefire and negotiations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE led to a military solution of resolving the problems.The ANC supports the recommendations of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Panel of Experts that called for the establishment of an independent body to investigate all violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws committed in the conflict.We also call on the government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to address the core grievances of the Tamil population and engage in a genuine reconciliation process."A spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry told The Island yesterday that the ministry was awaiting a report from Sri Lanka’s top envoy in Pretoria, D. Wijesinghe soon. "We’ll respond to the ANC as soon as we receive Wijesinghe’s report," the official said.Sources pointed out that the ANC was the only political party so far to issue a statement backing the UNSG’s move, though the Governments of US and UK endorsed it simultaneously, immediately after the UNSG released it. Both Russia and China opposed the UNSG’s move, while strongly backing Sri Lanka’s efforts at national reconciliation. Ferry service between Sri Lanka and India from today The ferry service between India and Sri Lanka that was suspended decades ago due to the terrorist activities in Sri Lanka, is to be resumed today.Sri Lanka's Ministry of Ports and Aviation says the ferry services between the Colombo harbour and the Indian port of Tuticorin is to begin with a voyage from India.The first ferry is scheduled to set off from Tuticorin to the Colombo harbor today. A privately-run ferry with a capacity of 500 passengers is scheduled to sail from the Tuticorin port.The service was scheduled to resume in February this year but got delayed due to technical difficulties and later postponed when India sent one of its ferry service vessels to evacuate the Indians and Sri Lankans stranded in Libya.The promotion of the service started on May 2nd and reportedly there are many bookings for the voyage.The ferry service will run three trips a week between the two countries and expect to transport around 100,000 passengers per week.The 152- nautical mile journey between Colombo and Tuticorin is expected to take 10-12 hours.The government says the service will be a boost to the tourist industry and help the business community who travel frequently between the two countries for business. Jaffna traders request Army to rescue them from extortion Jaffna traders have requested the district’s security forces commander Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe to rescue them from the clutches of extortionists.He has responded by saying that he would take the necessary action if complaints were made.The two sides met on Sunday (May 08) to discuss reported threats from extortionists.The traders said they were at the mercy of extortionists who come in motorcycles wearing caps, but refused to identify them publicly.Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe said the Army was now with the people to protect their interests.There have been allegations that paramilitaries and military intelligence personnel were behind the incidents of extortion in Jaffna. Sri Lanka Marxist party says no leadership crisis In response to a query from a journalist if the leadership of the Sri Lanka Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) would change, the general secretary of the party Tilvin Silva said that there was no leadership crisis in the party.JVP party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe recently has said that the JVP leadership would be given to a youth at a press meeting held in London.Media reports, citing 'party internal sources' recently said that MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake would be appointed as the new JVP leader.Political analysts say that the JVP that was considered as a youth party is rapidly lacking popularity among the young generation.The leadership prospect Anura Kumara Dissanayake is also over 40 years of age, they point out. Thamilini further remanded The Colombo chief magistrate Rashmi Singappuli on Monday (May 09) ordered to further remand the LTTE women’s political leader Subramaniam Sivathai alias Thamilini, until June 06.Thamilini, a resident of Thangapuram, Kilinochchi, was arrested by the CID on May 20, 2009.The CID informed the court that the suspect had travelled overseas to create awareness among Sri Lankan Tamil women.Noting that a report on the suspect has been submitted to the Attorney General, the CID informed the court that they are yet to receive his advice on the case despite several reminders.Lawyer Dusith Johndasan appeared on behalf of Thamilini. SRI LANKA: Cleaning up the Act - Col R Hariharan The report of the three-member UN panel of experts set up to advise UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on alleged war crimes and human rights violations committed during the final stages of the Eeelam war has produced two reactions – both on expected lines.In the report made public by the UN on April 25, the panel found many of the allegations “credible” against both the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This has vindicated the suspicion of all those who had been accusing Sri Lanka government of committing these crimes. This section includes many liberal governments of West, INGOs, Tamil Diaspora, human rights activists both within and outside Sri Lanka and of course the rump of the LTTE still trying to revive the defunct organisation amidst Tamil Diaspora. (One will notice that I have omitted India and Tamil Nadu where attitudes are not crystallised as the issue is inexorably mired in domestic and national politics, not unlike Sri Lanka.) However, this disparate section has neither a common agenda nor a forum for collective action; it constituents widely differ on the follow up action to be taken on the report. These range from increasing diplomatic pressure to bring it up in the UN Security Council to indicting President Mahinda Rajapaksa for war crimes. On the other hand, many Sri Lankans, including most of the political leaders, media and people, feel insulted as they believe their government’s actions during the war, regardless of the means, were justified as they ended the regime of terror unleashed by the LTTE. Mixed with nationalist sentiments periodically pumped in by political leaders for their own ends, this attitude has a sustaining power no ruler can ignore. However, even among this section, many feel the Sri Lanka government had not addressed some of the fundamental issues raised in the allegations. These relate to the basic Tamil grievances, the structural flaws in human rights dispensation in the country while ensuring rule of law, and denial of fundamental freedoms including free media. The Panel report found five core categories of potential serious violations committed by the Government of Sri Lanka. Broadly these potential crimes include (1) killing of civilians through large scale and widespread shelling using multi-barrel rocket launchers and artillery in the no fire zone; (2) systematically shelling hospitals and other humanitarian structures on the front lines although these locations were known to the government; (3) depriving persons in the conflict zone of humanitarian assistance – food and medical supplies; (4) causing deprivation and suffering to the victims and survivors of conflict zones and confining them in closed camps and screening of LTTE suspects without transparency or external scrutiny; (5) intimidation of the media and critics and “use of white vans” to abduct them.The panel report also found the LTTE had committed in the same period “potential serious violations" under six categories: (1) using civilians as hostages and human buffer in conflict zones and preventing them from leaving the area and sacrificing them as ‘cannon fodder’; (2) systematically killing civilians attempting to flee LTTE control and escape the conflict zone; (3) firing artillery and storing military equipment in the proximity of or from among civilians and IDP in No Fire Zone. This left civilians on the receiving end of retaliatory fire; (4) carrying out forced recruitment of children with intensified recruitment of people of all ages, including children in the final stages regardless of the hopeless military situation; (5) forcing civilians for digging trenches and other emplacements in LTTE’s forward defences and exposing them to dangers from shelling; (6) continuing with the policy of killing of civilians through suicide attacks outside the conflict zone, including a suicide bombing at a screening centre in Mullaitivu on 9 February 2009.None of the panel “findings” is new; the same allegations have been morphing in various forms in different reports of international agencies, media and other governments from as early as February 2009 when the war entered the last phase. Some of the allegations had figured even before during the years of Peace Process 2002. Many of them have been well documented by not only by media but by reputed NGOs as well and the diplomatic community had periodically drawn the attention of the Sri Lanka government to them.From the beginning the government had tried to ignore these allegations by branding them as part of international conspiracy. Even where it grudgingly accommodated international promptings for action, there was lack of transparency. There were covert political and bureaucratic efforts to scuttle fair and free action by investigating commissions; for example, after all what happened to the investigations into the senseless killing of five youths in Trincomalee in January 2006 or 17 aid workers shot dead at in Mutur in August 2006? The findings were never made public. This attitude had fostered a culture of impunity for the rulers by the time the government launched full scale war. So it was not surprising that such allegations piled up and eroded what little credibility was there in the government before the war.The government’s lack of accountability was forgotten when President Rajapakasa’s well coordinated military operation, executed ably by General Sarath Fonseka, ended LTTE terror haunting the peoples’ mind for over two decades. It was easy for the government to gloss over repeated calls for proper investigations from INGOs and the governments of the European Union and other countries when people were celebrating the victory over the LTTE. It was politically convenient to call everyone who asked the government to be accountable for its actions a traitor or partner in international conspiracy to deny Sri Lanka the hard earned fruits of victory. Such viciousness touched even General Fonseka after he contested the presidential poll.The response of the Sri Lanka government to international demand for accountability broadly falls into three categories: total denial of any aberrations in the conduct of final stages of war, fallacious justification that whatever action taken by the troops was in response to elimination of LTTE terrorism, and refusal to be accountable to the UN and international community for its actions as many other countries have been getting away with similar allegations against them.Over a period Sri Lanka’s attitudes were frozen, and response became pedestrian. As far as the UN panel is concerned, the government appeared to have run out of ideas on how to handle the issues raised in it.Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris has highlighted “some of the fundamental deficiencies, inherent prejudices and malicious intentions” that characterized report. Apparently, the same three phrases can be applied to Sri Lanka’s handling of allegations as they snowballed over a period of time. He said the report failed to recognise any of the positive actions taken by the Government; but the UN panel was constituted to advise the Secretary General on specific allegations only. Prof Peiris had also questioned the fundamental legal basis of the conclusions arrived at by the Panel. Regardless of the merits of this line of argument, the fundamental issue is what is Sri Lanka doing about the allegations of war crimes committed by both sides? Can it improve its follow up actions? If not what does it propose to do? Prof Peiris has also considered the public release of the UN report would obstruct and retard positive momentum, and create divisions while feeding into the political agendas of those who wish to “destabilize the country.” In the history of nations time is an invaluable and irreplaceable resource. The time for backroom diplomacy on this subject is gone; after all Sri Lanka had two years to cogitate over what to do about war crimes allegations. There is no war on and time for transparency is in.It is time for action; an honest soul search will tell the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission is only a halfway house in the follow up actions required. I had written that it would satisfy none of the stakeholders (Sri Lanka: Lessons to be learnt and unlearnt – Update No. 198 http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/notes6/note585.html). Sri Lanka will not be benefitted by over reacting to the UN panel report. As US ambassador Butenis stated (in Wikileaks) no government takes action its victorious army. At the same time in national interest Sri Lanka should not condone war crimes or gross human rights violations under the cover of coercive laws or environment that existed during war. It has a much bigger task of building a common national identity which had been eluding the country. In the verbiage generated by the UN panel report, Sri Lanka’s failure to take adequate and speedy follow up action on some of the fundamental issues after the war should not be forgotten. These have been eloquently summed up by three eminent personalities of Sri Lanka when they addressed the LLRC. I am reproducing their words in the following paragraphs: “Every citizen must have full confidence and trust that he will be protected by the legal system of the country and by the Constitution. There, we have a long way to go. To achieve this, there are some essential prerequisites: “The Tamils have undergone, and are undergoing immense hardship. We need to reach out to them…. We have persistently discriminated against the Tamil people from 1956….Now I must tell you of a very, very sad situation, particularly bad and dangerous situation. We have in our prisons over 2000 young Tamil men. Some of them in the Remand Prisons have been taken on suspicion. Just picked up and taken in for detention without charges for years. [K Godage, former Sri Lankan diplomat] “Years of inequitable allocation of national resources and consequential disparities in regional economic development, infrastructure development and public service delivery have sown the seeds of discontent and disillusionment leading to conflict, insurrections of the South and the North and even the armed struggle towards a separate administration.” [Chandra Jayaratne, member of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies and a former President of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce]Actions taken on the above aspects are too few, tardy and time consuming; they are mired in bureaucracy. The lack of progress in construction of 100,000 houses India offered to build is a good example. So rather than getting hot under the collar over UN panel report which is of limited consequence, Sri Lanka should clean up its act. It has no alternative. That would serve Sri Lanka’s larger interests of nation building. Then there would not be any need for scoring brownie points in international forums. 08 May 2011 Russia, China warn: NO MORE ‘GUNG-HO’Don’t insult Ban Ki-Moon Russia and China have expressed concern to the Government of Sri Lanka with regard to any activity that could embarrass international organizations and their officials serving in the country, in the aftermath of the release of the Darusman report of the the a dvisory panel appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations, informed diplomatic sources told this newspaper.They have warned the government against staging protests and rallies insulting the UN Secretary-General in the country. The two powerful allies of Sri Lanka have told the UPFA government that if such moves were to continue unabated they will be compelled to review their stance of standing up for the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration.Russia and China have gone on to advice the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that leaders of political parties making up its alliance do not issue derogatory statements that could incite the people against international organizations and their officials in this country.These informed diplomatic sources also said that Russia and China have also stressed the importance to the government of providing maximum protection to the UN office situated in Colombo and other offices of international organizations in the wake of the release of the report.Moscow and Beijing had given these instructions to Colombo after having considered recent moves within the country, and the tendency to burn effigies of the UN Secretary General in an effort to express Sri Lanka’s vehement opposition to the report. Ban’s report: Top Indian team rushes to Colombo A high powered Indian delegation will arrive in Colombo on Friday to discuss matters arising from the United Nations Advisory Panel’s report to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during the final stages of the separatist war in May 2009.It will comprise National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, External Affairs Ministry Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Ministry Secretary Pradeep Kumar. The visit has assumed greater significance since India has not been ready to accept a similar three-member delegation from Sri Lanka before early June. Such a team to New Delhi was to comprise Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In addition, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris is due to visit New Delhi on May 16 for a meeting with his counterpart, S.M. Krishna.The Indian delegation members are expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa besides talking to their Sri Lankan counterparts. A priority for the visiting Indian delegation, the Sunday Times learns, is to urge the government to speedily address accountability and reconciliation issues raised in the UN Panel’s report. The Panel comprised Marzuki Darusman (Indonesia), Yasmin Sooka (South Africa) and Steven Ratner (United States).A similar request was also made to the government by US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, Robert Blake. During a visit to Sri Lanka, he held talks with External Affairs Minister Peiris. Blake also met representatives of opposition political parties and leading NGOs in Colombo. Lankan issue: EU parliament calls emergency debate The European Parliament, which represents 27 countries, is to debate on Thursday what it calls violations of human rights and humanitarian laws in Sri Lanka.The “emergency debate” has been sought by 50 members of the Green Party after the release of the report of the three-member UN Advisory Panel to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The Panel comprised Marzuki Darusman (Indonesia), Yasmin Sooka (South Africa) and Steven Ratner (United States).Ravinatha Ariyasinha, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Brussels, confirmed the emergency debate on May 12. “We are already lobbying parties to ensure that the final resolution has the correct balance,” he told the Sunday Times on the telephone from Brussels yesterday.This emergency debate has caused concern in the External Affairs Ministry in Colombo. Officials fear it would harden the positions of EU members against Sri Lanka on the UN Panel report. There is concern that the powerful European lobby would endorse the report for further investigation at an international level and thereby isolate Sri Lanka, leading to possible trade sanctions.Also listed for debate on the same day are issues related to two other countries – Belarus and Azerbaijan. Diplomatic sources said yesterday that the debate would generate greater consciousness among the 27 members of the European Union on the findings of the UN Panel.This emergency debate has become the major issue with the European Union since Sri Lanka lost the GSP plus trade preferences from the European Union in May last year. UNP warns of military state, army denies Military state Mr Samaraweera, a former minister of urban development, said the civilian administrations have enough powers to develop any town under the Urban Development Act. “Now we are witnessing the emergence of a military state in Matara town,” Mangala Samaraweera said, adding that it is a “very dangerous trend.” “We have seen in every country that these trends continued ended up as military states.”Military spokesman, Maj Gen Ubhaya Medawala, rejected the accusations.“Army officers have never taken part in activities of Urban Development Authority,” he told BBC Sandeshaya.He, however, admitted that the army has taken part in many development projects since the end of the war against the Tamil Tigers. “Military assistance in civil authorities, assistance in civil power and assistance in civil community has been part of the duty and responsibility of the military,” he said. Jaffna District voters down by 50 percent The number of voters in the Jaffna electoral district has dropped by more than 400,000 or by 50 percent of the previous figures, according to latest data collected by the Elections Department. Earlier the voter registry for the Jaffna district had 815,000 voters on the list, but the new one being compiled has only about 430,000 names.“The numbers have gone down since tens of thousands of people have gone overseas or have been resettled in other parts of the country,” an official for the Jaffna Assistant Elections Commissioner’s office said.He said that according to the latest statistics 90,000 new voters had been listed bringing the total number to 435,000. The number of voters in the Jaffna electoral district has been previously disputed by the government on the grounds that persons living overseas or persons who have died also have been included in the list.The new list would not be used for the upcoming local council elections in the north and instead the 2009 list used, but if the provincial council elections for the north were held soon, the new list would be used, the official said. Parliament to introduce live broadcast Bin Laden killing The deputy speaker, who is in London by the invitation of UK parliament to study Westminster system, said the arrangements are underway for the live broadcast of the proceedings to begin as soon as possible.“We hope all the parliamentarians will behave more responsibly as the live broadcasts begin,” he added but said that no date has been agreed for the first broadcast.The Galle district MP has held discussions with the speaker of the UK parliament, three deputy speakers, the general secretary, heads of parliamentary departments as well as the parliamentarians during his study tour.He used the opportunity, said Deputy Speaker Weerakkody, to explain to the Westminster MPs the efforts by the Sri Lankan government to defeat terrorism.“In fact, the situation arose after the killing of Bin Laden has made it easy for us to explain and understand the real efforts to defeat the terrorism,” Chandima Weerakkody said. 10 million Euros as financial aid from European Commission to North and East people. European Commission will grant 10 million Euros to the displaced northern people who are not resettled .The financial aid which was collected for humanitarian activities, will be exhausted for the displaced and resettled people, Sri Lankan refugees in India and people affected by floods in the east.European Commission quoted the statement from International Coordinating Commission Christiana George Kiwiya and had mentioned, that her Commission will continuously provide assistance to the affected people in Sri lanka UK won’t allow Tigers to disrupt SL cricket tour The British government is taking measures to thwart an attempt by the LTTE rump to disrupt the Sri Lankan cricket team’s forthcoming tour of England.In spite of the LTTE being a proscribed organization in the UK, those overtly supportive of the macabre project continue to flex their muscles, a senior official monitoring the developing situation told The Island.He said that Diaspora activists had planned to launch a high profile campaign on May 14 at the Uxbridge Cricket Ground, where Tillekeratne Dilshan’s team would be playing their first match. Responding to a query, the official said that should the Diaspora activists succeed at Uxbridge it could have a negative impact on the entire tour scheduled to continue till the second week of July.A spokesperson for the British High Commission said that the Sri Lankans would be visiting England this summer to play cricket. Confirming that there had been a call amongst parts of the Sri Lanka Diaspora to protest against the tour, the spokesperson said: "The England and Wales Cricket Board is working closely with law enforcement authorities and those in charge of cricketing venues to ensure the safety of all spectators and players."The spokesperson said that safety and security of spectators and players was of paramount importance.The High Commission spokesperson’s statement meant that the England Cricket Board hadn’t been moved by trouble makers’ demand that the tour should be called off as part of an overall campaign to protest atrocities committed by Sri Lankan forces during the war.Intelligence sources said that the position taken up by the British would anger the UK-based Diaspora activists hell-bent on disrupting the tour, the first by Sri Lanka since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009.The first Test match begins on May 26 at Sophia Gardens Cardiff. The tour includes three Tests, one T-20 international and five ODIs.According to a widely circulated message among the Diaspora activists, the LTTE rump says the UK cut bilateral relations with Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe in 2008 due to large scale human rights violations in that country. South Africa, too, had been subject to ‘sports sanctions’ not only by the British, but FIFA and IOC as well, the eelamists say, urging the British to isolate Sri Lanka.The LTTE rump has declared that a team which represented "war criminals and a genocidal state," should not be welcomed in the UK.External Affairs Ministry sources say that eelamists are planning a series of protests and commemorative events in various parts of the world to mark the killing of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran at the hands of the Sri Lankan Army on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon on May 19. The protests will culminate with the handing over of a petition to UNSG Ban Ki-moon calling for an independent war crimes investigation. 06 May 2011 Tamils main representative is Tamil National Alliance : America America had appealed that in regard to war crimes in Sri Lanka adequate investigations should be conducted. Southern and Central Asian American Deputy State Secretary Robert O Blake had urged Sri lankan government in regard to this. Government should advance activities for a settlement to the racial crisis, at a situation war has concluded. He said the assurances given by the Sri lankan government were not fulfilled so far. Sri Lanka should be observed what sort of responsibilities is taking in local sector regarding war crimes.He had the confident that, through discussions with the government and the Tamils main representative Tamil National Alliance will help to find a settlement to the Tamils crisis. Blake pointed out devolution of powers, the issues regarding detainees and issuing death certificates to missing persons are vital issues concerning Sri Lankan Tamil issues. Ranil is behind Moon’s conversion to Darusman According to reports reaching Lanka e news, it is the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who had been behind the Govt.’s sudden change of stance to describe the Moon’s advisory panel report as ‘Darusman report’ and not as ‘Moon’s report’.It is learnt that it is Ranil Wickremesinghe who has proffered advice to Basil Rajapakse that as the advisory panel report is not the official report of the UN , the media referring to the report as ‘Moon’s report’ is detrimental to the Govt. Ranil had therefore told that the report should be called as ‘Darusman report’ as Darusman is the Chairman of the advisory panel. The Govt. has hence decided accordingly. US wants dialogue between SL and UN Robert O. Blake, the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, said yesterday that the UN report on Sri Lanka ‘underscored the importance of a durable political solution’ and the necessity for a dialogue between the UN and the government of Sri Lanka.Addressing the media during his two-day visit to Sri Lanka, he said the report favoured a political solution that would ‘forge a prosperous, democratic and united Sri Lanka.’Dismissing allegations of US support for a regime change in Sri Lanka, he said he hoped that External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris would communicate soon with the UN Secretary General on the report. US wants dialogue between SL and UN Explaining the position of US with regard to accountability on the matters referred to in the UN report, he noted that the US had ‘continually expressed to the govt. of Sri Lanka the importance of implementing a credible and independent process to ensure accountability.’“Domestic authorities have a responsibility to ensure that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law are held accountable. International mechanisms can become appropriate in cases where states are unable or unwilling to meet their obligations,” he said.“We look first to host governments to take the responsibility for these issues and we hope that they will do so,” he added, when asked whether the US would look at its own mechanism to address the issues raised in the report.Responding to the controversies relating to the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces, Mr. Blake stressed that he was an armed terrorist engaged in armed conflict against the US.“He was therefore a lawful target under the laws of conflict and we stand by our actions and we believe that his death represents an important step in our fight -- and the international fight -- against terrorism,” he said. Asked if the death of Osama bin Laden was treated differently to that of Prabhakaran by the US government, he stressed that both Prabhakaran and bin Laden would ‘go down in history’ as most ruthless terrorist leaders.‘Certainly Osama has more directly targeted the US. So his capture has been a particular priority for us. His death marks one of the most significant accomplishments in our decades-long fight against al Qaeda.“Prabhakaran was also responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Sri Lankans; and the US was one of the first countries to stand with Sri Lanka to designate the LTTE as a terror organization -- and we consistently supported all efforts against the LTTE.“With regard to Prabhakaran’s end, I don’t really know. Nobody really knows, and that underscores the importance of the domestic authorities here taking responsibility for these issues. Certainly my government won’t mourn the passing of Prabhakaran as he was one of the worst terrorist leaders in the world,” he said.Asserting that ‘much more’ remained to be done with regard to reconstruction in the North, Mr. Blake however noted that the government ‘had made some positive progress.“It is very important that this progress be sustained,” he said. Referring to the role of the LLRC in the reconciliation process, he said, “We hope that the LLRC will also address accountability issues and will offer recommendations on how to redress wrongs committed by both sides during the conflict.”“There is much more to be done on the political side. We hope that the government will give importance to the dialogue that is ongoing now with the TNA. We hope there will be a comprehensive report on all issues of importance to the Tamil people,” he added.He mentioned matters such as devolution, information about those who are still in detention, a full accounting of those who had died and land tenure. “We hope there can be a fair arbitration about who really owns these lands. There are a great many issues still to be addressed. The government is committed to a sincere dialogue with the TNA, but the proof will be in the results and not promises,’ he added.He stressed that these issues would remain a high priority for the US government and expressed the hope that concrete progress would be made on them.Mr. Blake noted the nearly all of the 300,000 IDPs had been resettled from the camps with the remaining few scheduled to be resettled by the end of 2011, and that de-mining and the reduction of high security zones were some of the areas where significant progress had been made.Mr. Blake met Defence Secretary Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, members of the Opposition, and representatives of civil society. He visited Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu yesterday.Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry, in a communiqué issued yesterday, noted that a clear distinction had to be made between the Advisory Panel and the United Nations, and that the Report had no status as a UN document.Explaining the position of US with regard to accountability on the matters referred to in the UN report, he noted that the US had ‘continually expressed to the govt. of Sri Lanka the importance of implementing a credible and independent process to ensure accountability.’“Domestic authorities have a responsibility to ensure that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law are held accountable. International mechanisms can become appropriate in cases where states are unable or unwilling to meet their obligations,” he said.“We look first to host governments to take the responsibility for these issues and we hope that they will do so,” he added, when asked whether the US would look at its own mechanism to address the issues raised in the report.Responding to the controversies relating to the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces, Mr. Blake stressed that he was an armed terrorist engaged in armed conflict against the US.“He was therefore a lawful target under the laws of conflict and we stand by our actions and we believe that his death represents an important step in our fight -- and the international fight -- against terrorism,” he said. Asked if the death of Osama bin Laden was treated differently to that of Prabhakaran by the US government, he stressed that both Prabhakaran and bin Laden would ‘go down in history’ as most ruthless terrorist leaders. ‘Certainly Osama has more directly targeted the US. So his capture has been a particular priority for us. His death marks one of the most significant accomplishments in our decades-long fight against al Qaeda.“Prabhakaran was also responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent Sri Lankans; and the US was one of the first countries to stand with Sri Lanka to designate the LTTE as a terror organization -- and we consistently supported all efforts against the LTTE.“With regard to Prabhakaran’s end, I don’t really know. Nobody really knows, and that underscores the importance of the domestic authorities here taking responsibility for these issues. Certainly my government won’t mourn the passing of Prabhakaran as he was one of the worst terrorist leaders in the world,” he said. Asserting that ‘much more’ remained to be done with regard to reconstruction in the North, Mr. Blake however noted that the government ‘had made some positive progress.“It is very important that this progress be sustained,” he said. Referring to the role of the LLRC in the reconciliation process, he said, “We hope that the LLRC will also address accountability issues and will offer recommendations on how to redress wrongs committed by both sides during the conflict.”“There is much more to be done on the political side. We hope that the government will give importance to the dialogue that is ongoing now with the TNA. We hope there will be a comprehensive report on all issues of importance to the Tamil people,” he added. He mentioned matters such as devolution, information about those who are still in detention, a full accounting of those who had died and land tenure. “We hope there can be a fair arbitration about who really owns these lands. There are a great many issues still to be addressed. The government is committed to a sincere dialogue with the TNA, but the proof will be in the results and not promises,’ he added. He stressed that these issues would remain a high priority for the US government and expressed the hope that concrete progress would be made on them.Mr. Blake noted nearly all of the 300,000 IDPs had been resettled from the camps with the remaining few scheduled to be resettled by the end of 2011, and that de-mining and the reduction of high security zones were some of the areas where significant progress had been made. Mr. Blake met Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, members of the Opposition, and representatives of civil society. He visited Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu yesterday.Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry, in a communiqué issued yesterday, noted that a clear distinction had to be made between the Advisory Panel and the United Nations, and that the Report had no status as a UN document. G.L briefs India, China With the report by the Expert Panel on Sri Lanka appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon drawing more controversy, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris is scheduled to visit India and China very soon to express Si Lanka’s position on the report.Sources at the External Affairs Ministry told News Now.lk that Minister Peiris will hold intense discussions with senior Chinese and Indian government members and will try to win its support against the UN report.Sri Lanka had rejected the UN report which was released last month by Ban Ki Moon saying it is fundamentally flawed and based on patently biased material which is presented without any verification.Soon after the report was made public, the UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillai urged for further investigations into the conduct of the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka after the UN appointed panel found there were credible reports that both Government forces and Tamil rebels had committed war crimes Attempts are also underway to use the Panel report against Sri Lanka at the next UN Human Rights Council session. Government had rejected the request of Tamil National Alliance Sri Lankan government had rejected the request made by Tamil National Alliance was published in the “Diwayina” newspaper. Alliance party had requested that if discussions are held in future, American and Indian officials should be requested to join the meetings.The request was submitted by Tamil National Alliance parliament members Mawai Senanitharaja and Sivaganam.The attempts of TNA should be considered as the efforts of International elements interfering in Sri lankan internal affairs was mentioned by the government. Hence this request cannot be accepted was Israeli Agriculture Minister here Israel's Agriculture Minister Orit Noked, accompanied by a top level Israeli agro-business delegation is on a visit to Sri Lanka until May 7. This visit, is expected to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the agriculture field.Noked is scheduled to meet Prime Minister D M Jayaratne and other Ministers. During her meetings with government officials and farming and business communities, Minister Noked will reiterate Israel's intention to become a fully-fledged partner in Sri Lanka's development efforts.Minister Noked and her Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, will inaugurate the Agro-Business Seminar and sign an MoU to further augment the agricultural cooperation between the two countries and develop areas of mutual interest in the agriculture sector.The various topics of cooperation included in the MoU are capacity building and transfer of know-how; technology transfer; development of R and D Systems; exchange of scientific and agricultural technology information; promotion of Public Private Partnerships (PPP); water management and innovative irrigation technologies; rural development; land conservation and precision agricultural practices. Dangers on journalists have eased - IFJ climate of impunity But the report blamed Sri Lanka of not doing enough to investigate the violations of media rights. “The climate of impunity for violations of journalists' rights continues," say the IFJ The report titled "Free Speech in Peril: Press Freedom in South Asia" also said that investigations of killings and disappearances of journalists in Sri Lanka have made little headway.” LLRC The IFJ also say that the journalists are prevented from positively contributing to the proceedings of the LLRC “The political leadership in Sri Lanka continues to acknowledge the imperative of national reconciliation but there have been occasions when journalists have been prevented from attending the proceedings of the commission that is the main instrumentality of the process”. Language issue Commenting further on the value of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), the IFJ comments on the language issue.“As during the years of conflict, the cross-community dialogue remains weak, since the English and Sinhala language media are not seen to provide adequate coverage to testimonies rendered in Tamil to the commission”. 05 May 2011 US does not support any "regime change" in Sri Lanka The United States said on Wednesday(04) that it is committed to a strong long term partnership with Sri Lanka and the reports of alleged support for "regime change" have no basis whatsoever. Issuing a statement at the end of his three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, Robert O. Blake, Jr., the Assistant Secretary for Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the U.S. State Department, expressed his government's support for Sri Lanka's post-war reconciliation efforts. Blake commended the Sri Lankan government for making progress in reconciliation and rehabilitation in the North during the two years after the end of the long-drawn armed conflict. U.S. wants Sri Lanka to act first on wartime rights violations The United States urged on Wednesday Sri Lanka's government to hold anyone responsible for wartime rights violations accountable and warned that an international investigation could be an option if it failed to do so.The Indian Ocean nation is under renewed pressure to address allegations its troops killed thousands of civilians and committed war crimes in the last stages of a quarter-century war with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas.Sri Lanka has repeatedly called the allegations baseless and fronted by LTTE supporters, and has rejected the findings of a panel appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as biased and a threat to its post-war reconciliation efforts.U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake, ending a two-day visit to Sri Lanka, said Washington wanted Sri Lanka's own institutions to deal with the allegations raised in the report."We look first to host governments, in this case the government of Sri Lanka, to take responsibility for these issues, and we hope they do so," said Blake, who was Washington's envoy to Colombo from 2006 through to the war's end."International mechanisms can become appropriate in cases where states are either unable or unwilling to meet their obligations," Blake told a news conference.President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has been furious with Washington's pressure over the alleged rights violations in Sri Lanka's battle against a group the United States has listed as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997.It regularly points to the thousands of civilian deaths attributed to U.S. forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, carried out as part of the campaign against al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, whom U.S. troops killed on Monday. BIN LADEN VS PRABHAKARAN Asked if Washington was applying a double standard in the case of bin Laden and Sri Lanka's killing of LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, Blake said the United States had consistently backed efforts against the LTTE."I think they will both go down as two of the worst terrorist leaders in history," he said. "Certainly no one in the United States, certainly not in my government, mourns the passing of Prabhakaran."During his trip, Blake met opposition parties, External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris and Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president's brother who was the architect of the LTTE's defeat.Blake, and the United States, were at the forefront of Western efforts to get a ceasefire in place to protect the nearly 300,000 civilians the LTTE kept in the war zone as human shields in the final months of the war.Sri Lanka rejected the call, pointing out that the LTTE had in the past manufactured civilian crises to build pressure for a truce when it was at a military disadvantage, which it in turn used to re-arm to fight again.The United States and Britain have welcomed the U.N. panel's work, while fellow U.N. Security Council members China and Russia have criticized it, a similar geopolitical split seen when Sri Lanka fought of the ceasefire calls.Blake praised the efforts of Sri Lanka's Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), which has yet to present its findings. Sri Lanka has blasted Ban's panel for trying to pre-empt the LLRC's work and implementation of its findings.The U.N.-appointed panel said the LLRC, like all other Sri Lankan commissions of inquiry created since the first of three violently suppressed insurgencies broke out in 1971, did not meet international standards and would not produce results. Moragoda: Snr. Presidential Advisor Former minister Milinda Moragoda has been appointed as Senior Advisor to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Presidential Secretariat confirmed today.Additional Secretary to the President, D.S Gunaratne said that the appointment was made this week. It is reported that Mr. Moragoda will be an advisor on foreign policy matters. However Mr. Gunaratne said that he has still not been given an area to cover as advisor by the President Rajapaksa. He is due to commence duties as Presidential Advisor in the coming weeks after being given an area to advice on, added Mr. Gunaratne. Govt. to write to Ban The government has decided to write to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon notifying him of the accomplishments made locally and internationally up to date in the post war period, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris told Parliament yesterday.Making his remarks in the House for the first time after the report by the Advisory Panel to the Secretary General was released, the Minister said he had a telephone conversation with the Secretary General on Sunday when he (Prof. Peiris) was in Oman.Stressing that Sri Lanka, as a member state of the Unite Nations Organization from its inception, seriously considered its duties and responsibilities to the organization, he said the government would communicate with the Secretary General through the formal channel on the accomplishments made during the last two years.He said the Secretary General would be given information as required by him."In this communication process, I will indicate the accomplishments made up to date," he said.With the end of the war, he said, stability and tranquility had been created not only in Sri Lanka but also in the entire South Asia region. He said there was a period of deep turbulence in other countries such as Cambodia after their wars were completed, but such problems did not occur in Sri Lanka. Also, the Minister outlined how safety had been created in the sea lanes in the region with the decimation of terrorism. He noted that it was moved at a recent summit in Dubai to discuss the threat posed by piracy in international waters. "The Federal Bureau of Investigation of the US itself admitted that the LTTE was the most ruthless terrorist organization in the world," he said. In this manner, he said that the end of war had facilitated transnational commerce.Commenting on the refugee issue, he said that, unlike in some other parts of the world, there was no outflow of refugees from Sri Lanka in the post war context.The Minister outlined that the High Security Zones in the North had shrunk in size today, and thousands of ex LTTE combatants, mostly child soldiers, had been reintegrated into society after rehabilitation which included even vocational training.Among these combatants, he said, 140 sat for the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination and two of them had even qualified for the Medical College.Prof.Peiris said that the government revived the economy in the North. 04 May 2011 Robert O. Blake meets TNA Robert O. Blake, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, who arrived in Colombo yesterday, held talks with the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on the current political situation in the country. The TNA National List parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran told Daily Mirror that the discussions took place at the US Ambassador’s residence immediately after Mr. Blake’s arrival from the Maldives and went on for nearly 1 ½ hours (from about 8.00 pm to 9.30 pm).“We discussed several issues, including a political solution to the ethnic problem and the progress of the ongoing talks between the government and TNA,” Sumanthiran said.Mr. Sumanthiran and TNA leader R. Sampanthan represented the TNA, while Dr. Paul M. Carter head of the political affairs division of the US Embassy and US Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis joined with Blake in the discussions.Sumanthiran said that Blake would visit Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu today.“He is returning on Thursday. We hope there will be another meeting with him” he added. US official visits Sri Lanka's former rebel-controlled areas A high ranking United States official visited former Tamil rebel-controlled areas of northern Sri Lanka today to observe the progress of the post-war development in those areas and met with the country's major Tamil party.Robert O. Blake, Jr., the Assistant Secretary for Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the U.S. State Department visited Mullaitivu today to get a firsthand look at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded projects in the former LTTE stronghold. He met with the government officials and discussed the progress in the resettlement of displaced persons in Mullaitivu district. Blake is also scheduled to visit Kilinochchi.Blake met with the members of Sri Lanka's largest Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance yesterday after his arrival in the island.According to local media reports, the meeting has lasted for about 90 minutes and the discussions were centered on the ongoing dialogue between the government and the TNA, the present political situation in the country and solutions for the problems faced by the Tamil people.The TNA is engaged in talks with the government on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue.The Assistant Secretary is to meet with External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris before his departure on Wednesday. However, he will not be meeting with the President.Before his departure to Sri Lanka and Maldives on last Friday (April 29) Blake told the media that said that he has a message to deliver to the Sri Lankan government. He is scheduled to hold a a press conference before he leaves Sri Lanka today. 'ready to face UN charges' - Fonseka Agrees with accusations of report "I am ready to face the allegations in Ban Ki Moon report against the armed forces of Sri Lanka", Fonseka told the reporters at Colombo High Court.He said that he agrees with accusations the report has made against the government of Sri Lanka.The report by the panel of experts focuses on alleged war crimes committed by both the Sri Lankan armed forces and Tamil Tigers during the months leading up to the defeat of the rebels in May 2009. Cut-outs in Washington DC The government says that the military inflicted no civilian deaths during the final stages of its victory."Claims about violations of democracy and human rights are not new. We had raised those allegations long before the UN".Commenting on the death of the leader of al-Qaeda, former commander said that he congratulated the American forces for killing Bin Laden. "It was an efficient military operation", he said"Somehow I don't think Obama will put up cut-outs of himself in Washington DC or send the military commander home", added the former commander. Thousands of civilians dead In an earlier interview with the BBC Sandeshaya, Fonseka called for punishment of anyone found guilty of war crimes. "The forces I commanded had never committed war crimes", say the former commander.UN Expert report say that they have credible evidence of estimated 40,000 civilian deaths during the last stages of the war that ended in May 2009.Estimates say that as many as 100,000 people were killed during 26 years of war. CANADA SCARBOROUGH-ROUGE RIVER: Rathika Sitsabaiesan elected new MP Liberal Derek Lee said he was quitting politics because the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River deserved a fresh face, and that's what it got on Monday night.It got New Democrat Rathika Sitsabaiesan, 29, a Tamil-Canadian community activist from Malvern making a historic breakthrough in what was supposed to be a safe Liberal seat."It's the entire community coming together," she said Monday as she emerged from a crush of supporters after her victory was certain.Lee, the riding's MP since 1988, surprised many when the federal election was called by saying it was "time to press the refresh button" in the riding and announcing his retirement.But Sitsabaiesan, a first-time candidate had been working for the University of Toronto's student government, ran a strong campaign, one that ended with perhaps as many as 1,000 supporters crammed into a local school Sunday for a rally with NDP Leader Jack Layton."For 23 years it was all the same. And finally the people were fed up and wanted change and that's what we're delivering," Sitsabaiesan said after her victory over Conservative Marlene Gallyot and Liberal Rana Sarkar was certain. With 188 of 211 polls reporting, Sitsabaiesan had 41.1 per cent of the vote, Gallyot had 29.6 per cent and Sarkar had 27.1 per cent. Also running were George Singh for the Green Party and independent Mark Balack.Sarkar, CEO of the Canada-India Business Council and a former constituency assistant for Lee was decisively beaten, but received the news stoically."The Canadian public has made some decisions," he said. "It's not the end of the party. It's the beginning of something," said Sarkar, predicting a renewal that will bring the Liberal party back."I will be a part of the renewal and look forward to that."Lee, also the only MP residents have had since the riding was created, had no problem winning previous elections in Scarborough-Rouge River, receiving more votes in 2008 than his four opponents combined. Voter turnout in the riding in 2008 was lowest in the city, at 47.4 per cent.Lee said many voters "are loyal to their members and they stay loyal, and when he or she leaves, they're free," he said. "They have the freedom not to follow forever."Reflecting further, Lee said as crushing a blow this was to his Liberal party, the most significant part of the night is the removal of the Bloc Quebecois in Quebec in favour of a federalist party, the NDP. "Jack Layton is the person who did it," he said.Sitsabaiesan credited her win to an unprecedented coalition of young people, women, the elderly and others who turned out to support her.Earlier, in a banquet hall beside her Sheppard Avenue headquarters, Syed Naqvi, a riding resident, predicted Sitsabaiesan would win before the first results were in.Before the election, he always voted Liberal, he said, "but in this election, we saw a revolution" and Naqvi said he did his best to win over his family and neighbours to Sitsabaiesan and the NDP."She's brilliant, she's an outspoken person and she is brave," he said."Liberal and Conservative, they have almost the same policies. They support each other."At a Markham Road sports bar where Sarkar's supporters awaited results, Freddie Viera said he volunteered for Sarkar because he feared that, with Lee gone, people in the riding might fall away from the Liberals, helping to hand the Conservatives a majority. "I think it would be damaging the country," Viera said.He didn't, however, expect New Democrats to be able to take the riding. "It's either Conservative or Liberal."At another sports bar to the south near Markham Road earlier in the evening, Gallyot, a former immigration consultant who worked for a regional councillor in Markham, said she'd done her best. "We all put together a good campaign. We reached out to every community."A mother of four, Gallyot said she was grateful for the support of her family during the campaign. "I'm a winner already, with the family I have."Also running in the riding was Green candidate George Singh, an entrepreneur and student who has also run municipally, as well as an independent candidate, Mark Balack.The riding occupies northeastern Scarborough north of Highway 401 and east of Midland Avenue and Brimley Road to the Pickering boundary. 02 May 2011 Tamil Nadu pressure over UN report Political parties in Tamil Nadu are seeking to mount pressure on the federal government on the issue of the alleged war crimes committed by Sri Lanka in the closing stages of the war against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.The parties in the southern Indian state want India to mobilise international opinion for setting up a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for thousands of civilian deaths then.The state unit of the CPM is the latest to announce demonstrations all over the state shortly to press its demand for a war crimes tribunal.Ever since a UN panel highlighted "credible allegations" that both the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels had been involved in violations that could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity, there has been increasing calls for a tribunal to try President Mahinda Rajapkasa and others at the helm. Checkmating China Most parties including the ruling DMK and the major opposition, the AIADMK, have already given such calls or staged demonstrations.Effigies of President Rajapaksa are routinely burned or hanged.Only the Congress, heading India’s ruling coalition, and also a key player in the state, is maintaining a silence on the issue.India's Foreign Affairs ministry has only said that it is “willing to engage Sri Lanka” on the contents of the report.The Tamil Nadu parties seem concerned that India should not seek to bail out Sri Lanka yet again in the name of checkmating Chinese and Pakistani influence on the island government.But how far they would go in pressing their demands is a moot point, observers say. Sri Lanka president attacks UN war crimes report Sri Lanka's president on Sunday poured scorn on the United Nations over a report it published alleging that his military forces may have been guilty of atrocities during the island's civil war.Mahinda Rajapakse did not name the UN directly but his government had declared that May Day rallies were a protest against UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who commissioned the report that was released last Monday. Tens of thousands of ruling party activists cheered Rajapakse as he said the war against the Tamil Tigers, which ended in victory for the government in 2009, had been waged with respect for human rights."When we try to rebuild the country, we face various external threats, people creating problems. I want to tell you that we won't bow down to them," he told the crowd."I won't name people, but I appeal to those reporting or writing about this country not to be lured by dollars and write incorrect things."The UN report highlighted "credible allegations" that both the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels had been involved in violations that could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.It said the Sri Lankan military killed most of the tens of thousands of civilian victims of the offensive when it shelled Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) territory between January and May of 2009."During the war, we initiated a massive humanitarian operation to rescue more than 300,000 people from the clutches of the LTTE," Rajapakse said. "We clothed them, fed them, gave them medicine, shelter, and help to resettle them."Is this a crime or a violation of human rights?" he asked.Supporters chanted "Ban Ki-moon, we don't want you. We want our president," while they held up placards reading "Banki is a yankee. Go home" and "We reject the UN."The May Day demonstrators were led by ministers from Rajapakse's United People's Freedom Alliance, and accompanied by brass bands and traditional drummers."Thousands of people have stepped out, sacrificing food, water and comforts, to support our president who is facing international pressure as he tries to rebuild our motherland," veteran labour activist Alavi Mowlana said.Roads to the rally in Colombo were decorated in the party colours of blue, red and maroon, while billboards were erected showing the president and recently-completed development work."We want to send a clear message to the international community that no imperialist interventions are possible in Sri Lanka," said petroleum minister Susil Premajayantha, who is also the ruling party's general secretary.More 8,000 police officers and hundreds of army personnel were deployed around the capital to maintain security on May Day, which is traditionally a day of workers' demonstrations across the world.Sri Lanka has repeatedly denied any rights violations during the civil war and refused to allow the three-member UN panel of experts who wrote the report access to the country.Rajapakse said that even rebels who were being trained to become Tamil Tiger suicide bombers had received rehabilitation care and then been released."Some are in universities," he said.The UN report also cited evidence that Tamil Tiger separatists, who fought for decades for an ethnic Tamil homeland, had used civilians as a "human buffer" and shot people who tried to escape. Govt urged to end talks with TNA The Federation of National Organisations has requested the government to terminate its talks with the TNA, as the TNA had sided with a section of the international community who are hostile to Sri Lanka.By siding with the anti Sri Lankan forces the "TNA has exposed its motives and confirmed in no uncertain terms that it is hostile to Sri Lanka," the FNO said in a statement issued to media. The statement is signed by Ven. Elle Gunawanse thero, (Desha Abimani Jathika Viyaparaya), Ven Benpamuwe Nalaka thero (Deshapreme Bikshu Peramuna), Ven Omare Kassapa thero (Thunhela Jathika Viyaparaya), Ven Maduruoya Dhammissara thero (Lanka Jathika Sangha Sabhawa), Dr Gunadasa Amarasekera (Patriotic National Movement), S. L.Gunasekera (Manel Mal Movement), Prof. Nalin de Silva (Chinthana Parshadaya), Col. Anil Amarasekera (Thawalama Padanama), Dimuth Gunawardena (Protect Sri Lanka) and Dr. Anula Wijesundere (Jayagrahanaya – Success – Colombo). Full text of the statement titled ‘The report by the three member panel appointed by Ban Ki Moon’: "We make the following observations on the report presented by the three member panel appointed by Ban Ki Moon * This Report is not a report of the UN or the Security Council or of a Committee/Body either appointed or duly sanctioned by either, but is purely and simply a purported ‘Report’ containing the views of three private individuals selected by a BK Moon, a servant of the UN, on his own on criteria presumably known to himself and to no other, and without any mandate granted by the Charter of the United Nations, his employer or its Security Council to do so. * The said ‘Panel’ was, moreover appointed by Moon despite the express objections of the Government of Sri Lanka and constitutes a wholly unacceptable and unforgivable interference in our internal affairs. * According to the UN charter the SG is specially barred from seeking advice from anyone external to the UN organization * The said ‘Panel’ and its purported report are hence devoid of a "pedigree of legitimacy" and illegitimate in all respects. In as much as no person possessed of an iota of integrity or honour would have accepted appointment to a Panel such as this, which was ex facie illegitimate, the very fact that the members of that Panel accepted appointment thereto and functioned therein without demur at the behest of Moon constitutes irrefutable proof of their mala fides. The ‘track records’ of these three dishonourable individuals selected by Moon also bear witness to their bias against Sri Lanka.Both Moon and the ‘members of the ‘Panel’ are in addition, beholden to powerful States of the West such as USA, France and UK, all of which and Moon were correctly snubbed by the President when he summarily rejected their demands for a ‘ceasefire while we were on the point of eliminating terrorism.The overwhelming probabilities are that both the appointment of this ‘Panel’ and its purported ‘Report’ were motivated by a desire for revenge by ousting the President from power and thereby initiate a regime change for having defeated the LTTE and the separatist road map.While the GOSL on her part has also erred by, having unofficial consultations with Moon and his panel, we caution the Government, *that it should not, on any account respond to the purported ‘merits’ of the contents of this illegitimate report because doing so would, at least give the appearance of according a non-existence ‘legitimacy’ thereto; *that there is an imperative need for great circumspection in the selection of persons to play a role in responding to this. international conspiracy and that persons who have supported wholly anti-national measures such as the 13th Amendment, - PTOMS, and Federalism in any way should be wholly excluded from this process even if one or more of them hold ministerial rank; *that the Government should be aware that such forces inimical to the Country’s welfare would find in this Report, an opening to come forward in the guise of helping the Government, to present purported ‘solutions’, which would undermine the Sovereignty, Independence, and Territorial Integrity of the Country; and *that while this Report ex facie, presents a road map to bring war crime charges against the President and the Commanders and senior officers of our Armed Forces, the Government should also be alive to and thwart any attempt that may well be made to utilize this report to destabilize and even fragment our Country by compelling the President to implement the 13th Amendment or the 13th Amendment Plus". The response to this report of the one time lackeys of the LITE, the TNA, lends much credence to this fact. We strongly urge the GOSL to terminate the discussions it is having with the TNA, as the TNA has exposed its motives and confirmed in no uncertain terms that it is hostile to our Country.We also strongly urge the government not to participate in any discussions or meetings within Sri Lanka or abroad with any of these international conspirators regarding this report or matters arising out of it.Finally we most earnestly urge all Srilankans to forget their political differences and affiliations at this critical Juncture and stand behind the President who defeated all imperialist separatist forces, so that he shall face this serious challenge with equal courage and fortitude." 'Solheim' talks about last minute surrendering drama of LTTE Leaders Norwegian minister of the Environment and International Development and former peace facilitator to Srilanka, Erik Solheim, speaking to Norwegian state owned media NRK (Dagsnytt 18) on Wednesday, said that it is only correct and fair to expect the Sri Lankan authorities to domestically investigate the UN panel material.According to him, this is what the ‘broader international community’ including nearly all the Western countries want. Solheim accused the Tigers for not listening to his surrender call since five months before the end of the war, and suggested a new principle for international law that since Tiger leaders are now eliminated, domestic handling should be given a chance than ‘one-sided’ international indictment of Sri Lankan state. Speaking to NRK, Erik Solheim said that the UN panel report only confirmed what many had believing for the last two years, but it got a different weight when it came in the form of a UN report."It is a very strong report, I have not managed to read its details yet,” he said.UN Secretary General had requested Sri Lanka to undertake investigations, and added, “there are many dilemmas here”, Tamil Tigers were also responsible for very serious war crimes and crimes against humanity. But almost all have died. So, any indictment for all practical purposes therefore becomes one-sided against the Sri Lankan state leaders, while both parties have committed the war crimes. So, the demand of the UN Secretary General as well as what the international community has expressed support to, is that Sri Lanka itself should show that it could deal with it. If that didn’t happen, then we need to consider what we should be doing, Solheim said.“It is my view that Sri Lankan authorities should investigate this [UN Panel] material, that had come with strong accusations against them. It is correct and fair [to expect] that a such [domestic] process takes place”, he said.“how credible is a such domestic investigation in Sri Lanka”, the minister said: “It depends on the composition and what material comes out. But, what the broader international community demands, nearly all Western countries, is that Sri Lanka itself should conduct such investigations. If it doesn't happen, we will need to consider what we have to do.” Solheim added that Norway has a difficult role here, “because even though we didn't play any central role, the series of events that had been covered in the report involves us as a party.”Solheim continued: “Tamil Tiger leaders Nadesan and Puleedevan made phone calls to Norway on 17 May, two years ago, when I was talking to various people in Sri Lanka throughout the whole day, and they said they were now prepared to surrender. They asked us what we think that they could do. We said that it was too late to organise any surrender. We have taken this up [your surrender] with you for five months, but you have always refused to do so. The only thing we can suggest is to raise a white flag and find a speaker to shout aloud that you are willing to surrender. So, we and the Red Cross and others contacted Sri Lanka's top leaders and said that these leaders are willing to surrender so that it could happen in an organised way. And the following day, we received the message that they [who surrendered] have died. What happened in the meantime, how they were killed, we don't know. ”NRK journalist pointed out at the Human Rights Watch criticism that the UN was not exerting enough pressure on Sri Lanka.“The opinion is divided among the superpowers. China and Russia have an opinion positive to Sri Lankan government, while the Western countries are basically more critical towards it. So, Ban ki Moon is moving in a difficult terrain. The demand is directed towards the Sri Lankan government that they conduct a credible investigation. This is not different from [other situations where] we have war crimes and crimes against humanity charges against many other countries, and we always demand that the country [of the subject] itself should conduct the investigations. It is only that if it doesn't take place, then the International Community should opt to do it.”When a question was asked why he was not saying his own opinion on the UN’s failure during and after the war, Solheim, citing the contents in the report and said: "Because, we [Norway] are in a very different situation from any other areas where Norway is engaging. When I express anything on the situation of any country, I can do it to a purely Norwegian public [domestically]. But, everything I say to you, here and now, would come on the first pages of the newspapers in Sri Lanka, if anyone wants to pick up on this and make trouble out of it. We are not in the same situation on the issues regarding any other countries in the world.” Postponed poll in June The elections for 70 Local Governments which were postponed owing to legal snags will be held in mid June, the government announced today.Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Minister Maithipala Sirisena said that although it was earlier decided to hold the elections this month it will now be held in June.He said that the decision to conduct the polls in June was taken as a result of the Vesak period and the 2600th Sambodhi Jayanthi celebrations, both which fall in May.The Minister said that after careful consideration President Mahinda Rajapaksa had decided to hold the elections mid next month instead of this month.A date for the elections will be announced in due course so that the candidates can begin campaigning, the Minister added. Sri Lankan government to develop new tourism zones in the North and East The Sri Lankan government has decided to develop several new tourism zones in the North and East.The government has identified coastal towns of Vakarai in Batticaloa district and Pulmoddai in Trincomalee District, both in the Eastern Province, and Silavathurai in Mannar District in the Northwest as the new tourism zones.Deputy Economic Development Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena has said the government is in the process of identifying land for two tourism zones in Silavathurai and Pulmoddai."Once the land acquisition is completed we will commence the infrastructure development in the area before calling for bids," Abeywardena has said.The amount of investment expected to be generated through the new tourism zones in the North and East has still not been estimated, since the project is still at the initial stage.However, the government has decided to lease out an acre of land at Rs. 20 million for tourism development.In Vakarai, the government is to allocate 73 acres for tourism development, 80 acres in Silavathurai and 100 acres in Pulmoddai.These three areas are the latest to be added to the list of tourism zones that already exist in the East Pasikudah, Kuchchaweli, and Arugam Bay.According to Abeywardena, the country has received US$ 523 million worth of investments in the tourism sector. Osama bin Laden, the face of terror, killed in Pakistan Osama bin Laden, hunted as the mastermind behind the worst-ever terrorist attack on U.S. soil, has been killed, sources told ABC News.His death brings to an end a tumultuous life that saw bin Laden go from being the carefree son of a Saudi billionaire, to terrorist leader and the most wanted man in the world.Bin Laden created and funded the al Qaeda terror network, which was responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. The Saudi exile had been a man on the run since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan overthrew the ruling Taliban regime, which harbored bin Laden.In a video filmed two months after the Sept. 11 attacks, bin Laden gloated about the attack, saying it had exceeded even his "optimistic" calculations."Our terrorism is against America. Our terrorism is a blessed terrorism to prevent the unjust person from committing injustice and to stop American support for Israel, which kills our sons," he said in the video.Long before the Sept. 11 attacks, bin Laden was known as an enemy of the United States. He was suspected of playing large roles in the 1998 bombings of two U.S. Embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden in October 2000.In addition, authorities say bin Laden and his al Qaeda network were involved in previous attacks against U.S. interests -- including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, failed plots to kill President Clinton and the pope, and attacks on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and Somalia.Bin Laden also used his millions to bankroll terrorist training camps in Sudan, the Philippines and Afghanistan, sending "holy warriors" to foment revolution and fight with fundamentalist Muslim forces across North Africa, in Chechnya, Tajikistan and Bosnia.Until the capture of one of his top al Qaeda lieutenants in March 2003, there had been no confirmation of his whereabouts -- or even that he was still alive -- since late 2001, when he appeared in a series of videotapes later released to news organizations.In recent years, several audio recordings of bin Laden have been authenticated by U.S. officials and made public. In an 18-minute videotape weeks before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, bin Laden threatened fresh attacks on the United States as well as his intent to push America into bankruptcy. 01 May 2011 Govt. digging in for battle with UN As the saga of the United Nations Panel report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka is playing out in world capitals, the unfolding drama in Colombo has become a tragic-comedy in most aspects. This is whilst the government, which chose to ignore the report, decided at the last minute to respond to the UN Secretary General. That is not all. It has also initiated important measures to rectify issues highlighted in the three-member UN Panel report. Our front-page story today gives the details.The man who manages Sri Lanka's foreign policy, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, continued with his voyage of contradictions. This left foreign governments and their diplomats in Colombo wondering which of his periodic versions was official. On Thursday, he summoned the Colombo-based diplomatic community to re-iterate the UPFA government's position. Pointing out that the government was no longer constrained to "comment substantively" on the report, he told them that none of the positive developments in Sri Lanka was reflected. The "controversial contents and its public release at this stage obstruct and retard this positive momentum and it creates divisions," he claimed.Later, in a lengthy media statement about his meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs quoted Dr. Peiris as saying it was not the government's intention to create any "mass protests" and agitation relating to "the Darusman Report as alleged by some." He added, "We are not instigating hysteria nor violence or embarrassment to the UN community and to foreign missions. Such allegations have been levelled by those with political agendas to blacken the image of the country at this sensitive moment."Naturally, Dr. Peiris, the country's External Affairs Minister, expected foreign governments and the United Nations to believe what he said was the true position. Is this fact or mere fiction? As he spoke to foreign diplomats on Thursday morning at the External Affairs Ministry in Fort, just over a kilometre away, at a news conference at the Mahaweli Centre at Green Path, a senior Cabinet colleague, Dallas Allahapperuma, said just the opposite. This is how last Thursday's state run Daily News reported the event under the headline " UPFA May Day rally - THOUSANDS TO SHOW NATION'S OPPOSITION TO DARUSMAN REPORT." It said,"Sixteen parties allied to the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), trade unions, other organisations and hundreds of thousands of people will participate in UPFA May Day rally, which will show the nation's opposition to the Darusman Report, SLFP Treasurer and the Vocational Training and Skills Development Minister Dullas Allahapperuma said."The Minister addressing the media at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday said the government will conduct its May Day parade and rally with sixteen major parties for the first time under the theme - Upan Bimata Da Binduwak - Rata Surakina Jana Pavurak (A drop of sweat for the land of birth - A people's wall to protect the country) with the support of the entire working population against imperialism………." The theme for the May Day, thus it became clear, was the fallout from the UN Panel's report.Official government spokesperson and Media Minister, Keheliya Rambukwella, also spoke out on Thursday. This was after Wednesday's cabinet meeting. He was bitterly critical of the UN. This is how the Daily News on Thursday reported it. "He charged that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had wasted the valuable funds of the world body by employing a three-member Panel. He((Ban) employed these writers for his personal benefit to satisfy some countries and organisations to win his re-appointment, by casting aspersions on the Sri Lankan President and the Army leaders." Laughable comedy There was also some laughable comedy to the drama added by Minister Wimal Weerawansa. He proposed that President Rajapaksa initiate moves to establish another United Nations, parallel to the one located in the Turtle Bay neighbourhood of Manhattan, in the sprawling grounds facing the East River in New York. He did not say where the proposed new world body should be located or which countries should serve in the membership. Obviously, he would not have favoured the United States, Britain, Norway or even other European countries serving as members. He has been bitterly critical of those "imperialists". In the process, Minister Weerawansa also too took some pot shots at Minister Peiris.Weerawansa, who staged an abortive four-day fast outside the UN's Colombo compound in July last year demanding that UNSG Ban withdraw the Panel, addressed a news conference on Thursday, He said, "Ban Ki-moon is a puppet. The three idiots who compiled the report are also puppets. They have been bought for money. These institutions have become tools used to engage in certain work the imperialists can do. Therefore, Sri Lanka's Head of State has the responsibility to take the idea of an alternative UN to other leaders of the World. We have not sufficiently briefed friendly and neutral nations. We do not need to respond to the reports of the three idiots irrespective of whether or not these allegations were levelled. What did we do? That we waged the war with minimum casualties was not effectively taken to the world. How well could this have been done? Whether it is Minister A, B or C or even Wimal Weerawansa, that responsibility lies with the External Affairs Minister….."He may have wanted a new UN, but Weerawansa enjoyed the present organisation's hospitality and took its work seriously. It was only weeks earlier, he returned to Colombo after attending the UN's World Habitat Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.According to Minister Weerawansa, his Cabinet colleague Peiris has failed to keep the world sufficiently briefed. The External Affairs Minister tells foreign diplomats on Thursday it is not the government's intention to hold "mass protests" and agitation relating to "the Darusman Report as alleged by some. He adds, "We are not instigating hysteria nor violence or embarrassment to the UN community and to foreign missions."The remarks by his Ministerial colleagues speak of a different story. How did the story of a mass protest originate? Which statement does Peiris want the Colombo-based diplomatic community to believe? His own version or those spelt out by none other than President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who called for these protests? He must have not read that morning's government run Daily News.This is how even www.priu.gov.lk, the official website of the Government of Sri Lanka reported it on April 18: "President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared that this year's May Day while rightfully honouring the workers should also be used as an opportunity to voice the solidarity of the nation against the injustice perpetrated on the country before the world."The time has come to show our strength and this should not be confined to expressing worker solidarity on this day but also to demonstrate against the injustice done to the country before the world" President Rajapaksa said addressing electoral organisers of the UPFA at Temple Trees on Saturday…….." We will show our strength The holding of a mass protest also received worldwide publicity. Agence France Press, one of the world's leading news agencies said, "COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka's president has called for mass protests against a UN report which urged a probe into alleged war crimes committed during the fight against Tamil Tiger rebels, his office said Sunday.President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in an address to officials of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party that this year's May Day rally should be turned into a "show of our strength" against international calls for war crimes investigations. "All these days we did not demonstrate our strength, but now on May Day we will show our strength," the president said on Saturday. An audio tape of the speech was released by his office."Added the Press Trust of India (PTI), " Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for turning May Day worker rallies into a massive "show of strength" against a U.N. Panel's report that allegedly holds the government responsible for war crimes during the offensive against the LTTE. Mr. Rajapaksa, said Sri Lankans needed to rally against the U.N. special panel's report and that the International Labour Day was the time to do so." External Affairs Minister's contradictory remarks Former Foreign Minister and main opposition United National Party's communications chief Mangala Samaraweera reacted strongly to the External Affairs Minister's contradictory remarks. He noted that foreign governments would not know which version to believe, for they are contradictory from time to time. He added, "Contradictions have become the hallmark of the government. They are not honest with themselves or the country. There is duplicity. Even at this late stage, they should change. G.L. Peiris says there will be no protests. SLFP organizers have been told through a circular to bring effigies of Ban Ki-moon for the May Day. Either the External Affairs Minister has not been kept informed or he is continuing to mislead the President."A hitherto unpublicized document is a letter External Affairs Minister Peiris wrote to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. It is part of an annexure to the 196-page Panel report compiled by Marzuki Darusman (Indonesia), Yasmin Sooka (South Africa) and Steven Ratner (United States). Some senior UPFA leaders are angered that the letter has "compromised the President and brought him acute embarrassment." Exactly a week before a Sri Lanka delegation led by Attorney General Mohan Peiris met with the UN Panel, Peiris wrote to Ban asserting that "the President firmly believes that there should be a seamless connectivity between your approach (via the UN Panel) and that of the LLRC mechanism."A government source who did not wish to be identified said that the External Affairs Minister had completely misjudged the UN Panel's objectives. In referring to "seamless connectivity," he expected the Panel to complete its task and thereafter automatically allow the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to continue probing the Panel's findings.Herein lay a colossal blunder, which was aggravated by a Sri Lanka delegation meeting the UN Panel. The fact that there was a secret meeting was exclusively revealed in the Sunday Times of March 6."The Panel had no mandate from the UN Secretary General to work with the LLRC. It functioned independent of the Sri Lanka External Affairs Ministry and made its findings known to Ban Ki-moon," the source pointed out."The External Affairs Minister's wrong assumption that the UN Panel was an adjunct to the LLRC led to complacency on the part of the government. That is why the UN report has come as a shock. They did not take it seriously until it was received," the source added. Sri Lanka's main opposition to announce party's stance on panel report next week Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to announce its stance on the report by the Panel of Experts appointed by UN Secretary General Bank Ki-moon on Sri Lanka in the first week of May.According to UNP sources, Opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe is to make a statement in parliament during its sessions next week on the party's stance on the panel report.Wickremasinghe has already appointed a committee headed by former senior civil servant Bradman Weerakoon to study the report and make its observations to the party leadership to decide on the stance. Tamil war crimes report: Lanka monk threatens self immolation A Buddhist monk on Saturday warned of self immolation unless UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon withdrew his advisory panel report that has called for an investigation in to alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.Reverend Aththadassi, the chief of the Bodirukkaramaya in the southern town of Matara, made the statement following a street protest this morning."Over 5000 people participated in the protest demonstration against the UN report. Some of them signed the public petition in blood including Reverend Aththadassi. He said he would set himself on fire if Moon took no action to withdraw the report," said Aruna Gunarathna, a ruling party politician in Matara.The Matara public had joined the public petition signing against the three member UN panel report which called for the setting up of a war crimes investigation inquiry into the last stages of the military conflict with the LTTE, which ended two years ago. UN Panel report: Ratnasiri pulls out of talks with TNA Former Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremenayake, has resigned as leader of the government delegation holding talks on “power devolution” with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) after the latter’s endorsement of the United Nations Panel report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.In his letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa this week, Senior Minister Wickremenayake has said he could not negotiate with the TNA after it had supported allegations that Sri Lankan troops committed war crimes allegedly during the final stages of the separatist war in May 2009.Parliamentarian Rajiva Wijesinha, former head of the Government’s Peace Secretariat, has been named as a replacement for Mr. Wickremenayake. Other members in the government team are External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and Sajin Vaas Gunawardena, MP who is overlooking the Ministry of External Affairs.In a statement issued after the release of the UN Panel’s report, the TNA leader R. Sampanthan said, “the Panel has also found credible allegations associated with the final stages of the war and that the Sri Lankan Army’s military campaign into the Vanni using large scale and widespread shelling caused large numbers of civilian deaths.The Panel states that the campaign constituted persecution of the population of the Vanni, of around 300,000 civilians. The Government’s estimate of the population in the Vanni at this time was only 70,000. The Panel also asserts that these credibly alleged violations demand a serious investigation and the prosecution of those responsible.”When a TNA delegation met the government delegation on Friday, the issues arising from the TNA statement led to a heated debate. TNA members were forced to say that they had made those remarks in Parliament on different occasions before the statement was issued. Govt. will continue talks with TNA: Vasudeva The government has assured that it is committed in its efforts to find a political settlement to the ethnic question and that it would continue to hold discussions with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in achieving it.Minister of National Languages and Social Integration, Vasudeva Nanayakkara told The Nation that the prevailing scenario in the country after the publication of the UN report would not hamper the government’s efforts in bringing a solution to the ethic question.The TNA had earlier expressed its doubts on the approach of the government on addressing the political situation in the country.The TNA had expressed its frustration over the failure of the government in releasing them the names of the detainees on two occasions. The matter was taken up at the meeting with the government delegation on Friday. The government had reportedly agreed to release the list of names of the detainees.“Even if the TNA endorses the UN report and calls for an international investigation, the government will not forsake the discussions,” Nanayakkara said.The next meeting between the TNA and the government is scheduled to be held on May 12. China urges international community not to complicate Sri Lanka issue China believes the Sri Lankan government and people will handle properly problems concerning its civil war and urged the international community not to complicate the issue reported Xinhua news agency yesterday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks when asked to comment on a panel report on armed conflicts in Sri Lanka published by the United Nations on Monday.Hong said in a statement that China has already noticed the publication of the report. He said Sri Lanka has already set up its own institutes to investigate relevant issues. “The Chinese side is confident that the Sri Lankan government and people are able to properly address all relevant issues,” Hong said.He said China hopes that the international community could provide support and assistance to such efforts by the Sri Lankan government. “We hope that the international community could help develop a favourable external environment for the Sri Lankan government to stabilize the country’s internal situation and accelerate economic growth, and avoid taking measures that could further complicate the issue,” Hong said. Some efforts to deter foreign participation - Post mortem on the war in upcoming military seminar With the Government of Sri Lanka increasingly coming under international pressure over the conduct of its political and military leaderships during the latter part of Vanni campaign (Mar 2007 to May 2009), a three-day international conference organized by the military later this month would give an opportunity for Sri Lanka to respond to constant allegations of excesses.A senior military official told The Sunday Island that the seminar on Sri Lanka’s experience in defeating terrorism scheduled for May 31 to June 2 at the Galadari Hotel would also give a chance to those alleging war crimes to seek clarifications with regard to land, air and sea operations."We are open for a comprehensive discussion on all issues. The GoSL is confident those skeptical of our tactics on the ground and also at sea will take this opportunity," the official said.Responding to a query, he said that in fact the military regrets that it didn’t organize the conference early this month in view of the release of ‘Darrsman Report’ commissioned by UNSG Ban Ki-moon..This report alleged indiscriminate attacks on civilians, rape of Tamil speaking women and deliberate campaign to target hospitals in LTTE-held areas in the run-up to the final confrontation on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon on May 19, 2009.Some NGOs at the behest of their donors have urged major militaries to boycott this seminar.The military said that there had been no previous instance of a country eradicating a fully fledged terrorist organization, with considerable assets abroad."Since 1971, the military crushed two insurgencies by the majority Sinhala community in spite of all three services and the police being predominately Sinhala Buddhist. Thereafter we overcame the LTTE and we are proud of our record," another official said.Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya will address the gathering at the opening session on the first day of the conference.There would be three sessions on the first day to deal with challenges and prospects of counter terrorism, evolution of LTTE and international networking and overview of counter-terrorism in Sri Lanka. Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kapila Hendavitharane and Lt. Col. T.S. Sallay will make presentations on evolution of LTTE and international networking, respectively.The first session of the second day will focus on the liberation of the East with, Majors General Prasanna de Silva and Chagi Gallage scheduled to address the gatherings. Majors General Jagath Dias and Shavendra Silva will dominate the second session which will focus on the Vanni campaign, now at the centre of international controversy.Former Army Chief Gen. Sarath Fonseka in the run-up Jan 2010 presidential polls alleged that Defence Secretary Rajapaksa bypasses him to order Shavendra Silva to execute surrendering LTTE leaders, a charge denied by both Rajapaksa and Silva.Operations behind LTTE lines will dominate the second session. The briefing on Special Forces operations will be followed by brief comments on armour, artillery, signals, engineers, naval and air operations. The final session will focus on logistical and medical support and training.The military said that the final day would focus on post-war scenario with presentations on resettlement, rehabilitation and reintegration of LTTE combatants to the society and national recovery process.Interestingly, Dr. Rohan Gunaratne, chosen as a guest speaker at the seminar and to deliver the closing remarks had publicly expressed doubts about an outright military victory over the LTTE in early 2007 as the battle for the Eastern Province was coming to an end.Bloomberg in a website report captioned ‘Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger rebels fight a war that cannot be won,’ posted on Mar. 21, 2007, quoted Dr Gunaratne as having said that ``Continuing the current spate of violence is not going to bring about a different outcome or change the status quo. ``Both parties have developed significant support to be able to recover from losses, but this type of warfare is protracted,’’ Gunaratna said.The military regained the entire East by July 2007. The LTTE collapsed on the banks of the Nanthikadal lagoon in May 2009, proving the likes of Dr. Gunaratne wrong.``What is needed is a negotiated settlement’’ Anusha Ondaatji wrote in Mar 21 website report quoting head of terrorism research at Singapore’s Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies Dr. Gunaratne.The military said that many doubted Sri Lanka’s capacity to sustain a high intensity ground offensive on the Vanni front, in the wake of severe economic woes partly caused by 2008 world economic slowdown. The forthcoming seminar would discuss the entire gamut of issues relation to Sri Lanka’s war on terror from different perspectives, the military said.Sri Lanka would take advantage of the forum to reiterate the circumstances leading to all out war following the failure of Norway and Co-Chairs to the Peace Process, Norway, EU, US and Japan to force the LTTE back to the negotiating table. The LTTE quit the Oslo-led peace process in April 2003 during the then PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the PM. Eelam War IV erupted in Aug. 2006 with a large scale simultaneous LTTE offensive targeting Trinomalee and Jaffna frontline. Online visas for visitors to Lanka Cabinet approval has been sought to activate the on-line visa facility for foreign visitors that will be tagged along with an administration fee, a senior official said yesterday.Immigration and Emigration Chief Chulananda Perera told the Sunday Times any person intending to visit Sri Lanka could download a landing visa from his or her home computer and the guidelines regarding this would be sent to the travel trade and diplomatic missions.He said he could not say when the online facility would come into force, but added that the authorities were keen to put it into operation soon.“The administration fee which will be decided by the Cabinet will cover only one month. Those intending to stay longer will be charged a visa fee on a reciprocal basis.“For example, if a British citizen seeks a visa for more than a month, then the fee will be the same that is charged from a Sri Lankan intending to visit that country. The same procedure will be applied to those visiting the country from the United States, Europe or elsewhere,” he said.Citizens of Singapore and the Maldives would be exempted from the fee because Sri Lankans did not require visas to enter those two countries. Should any other country provide this same facility to Sri Lankans then we will reciprocate accordingly, Mr. Perera said. Dual citizenship of 35,000 people under review Dual citizenship granted to some 35,000 Sri Lankans living overseas has come under review as the authorities plan to tighten the screening process before granting this facility to applicants, a senior official said yesterday.Immigration and Emigration Controller W. A. Chulananda Perera said only those with loyalty to their country of birth and who abide by the rules of the land by paying their taxes would be granted this facility.He said that under a 1987 amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act, the Defence Ministry retained the power to cancel the dual citizenship to an individual at any time if he or she fell short of specified requirements to enjoy such a facility.“For example, there are families that are forced to live abroad to take care of their children’s schooling or a large business and other interests, but at the same time they keep their commitments by paying their taxes to Sri Lanka. There are others who have damned the country for various reasons but now seek dual citizenship. It is in cases such as this that a review will be carried out,” Mr. Perera said.He said the main purpose of this review was to carefully select people who would help Sri Lanka with no hidden agendas. He promised the screening would not be on ethnic or religious basis but purely on merit on loyalty and commitment to Sri Lanka.He said senior citizens and professionals would be among those given special preference for dual citizenship. Earlier this year the Government put on hold the issuing of fresh dual citizenships until further notice, but it did not give any specific reason.At present there are some 3,300 such applicants seeking approval and only about 620 have been cleared and sent for final approval by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Defence Minister.Earlier dual citizenship could be obtained by paying a fee of Rs. 200,000, or being the owner of real estate valued at Rs. 2.5 million or having a bank deposit of Rs. 2.5 million. German helping hand for IDPs The first phase of a three-year long German Federal Government funded project worth Rs. 275 million to revive livelihoods in the Vanni was kicked off yesterday. The German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jens Ploetner handed over agricultural equipment worth over Rs. 48 million to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa as part of this project to revive livelihoods of displaced families resettled in Mullaitivu and Killinochchi.The project spanning from 2010 to 2013 focuses on three main components. It has invested 850,000 € to revive the agriculture and fisheries sectors and 500,000 € to rebuild the educational infrastructure in the region. It also focuses on long-term community development by providing counselling facilities and providing greater opportunities for women in terms of access to livelihoods, education and enhancing their civic participation.Over 3,000 returning families in Killinochchi district and 1,700 in Mullaitivu would benefit from the project. Currently a needs assessment is being done to include beneficiaries from Vavuniya as well.“While resettled families are happy to return to their villages, many live in extremely dire conditions. Next to adequate housing access to better economic opportunities is their top-priority. That is where we hope to lend a helping hand,” said Ambassador Ploetner, and added that, “It is also a second chance at life for most people in this region, to create new hopes for the future and to regain normalcy.”Mr. Ploetner also noted that Killinochchi and Mullaitivu had an immense potential in terms of agriculture and fisheries production and would be central to reviving the entire economy in the Northern region. On behalf of the German Government, GTZ is implementing this project in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Economic Development. Other collaborating ministries include the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women’s Development and the Department of Education. Ten cops arrested for misbehaviour Ten policemen attached to several police stations in the Nuwara Eliya area were taken into custody by the Agarapathana Police this morning, for allegedly causing disturbance to the public who were coming to attend May Day rallies in Nuwara Eliya, police said.The arrests were made after people complained to the Police that these policemen, who were on duty in view of the May Day rallies in Nuwara Eliya, had behaved in an annoying manner. “We have taken those policemen into custody and disciplinary action will be taken after an inquiry,” a senior police official said.
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