|
|
|||
 |
|
||
               |
[May 2005] [June 2005] [July 2005] [August2005] [September 2005]- TELO web team 31 October 2005 LTTE should be credible for south to accept federalism – Armitage While a federal solution remains the best option to resolve the North and East conflict, the LTTE has to give up violence and prove itself a trustworthy talking partner for the south to accept federalism, former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said yesterday. “There is no compromise on the issue. The LTTE has to give up violence and resume negotiations with the government” the former second in command at the US State Department told the Daily Mirror from his residence in Virginia, United States, in a telephone interview. Emphasizing the need to curb the escalating incidence of violence by the LTTE, Armitage who played a major role in Sri Lanka’s peace process during the previous United National Front (UNF) regime, said he was “horrified” when he heard of the assassination of former Foreign Affairs Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. “I was also aghast when I learnt the manner in which that senior police officer (SSP Charles Wijewardena) was murdered” said Mr. Armitage. Reminding that the co-chairs have already conveyed strong messages to the LTTE which include a travel ban by the EU, Armitage however added that failure to rope the LTTE into a joint tsunami reconstruction mechanism was a missed opportunity for the government. “The LTTE for the first time conceded the government’s right to the North and East including the uncleared areas by agreeing for a joint mechanism. That definitely was a big achievement for the government and it is unfortunate that the move fell through” he reminded. However he added that the United States and the other three co-chairs consider it a major achievement from the part of the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE that they have managed to hold on to the ceasefire even after three and half years into the signing of the truce agreement. This, the former Vietnam war veteran said had more than anything else given the hope that the two parties would be able to sit down for talks once again. “There is no other option for the LTTE. It has to give up violence, sit down for talks and agree to share power with the government” Armitage emphasized. On the decision to include a separate Muslim delegation from the next round of talks and convert the discussions to tri-partite negotiations, he said “while it may make the talks more complex, such an inclusion is a must in order to make sure that the final settlement is accepted by all communities”. Speaking on the LTTE’s harping on the exclusion from the 2003 April Washington donor conference which the Tigers gave as one of the excuses to suspend its participation at peace talks, he observed that “it is commonsense that such an invitation cannot be made since the LTTE is in the list of banned organizations”. However he reminded that despite the ban, as the US envoy at the Oslo conference in November 2002, he sat in the same audience with the LTTE. Commenting on the November 17 Presidential polls Armitage said the main concern of the US and the international community was how free and fair the election would be. Asked about the general impression that the US may prefer one candidate to the other of the two main candidates, the former Deputy Secretary of State said the US would work with any president the people in Sri Lanka decide to elect. “It is the manner in which the elections are conducted that we are concerned of” Mr. Armitage reiterated. Police elicit more info on Indo - Lanka drug trade Last week’s drug bust, by the navy on the high seas, has led to police obtaining important information on the heroin trade between India and Sri Lanka, police said. The navy last week arrested two men and their trawler in Kayts, as they were bringing in 11 Kg of heroin from Tamil Nadu, Mannar police HQI Sudath Asmadala said. The smugglers posing as fishermen, identified as Vellathurai Thangarasa and Karupaiaah Murugasamy from Madanapuram in Tamil-Nadu, were later handed over to the Anurdhapura police and are being questioned by the officers of Police Narcotics bureau . NPC urges NorthEast Tamils to vote Media Director of the Sri Lanka National Peace Council (NPC),
Dr.Jehan Perera, Saturday appealed to the Tamil people vote for a candidate
who could promote peaceful political solution to the ethnic problem and
not to boycott the presidential election. He was addressing a seminar
on "North-South Dialogue for Rebuilding of Sri Lankan Democratic
Institutions," held at the Media Research and Training Centre of
the Jaffna University. Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse's sole aim is to become the President of Sri Lanka by getting 75 percent of Sinhalese votes. He signed the MoU with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) to achieve his objective. He has no support of the minority communities and the leader of his party, he said. "Although the current ceasefire agreement now holding for nearly four years has not produced any constructive results other than the cessation of hostilities, Tamil people should not fail to exercise their franchise," he said. LTTE might repeat tactics, I want to meet Cushnahan - Sangaree Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leader V. Anandasangaree said he wants to meet John Cushnahan, the Chief Observer of the European Union, election observation mission, to ask him to watch the LTTE during the forthcoming Presidential elections. Anandasangaree said he will tell Cushnahan that LTTE will try to take care of the main polling stations in the North/East like the last time and their actions of threats and intimidation would be repeated. Sangaree suggests that the either the senior or the Junior Presiding Officer should be a Sinhalese in all the polling stations. The TULF leader warned that the LTTE would try to rig the elections with the connivance of the officers who may be forced to carry out their instructions. Grenade attack on SLA vehicle in Mirusuvil Two unknown assailants who followed a Sri Lanka Army (SLA)
truck in a motorbike hurled a hand grenade into the vehicle near Mirusuvil
junction in Thenmaradchy, Jaffna district Sunday 6.30 pm. Unconfirmed
reports said the explosion injured atleast two SLA soldiers riding in
the vehicle. The Palaly SLA command has not reported on the incident. The vehicle was travelling towards Kodikamam along A9 when the incident happened. Assailants escaped on the motorbike, according to sources. JVP should be held responsible says Ranil UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday condemned the killing of Lt Col Meedin by the LTTE and warned that the increasing trend of killings of government and LTTE members could snowball into a war, unless urgent action was taken to reverse this process. He demanded that government probe the causes behind this killing and other unfortunate incidents to prevent a repetition of such cases. Addressing a series of election rallies in Akuressa, Kamburupitiya and Tangalle electorates, Mr. Wickremesinghe said that more than 200 political assasinations had occurred since 2004. Mr. Wickremasinghe pointed out that when he requested the government to look into the security lapses which led to the killings of the late Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar and Colonel Muthalif, JVP leaders Somawansa Amarasinghe and Wimal Weerawansa had criticized him and claimed he was trying to whitewash the LTTE. If appropriate action had been taken at that time, it could have prevented the killing of Col. Meedin today, Mr. Wickremasinghe said. Therefore Somawansa and Weerawansa should be held responsible for this murder, he said. The UNP presidential candidate blamed the government for not taking the peace process forward which resulted in the rapidly deteriorating situation, especially in the eastern province. Referring to media reports that the SLFP general secretary Maithripala Sirisena was having secret negotiations with the military leader of the Karuna faction in a bid to sabotage the forthcoming elections in the eastern province, Mr. Wickremasinghe said that Mr. Sirisena should deny the statement if it were untrue. He also challenged Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse to make clear his stand on the Ceasefire Agreement. Responding to charges that he was a traitor for agreeing to a federal solution to end the national question, he pledged his commitment to resume the peace process under his presidency. He said leaders of the calibre of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Communist Party leader D.E.W. Gunasekera and Minister D.M Jayaratna also supported a federal solution and all these leaders could not be described as traitors. Grenade attack in Jaffna, two policemen, soldier wounded Unidentified men riding in a motorbike lobbed a grenade
into a Sri Lankan police post located in front of the Kondavil post office,
seriously wounding two policemen and a Sri Lanka Army soldier. The incident
took place around 10:00 p.m. Sunday. The policemen were rushed to Jaffna
Hospital in serious condition. The soldier was rushed to Palaly Military
Hospital. Masked motorbike troopers cordon, search Pottuvil Masked motorbike-unit-soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army cordoned
off and searched Pottuvil town and its suburbs Kundumadu and Kallaiyapattai
Sunday evening. The soldiers searched the households and the residents
in gunpoint for 4 hours from 5:00 p.m., residents said. The soldiers were
wearing black masks. Pottuvil is located in Amparai district, 112 km south of Batticaloa. Grenade attack in Batticaloa, mother, daughter wounded A 32-years-old mother and her 16-years-old daughter were
injured when two unidentified motorbike-riding men lobbed a grenade into
their house located on Sea Road behind the Special Task Force (STF) camp
in Aryampathy, 6 km south of Batticaloa. The incident took place at 5:30
p.m. Sunday. Kattakudy Police is conducting investigations into the incident. Hudson Samarasinghe to resign from chairmanship and go for a foreign job Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Hudson Samarasinghe said that after the forthcoming presidential election, he would resign from his post and find employment abroad. He also said he was ready to accept any decision taken by President Chandrika Kumaratunga about his position. “I would go and find a foreign job soon after my resignation,” he said. Mr. Samarasinghe’s bodyguards have been accused of assaulting SLBC News and Current Affairs Director Raja Katugampola inside the SLBC. Later Mr. Katugampola was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital. Dhammaloka Thera hits out at Mangala Former JHU Secretary Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera yesterday vowed to mobilize Bhikkus against Minister Mangala Samaraweera if he did not withdraw the negative remarks made on the Thera during a recent press conference. The Ven. Thera said he believed those remarks made on him were an insult on the Bhikkhus and the Buddha Sasana as a whole. Addressing a press conference in Colombo, the monk charged some media institutions; especially the state controlled organisations carried news items insulting him. “One such news telecast claimed I did not choose to support the UPFA Presidential candidate because they refused a demand of a ministerial portfolio, which is a lie. In my agreement to support Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe I did not put forward any such demand. If I work for ministerial portfolios I should support Mr. Rajapakse instead,” the monk said.He also regretted the move made by JHU members in bringing the Anti Conversion Bill. “The Act should be brought with the unanimous agreement of all religious leaders. This act would only breach the goodwill among Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Buddhists and non-Buddhists,” he said. Sri Lanka to cut phone links to 13 countries to stop scams Sri Lanka will cut international direct dialling to 13 countries next week in a bid to stop "modem hijacking" and Internet porn scams. The main international gateway operator, Sri Lanka Telecom, was asked to halt direct dialling to the 13 nations on Tuesday after complaints that subscribers were billed for long-distance calls they never made. Aruna Amarasekara, director-general of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, said the blockage will be in force for three months but subscribers could still make operator-assisted calls if necessary. "We have decided to do this because of modem hijacking," Amarasekara told AFP Sunday. He said local subscribers were also advised to block international access on their telephones to prevent unauthorised dialling by malicious programs, or diallers, installed by some websites. Some websites surreptitiously install diallers on a surfer's computer and use the phone connection to dial long-distance telephone numbers, running up huge bills, he said. Some calls terminate at porn sites. Sri Lanka has found that most of the unauthorised calls terminated in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, the Wallis and Futana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Western Samoa and Kiribati. CBK-Mahinda guerrilla war rages A three-and-half-year-old ceasefire, shaky but standing, has taken away a full fledged war between Government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) though the latter is still engaged in low intensity attacks. But a bigger "guerrilla war" seems to be escalating in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) with just 17 days to go for the presidential elections. There is no "ceasefire" in sight and there are fears of more "political landmines" and "attacks" escalating as the D-day draws near. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse's media campaign co-ordinator and Ministerial colleague Mangala Samaraweera, once whispered to a friend as he walked out of the Janadipathi Mandiraya that he hoped he would not have to come there again. Not until Rajapakse was elected President, he was heard to say. In Matara later last week he was busy on the campaign trail when his phone rang. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was on the line. It was a social call and Kumaratunga would want to know how he was keeping, or so he thought. They had not spoken in a while. When he picked up the phone and said "hello," there was Kumaratunga berating him on reported remarks at a news conference days earlier. She referred to remarks said to have been made by Samaraweera that Kumaratunga had endorsed the SLFP candidate's "Mahinda Chinthanaya" or Mahinda's Vision - his manifesto. She said neither she, nor the SLFP had officially endorsed it. Kumaratunga said Samaraweera is not her official spokesman and should not make statements on behalf of her ever again. Samaraweera said he did not announce that Kumaratunga had endorsed the manifesto. He said the question at the news conference was one that he could not avoid. Hence, he had stated the fact - Committee members appointed by the SLFP Central Committee had endorsed the document. In fact, they had placed their signatures acknowledging their approval, he said. Kumaratunga then told Samaraweera that he should correct it at the very next news conference by saying the 'Mahinda Chinthanaya' did not receive her approval. That same evening Samaraweera drove to Colombo. There was another polls related news conference. Ahead of that, he briefed Rajapakse about the Presidential telephone call, and the demand to retract what he had reportedly said. "If she wants - let her say it. You don't have to do it," the Premier responded. Samaraweera made no mention about it at the news conference that followed. In other words, Samaraweera no longer takes orders from President Kumaratunga, but from Prime Minister Rajapakse. Elsewhere, the new addition to the Cabinet, Minister Dilan Perera (who still remains as Deputy Minister in charge of the media) ran through Rupavahini video footage of the news conference. There was no retraction. Perera told this to Kumaratunga who then shot off a strong letter to her now erstwhile protege Mangala Samaraweera. In that, she insisted that a retraction should be made. It was then that the former Media Minister went through video footage of what he had said during the original press conference. He realised he had made no references to an endorsement of the 'Mahinda Chinthanaya' by Kumaratunga. Instead, he had only said that members of the Committee (named by the Central Committee) had endorsed it. Emboldened by the realisation, Samaraweera sent a letter with a copy of the tape back to Kumaratunga. The matter seems to have ended there. It soon came to light that Kumaratunga was also engaged in another form of letter writing to SLFP stalwarts. That had taken the form of a questionnaire where she was seeking their views on some critical issues at the presidential elections - the P-TOMS (or Post - Tsunami Operational Management Structure), a settlement to the ethnic conflict through a united Sri Lanka instead of a unitary one, Rajapakse's agreements with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jatika Hela Urumaya etc. One of the recipients was SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena. Rajapakse learnt from Sirisena that he would not be replying to this Presidential survey until after the elections are over. It seemed the SLFP Secretary was also not that loyal to the party leader (Kumaratunga) as one would have expected. Surely, as politicians they all see the winds of change. SLFP sources said that Kumaratunga also telephoned known party organisers at the district level to seek their views. Her lament was that the JVP was coming to the fore and she feared the SLFP would be swallowed up. This cannot be allowed to happen, she had said. Meanwhile, Kumaratunga held talks with the UNP's Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe last Monday mainly on a common approach to the peace process. But UNP sources said they also discussed a wide range of other issues. Kumaratunga is learnt to have briefed Wickremesinghe on some changes she was making in respect of extended terms and promotions for officers in the armed forces. It is not clear whether Wickremesinghe endorsed them or made any comments, but it was ironic that she should have discussed these extensions with the Opposition Leader and not her own Prime Minister. Bi-partisanship carried a little too far, maybe. On the opposite page our Defence Correspondent deals with the unprecedented changes Kumaratunga has effected with just 18 days to go for the Presidential elections. If she hoped for her party's candidate, Mahinda Rajapakse to win, she had not bothered to brief him. In the event of such a victory, it was Rajapakse who was going to be the Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The two leaders are also learnt to have discussed the prevailing security situation, particularly developments in the East. However, the Prime Minister had not had any contact with the President in the past week, or more. But she had conveyed to the Premier, through senior security officials, that he should not attend an election rally in the eastern Muslim village of Kathankudy. Intelligence reports had said a Tiger guerrilla plot was afoot to assassinate him. A vehicle with a claymore mine inside was to be used, or so the reports had said. Copies of these intelligence reports had also been sent to him. Like during every election, some of those in the intelligence community played a dual role of reporting to the Government and to their own sources in the Opposition. Security advisors to Rajapakse had identified at least one senior intelligence officer in a service arm who was very active in this role. Yet, Rajapakse decided to be safe than sorry, and decided to keep away from the Kathankudy rally. Days before the event, Rajapakse had telephoned Police Chief Chandra Fernando who is personally spearheading efforts to ensure the security of all candidates, particularly Wickremesinghe and Rajapakse. The IGP had confirmed there were reports of serious threats. So much so, even Kumaratunga had telephoned to inquire whether Rajapakse had in fact gone to Kathankudy ignoring her advice. The Premier now had second thoughts. He still wanted to go East. So he asked his brother, Gothabaya, to check whether he should re-consider. The former Lieutenant Colonel, who later acquired US citizenship, is now a security consultant to the Prime Minister. He is now the most sought after person by senior officers in the security forces. Brother Gothabaya made calls to his own sources in the intelligence community and serving officers in the east. He told brother Mahinda he should go and there was no problem on the ground. Rajapakse then travelled and addressed the rally. Joining him were Mangala Samaraweera, Wimal Weerawansa, A.H.M. Fowzie and a host of others. "It would have been a foolish thing if I did not take part in the rally," Rajapakse told an aide who accompanied him. Last Tuesday, Kumaratunga had a delayed meeting with members of the Podu Peramuna Executive Committee. Rajapakse had turned up there but left without meeting her. He probably knew that if he came on time, the President would still not be there, and then he could leave saying he was there, but not having to engage the President in yet another verbal duel. The meeting had begun hours later. Kumaratunga charged that Rajapakse had abandoned all the efforts she and her party had taken to achieve peace. "I also told him this," interjected Minister Fowzie prompting Kumaratunga to prod harder at Rajapakse (in absentia). It was LSSP's Tissa Vitharana who pointed out there was no point in raising an issue over principles and paving the way for a Wickremesinghe victory. At the end of the meeting, participants had taken a formal decision to support Rajapakse. Another formal decision, that is. How many more formal decisions Rajapakse needs from the SLFP is the question with only 17 days for the polls. That same night, around 1 a.m. Rajapakse had a visitor at Temple Trees. It was Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera. The two had a friendly discourse. Rajapakse aides said Ven. Dhammaloka Thera had asked Rajapakse for the portfolio of Buddhist Affairs if he won. Rajapakse had responded by assuring the prelate he would give him a position in keeping with his talent and capability to make a worthy contribution to Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Apparently the Ven. Dhammaloka was not pleased. Later in the week he announced his support for Wickremesinghe. Rajapakse aides claim he had been offered the position of a head of a proposed Buddhist Affairs Authority by Wickremesinghe. Rajapakse's campaign staff is also worried about Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike. It was early this week that Rajapakse's Running Mate wrote to his sister Kumaratunga complaining that Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had offered the post of premiership to Wimal Weerawansa or Mangala Samaraweera. He claimed it was rightfully his because the SLFP Central Committee had decided so. Bandaranaike also castigated Nirmala Kotelawala, a deputy minister, for his remarks that he was criticising Rajapakse and was not fully backing his campaign. Bandaranaike had declared he had never heard of "this Kotelawala". The latter hit back this week by saying "how can he know about me. He is never in the country." With this polls round the corner, some multi million dollar deals are being negotiated by some ruling party VIPs. In one instance, a prime plot of land meant for a hospital had been sold to a private institution. A billion dollar oil exploration deal is also said to be on the pipeline. Meanwhile, Kumaratunga continues to maintain a tight rein on the state media. The news schedules of Rupavahini are being delivered to her daily. The State print media gives her prominence on their front pages, sidelining the ruling party's Presidential candidate. State media officials were last week discussing with a senior Government officials about some files containing alleged deals made by Rajapakse. SLFP insiders now forecast a stepped up "guerrilla war" as Election Day draws near. They say several "missiles" were in store to be fired. "Don't be surprised if there are a few crossovers. There will also be speakers on our platform batting for Wickremesinghe," said a campaign staffer. Plans are afoot for president Chandrika Kumaratunga to address the nation. Although a date has not yet been fixed, indications are that the address, to be nationally televised and broadcast country wide, is likely to be on November 15. This is a day after the polls campaign closes. Though it is not a polls related address, SLFP sources says, she will tell the nation on the eve of her retirement her achievements and her commitment to the peace process. She is also to spell out the policies that she followed as leader of the SLFP. Kumaratunga, who has to end her term within the next four weeks, has been a fighter during her eleven and half year career. In 2003, she took over the defence portfolio from Wickremesinghe's UNF Government and later sacked it from power by dissolving Parliament. She then called a General Election and having won the elections, formed a United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government. They say there are no permanent enemies in politics. There are only permanent interests. So the Opposition has become her darling, as her "guerrilla" war with Rajapakse and his team continues. This is one instance where there will be no ceasefire either before the elections or thereafter. 30 October 2005 Senior Intelligence officer shot dead in Colombo A high ranking Sri Lankan Military Intelligence officer,
Lt. Col. T. Rizvi Meedin, shot by unknown gunmen Saturday around 10:30
p.m. and rushed in an unconscious state to the Colombo Hospital, succumbed
to his injuries at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Police said. The intelligence officer,
attached to the Military Intelligence Corps (MIC) in Colombo, was shot
in his head while he was returning home in his car. A news release issued by the Sri Lanka Army Sunday morning said that Meedin had gone out with his friends late night on Saturday and that a friend of him called his wife at home and informed her that Meedin was lying dead near her house. Meedin is the second senior intelligence officer shot dead in Colombo this year. He was 39 years old and a father of two children. Karuna faction and LTTE clash one killed both side Breakaway guerrillas attacked a Tamil Tiger camp in eastern
Sri Lanka Sunday morning around 4.30 a.m killing at least one officials
of the main rebel organization. Explosions Rock Indian Capital Bombers Kill Dozens A state of emergency has been declared in New Delhi after a series of explosions killed more than 50 people and injured scores more. The bombs - believed to be the work of terrorists - were detonated within quick succession, two in packed market areas and one on a bus. Shoppers had been preparing for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and the Muslim festival of Eid when the bombers struck. Both take place next week. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a statement, urged calm and said: "India will win the battle against terrorists." Police detained 10 men for questioning after the explosions. A spokesman said: "We have picked up three people from the New Delhi railway station and seven from different raids elsewhere in our city." An emergency meeting of intelligence and security officials was held as major markets across the city were ordered to close. The first explosion rocked the Paharganj bazaar district - which is about 200 metres from the main railway station and popular with western backpackers - at 5.40pm (12.10 GMT). A policeman said at least 16 people were killed and 60 injured. Rescue teams and bomb disposal units are at the scene.The second blast was reported at Sarojini Market, a congested shopping area, where Home Minister Shivraj Patil said 39 people were killed. A photographer on the scene said a fierce blaze had engulfed much of the area. He said: "We have seen badly-burned bodies littering the market. Most of them are children who had set up food stalls." The third was reported on a bus in Govindpuri, south of the city, where it is thought three people died. New Delhi fire department spokesman Satya Prakash said: "We received a total of four (blast) calls but one was a hoax. "From the feedback we are getting from our trucks, the situation is grisly." No-one has claimed responsibility for the explosions. LTTE wants candidates to campaign in Vanni The LTTE has expressed regrets that successive governments have so far not attempted to hold elections in areas under its control. LTTE political wing leader S.P.Tamilselvan told a delegation from the PAFFREL that met him on Friday that political parties from the South have not even made any attempt to hold their campaigns in the LTTE controlled areas. "If they ask us, we are never going to oppose. But they assume we will not give our consent to holding political campaigns. This is very unfortunate," Tamilselvan had told PAFFREL chief Kingsley Rodrigo who led the delegation from Colombo. "In Kosovo, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan elections are held under the supervision of the EU and UN even in the most dangerous areas. But only in Sri Lanka, the EU and the UN never make any attempt to request the government to hold elections in our areas. We can't imagine our people traveling fifty miles away to the army controlled areas to cast their votes," Tamilselvan had said. Meanwhile Rodrigo said he would take up this matter with the Elections Commissioner but added it is 'too late' to do anything now to consider holding polls in the Tiger controlled areas. Jail terms cut for
racist murder But three judges at the Court of Appeal in London cut their minimum terms from 25 years each to 21 years on Friday. Mr Justice Leveson said the trial judge failed to take account of their ages. 'Kicked like football' But he emphasised the decision did not in any sense diminish the "horrific" crime or the sympathy felt for the family of the "unfortunate victim". He also stressed that even when the new minimum term had been served it did not mean they would be released on parole if they were still considered to be a danger to the public. Bapishankar Kathirgamanathan was with a friend on a footbridge in Ashford when he was attacked on 22 April 2004. The court heard Rossiter and Pile had drunk eight to 10 pints each in the nearby Swan pub at lunchtime and were in an "aggressive" state of mind. Witnesses said they heard the men swear and verbally racially abuse the Sri Lankan chef, known as Sebastian, and his friend. Workers in a nearby office block and passers-by saw what was happening. One witness described seeing his head kicked "like a football". The 24-year-old was taken to hospital after the attack but died two weeks later. Ambassador denies LTTE was met at EU The European Union’s Ambassador Designate to Sri Lanka Julian Wilson yesterday categorically denied there was a meeting between LTTE members and members of the EU in Brussels on Monday. “”There was no meeting with the LTTE.and I have
clarified that with my headquarters to be 100 per cent clear,” Mr.
Wilson told The Sunday Times. The delegation, according to the website, included legal expert V. Rudrakumar who represented the LTTE at the Peace talks. Mr. Wilson said there was an informal meeting between EU officials and members of civil society but they did not include people from the LTTE nor any of the protestors who took part in a Tamil resurgence protest in Brussels the same day. He said the meeting was not under taken with the official status of the EU, which imposed a travel ban on the LTTE last month. Has World Factbook
recognized Tamil Eelam ? This revelation has created jitters in the midst of the readership and it is a mystery how Tamils who were supposed to be around 12 % suddenly dropped to 3.9%. This may be due to the exodus of Tamils to foreign countries and may be also due to the “Pol Pot style Killing Spree” sickly adopted and continued with impunity by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – the rebel outfit, which is involved in creating a separate state purely for the Tamils in Sri Lanka. In the meantime S. Santhirasegara of Canada writes about the latest issue about the population of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, as recorded in the World Factbook. The full text of Santirasegera’s letter is given below: The Editor Has World Factbook recognized Tamil Eelam ? Please publish my following comments on the news item that appeared about Tamil population. Thank you for the courtesy of your columns. Sri Lankan population: The figures of population of Sri Lanka in the World Factbook do not add up To 100 % Sinhalese 73.8 %, Moors 7.2 %, Indian Tamils 4.6 %, SL Tamils 3.9 Total 89.5 % , Unexplained balance 10.5 %. The explanation is that the above figures only include Sri Lanka composing the seven Sinhalese provinces, recognized as part of that country. The population of Northeast (Tamil Eelam) seems to have been left out by the World Factbook, probably recognizing it as a separate country. Tamil Eelam population: The World Factbookshould publish the population figures for Tamil Eelam, the country neighboring Sri Lanka. The population of Tamil Eelam may be like this. Tamil 75 %, Muslims 20 %, Sinhalese 5 % Comment: As many readers are quoting the erroneous figures, it is necessary to put records right. S. Santhirasegara SLA illegally excavates limestone from private property The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) has been illegally excavating
limestone from privately owned property in Maviddapuram. Despite complaints
from Tamil civilians and reports from environmental officials, the SLA
continues with their activities. Ranil warned of threat to life UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe has been warned of an imminent threat to his life by the National Intelligence Agency and the police. Wickremesinghe was warned to cut short his campaign programme and public outings with immediate effect due to a clear and present danger to his life. The UNP candidate has been informed that the threat to his life according to intelligence reports emanates from both the LTTE and the Karuna faction, which is working with the EPDP. The police have also offered Wickremesinghe STF protection in view of the serious threat to his life. Following the warning received, Wickremesinghe met with his security team on Thursday and worked out a new security plan, which will come into effect today (30). The UNP Leader was informed that the threat to his life increased after he proposed working together with the SLFP on a national agenda after the election and fears of the Karuna faction that he would disband the para military groups in terms of the ceasefire agreement. Moves are also afoot to call for a boycott of the election in the north to allow the extremists in the south to get an advantage thereby strengthening the LTTE's case for separation after the election. TULF Leader wants consensus TULF Leader and senior politician V. Anandasangari last Friday urged the two main presidential candidates to arrive at a consensus on the ethnic issue before the presidential election. In a statement to the press, Anandasangari said "Initiatives should be taken by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to arrive at a consensus before the election, on the ethnic issue in consultation with other political parties supporting them, and take it forward jointly after the election, the winner taking the initiative." Anandasangari in the statement also said a federal solution was the best option and said fears that it would end in a separate state were baseless. "The fear that a federal solution will end in separation is groundless. First of all a separate state can never be achieved. Secondly the international community had said the only solution should be within a united Sri Lanka and they would never support a separate state." Anandasangari said. Taking India as an example Anandasangari pointed out that Tamil Nadu faced a similar problem that was resolved through federalism, and 50 years down the line they were fine. He added that Sri Lankans, given the proximity and therefore their understanding of it, were more likely to understand and accept the Indian pattern of devolution. Anandasangari also requested the LTTE to give up their demand for a separate state Govt. consults LTTE on N-E Provincial Council appointment In a case of unprecedented collaboration, the government recently consulted the LTTE before making a key appointment to the North-East Provincial Council The Sunday Island learns. North-East Governor Tyronne Fernando is believed to have discussed this at a meeting he had with an LTTE delegation about two months ago in Vavuniya. The appointment was announced on Thursday at Fernando’s Secretariat in Trincomalee where Class 1 officer of the Sri Lanka Agricultural Service A. H. M. Mahroof, 53, from Akkaraipattu, was appointed the Secretary to the Agriculture, Lands and Irrigation Ministry. Fernando is believed to have delayed the appointment until he received the green light from the LTTE. The former Foreign Minister yesterday acknowledged that he discussed the appointment with LTTE representatives and recently received a letter from Thamileelam Administrative Service concurring with his proposal. According to Fernando, Mahroof is the first Muslim appointed a Secretary to one of the five ministries coming under the purview of the North-East PC established 17 years ago. Fielding questions, he said that the appointment was raised with the LTTE on President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s suggestion. Kumaratunga believed that the LTTE’s consent could have been secured by discussing the appointment. Addressing the gathering at his Trincomalee Secretariat, Fernando has assured that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse would reach out to the LTTE and in the process would bring the JVP and JHU, too, on board the peace process. He dismissed claims that a Rajapakse victory would be an impediment to the Oslo-led peace efforts. Unlike UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the premier would be able to involve the JVP and JHU in the peace process in "a meaningful way," Fernando said. Maharaja journalist Sri Ranga complaints to the police against PM's loyalists Director of Shakthi TV Sri Ranga has accused Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's supporters of threatening him and has lodged a complaint with the Inspector General of Police. Sri Ranga, who works for a popular Tamil TV channel run by Maharaja Pvt Ltd, said that unidentified persons are monitoring his moments and have inquired about him on various occasions. “Some people were threatened to my life and I was away from Sri Lanka last couple of weeks,” he said in his compliant to the police. Sri Ranga has accused supporters of Premier Rajapaksa of being involved and has urged President Chandrika Kumaratunga to provide security for him. Meanwhile, Shakthi TV and Sirasa TV in yesterday’s newscasts criticized IGP Chandra Fernando for not taking proper action and not speeding up the inquiry into Sri Ranga’s complaint. However, media circles in Colombo also claimed that Sri Ranga’s complaint against the Prime Minister’s supporters was another political strategy by pro-UNP media institutions. “We have reliably learned that most of the journalists who are working for Maharaja broadcasting are directly or indirectly engaged in pro-UNP activities,” a member of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association told ColomboPage. CBK rejects Navy’s
choice for No. 2 slot The Sunday Island learns that Kumaratunga recently returned Ratnakeerthi’s file to Navy Chief Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, requesting him to forward the dossiers on the five senior most Rear Admirals, Ratnakeerthi, Sarath Weerasekera, Nandana Thuduwewatte, L. D. Dharmapriya and Wasantha Tennakoon. Weerasekera is the Deputy Chief of Staff, a post recently created on the recommendation of Kumaratunga after he was recalled from Trincomalee, following a series of incidents over the erection of a Buddha statue. Navy Chief of Staff Mohan Wijewickrema went on leave prior to retirement after Kumaratunga overlooked him for the top post and appointed Karannagoda, who was junior to him. Elections: Presidential
elections and the dilemma of the northeastern Tamil As the days draw nearer and nearer to 17 November, we can diagnose the fever becoming frenzy. The candidates, or to be more exact their supporters from the two major political combinations, are frantically attacking each other and making declarations about how they or their leaders would deal with matters ranging from childcare to geriatrics and from agriculture and industry to peace. One need not repeat the combination of forces the UNP has drawn to itself such as the SLMC and the CWC. On the other hand, Mahinda Rajapakse though a SLFPer, has abandoned the hand symbol and chosen to contest the election under the betel leaf insignia – the symbol of the sandanaya of which the JVP is also part. An important feature about a presidential election, unlike in the case of parliamentary ones, is that the whole country is a single electorate. Anybody who gets 50% of the votes plus one (50%+1) assumes office on the strength that he or she represents the majority of voters. In this situation, where do the Tamils of the northeast stand? While stating this, a line of distinction has to be drawn between the Tamils living within the northeast and those outside it, including the upcountry Tamils. Political exigencies demand that Tamils residing outside the northeast respond to local and regional considerations and exercise their vote on the basis of their geographical location. In the case of the upcountry Tamils, their plantation-based location has problems specific to that community, which only a trade union turned political party can address. The northeast is not merely about the Tamils living in those areas but, more importantly, about a single territorial unit that demands special devolution of power. The Tamils and the Muslims would like to call this area their traditional homeland. Though not accepted and approved by the Sinhala parties, the northeast merger has become a political reality that the Indian government itself is keen on (vide 13th amendment to the constitution flowing out of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord). Besides other problems that affect this country, the northeast issue is a major question at the election. The SLFP-JVP-JHU combination is very specific about the unitary nature of any constitutional solution. The sandanaya’s manifesto denies the legality of a combined northeast, and though formal lip service is paid to negotiations for settling the ethnic problem, one is not sure who the Tamil participants in the negotiations would be, if the sandanaya is given a say on the matter. The manifesto is also silent on the role of Norway, while it is keen on India playing a bigger part. Since the clout of the latter is on the ascendant its anti-LTTE position is the best safeguard for any pro-Sinhala policy for ‘peace.’ Parts of the northeast are also areas, which do not come under the political authority of the Sri Lanka government. A substantial portion of the Batticaloa District, west of the lagoon, and almost the entire Vanni (from Omanthai to Palai) are under LTTE control. The CFA, as it stands today, implicitly accepts this position. There is also the larger question of normalisation of war-affected areas. Rehabilitation efforts are funded by the World Bank, ADB and other international multilateral organisations. It should be known that ever since the CFA was signed there has never been a coordinated or planned rehabilitation and normalisation programme for the war-affected northeastern areas. Only government agents are engaged in projects, which are not part of any plan of re-development. What is also striking is whatever takes place politically in this region immediately becomes a concern of the European Union and the United States. In other words, relevant international opinion is watching very closely what is occurring in Sri Lanka – especially in the northeast. All these, create a sense of responsibility on the part of the voters of this region when casting their ballots at the presidential polls. Given these socio-political pressures weighing heavily on Tamil voters of the northeast, one would agree that the choice of whom to vote for is not as simple for them as it is to others outside the region. Outside the northeast, there are basically, two categories of voters. Group A supports one of the candidates ideologically i.e. they are either UNPers or sandanaya people. Group B would like to vote for the winning candidate simply because its members do not want their vote to be ineffective. Now, if this criterion is applied to the Tamils of the northeast, one could hardly say that there is a group of people who identify ideologically with the UNP, or JVP-led sandanaya. Even the Tamil political groups that support the latter are very eloquent in their declaration about the need for self-government in the province and power sharing at the centre. Thus, we are left only with Group B in the northeast – voters for the winning candidate. At this point one has to look more closely into what is said by the two major party candidates. Rajapakse’s manifesto completely rules out the possibility of considering the northeast a specific problem, different from those in other regions. Rajapakse’s thought (chinthanaya) speaks of renegotiating the CFA. This pronouncement has created very genuine fears in the minds of the northeast Tamils that the CFA could be repealed. And, needless to say, if the CFA is repealed, then, naturally, it is war. This alone would prevent Rajapakse being the Tamils’ first choice. What has Ranil Wickremesinghe promised? He has no doubt spoken of peace, the ceasefire and negotiations, but has not categorically stated the political nature of his solution. In fact, he has not used the term ‘federalism’ which President Chandrika Kumaratunga has used (perhaps to create confusion in her own ranks!) Wickremesinghe also says that he would first come to an agreement with the Sinhala parties and then negotiate with the Tigers. At a meeting in Polonnaruwa he declared he would discuss a solution to the ethnic conflict with all parties before he starts talking with the Tigers. Nobody knows what these ‘all parties’ are because he has already specifically promised the Muslims their rightful place in a settlement relating to the northeast. If therefore, it does not refer to the Muslims, whom does it refer to? It is at this point one has to understand the situation in which Sri Lankan Tamils in general, and the northeast Tamils in particular, are placed. The LTTE has, over the years, emerged as the only militant group, which has relentlessly spearheaded the Tamil struggle. Though there have been issues on which bulk of the Tamil population did not agree with the Tigers, right now there is the genuine fear that if efforts to displace them from the position of pre-eminence they have gained over the years are successful, Tamil demands would be undermined. It should also be pointed out that Colombo treats all Tamil demands as “LTTE demands” and no mention whatsoever is made about such demands springing from Tamil grievances. In fact, neither manifesto mentions anything about the political grievances of the Tamils as a constituent group of the Sri Lankan polity. It is also quite clear that the Sinhala-owned media, including most of the English newspapers, have been adding up the number of LTTE violations of the CFA and not taken the trouble to report the violations perpetrated by the government in the Tamil areas. In fact the Kumaratunga appointed a special presidential commission to go into the killings in the east – especially that of Kausaliyan, the LTTE’s political wing leader of the Batticaloa-Amparai area. The report is not yet out and one does not know whether within the few remaining days of office the president could take meaningful steps to publish the commission’s finding or act upon them. The grievances mentioned so far are strictly political and have to be sorted out politically. But the 26 December tsunami brought in another dimension into this problem. Besides the southern districts, Batticaloa, Kalmunai and parts of Amparai, along with Mullaitivu and Vadmaratchi have been very seriously affected. The government was virtually led to create the P-TOMS agreement to sort out the sufferings of Tamils in the LTTE held areas – especially in Mullaitivu. The sandanaya has come out against P-TOMS very strongly. It was fortunate that the Supreme Court ruling prevented the JVP from gaining political capital by making it an election issue. In this regard, it is worthwhile looking at what has happened in Aceh in Indonesia. The extent of the disaster and the suffering of the people compelled both the Indonesian government and the Aceh rebels to agree to terms. It is true that the Aceh rebels are laying down arms but at the same time it is equally true there is a withdrawal of state forces from Aceh. But here in this land of Buddhism, no mercy was shown to those suffering from the effects of the tsunami in the LTTE-held areas. It is in this background that the Tamils of the northeast are called upon to elect a president for this country. And if the choice for the northeastern Tamil is between Wickremesinghe and Rajapakse, is there a choice at all? The right to vote is a very precious democratic right. It does not mean that the ballot should be used to choose between two persons whose candidature raises so many grave and negative feelings. This is all the more frightening because international opinion could tell the Tamils who vote either for Wickremesinghe or Rajapakse: “You voted for him, therefore you are duty-bound to accept all what he proposes.” This is the dilemma of the northeastern Tamil. The northeastern Tamils are called upon to take a meaningful decision especially in the light of the fact that the war has dragged on for 30 years. The responsibility is all the more because a wrong result could nullify even the little that has been achieved so far. The right to vote is no excuse to misuse that right. 29 October 2005 Puthur youth shot by SLA, dies Nirojan Tharmarajah (20), injured by SLA gunfire and shrapnel
from grenades charged by the SLA soldiers Friday evening outside the Puthur
East Vaharavathai SLA camp, succumbed to the injuries at 8.45 p.m. For
more than an hour SLA blocked an ambulance that came to pickup the injured
including Tharmarajah to Atchuvely hospital. Tharmarajah and two others
with gunshot injuries were later transferred to Jaffna Teaching Hospital. The village Vaharavathai is completely vacated and Buffalo Armored Cars of the Sri Lankan Army are patroling the area, civilian sources said. The two civilians injured in the evening and the two civilians injured in the morning are being treated at Jaffna Hospital while others with minor injuries are being treated at Atchuveli Hospital. The injured admitted to Jaffna hospital are S. Parthipan, 33, S. Nagalingam, 36, I. Ponni, 70, Manroe Mistro, 34, according to the Hospital sources. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army denied firing at the protestors. SLA officials at the Palaly military base said one of the grenades fell into their bunkers wounding a soldier adding that only 3 of the 6 grenades exploded at the site. Karuna faction planning to disrupt Nov. 17 polls Speculation is rife in Batticaloa that former LTTE Eastern Commander Karuna Amman is planning to disrupt election activity in the area, both in the run up to the November 17, presidential election and on polling day itself. Highly placed political sources having close links with the Karuna group told the Daily Mirror that leaflets were soon to be distributed in Batticaloa warning people not to cast their votes for the UNP presidential candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Karuna group had issued statements all over Batticaloa, saying that irrespective of who won the November poll, they would soon wrest control of the Eastern Province, the sources said. Meanwhile, military sources in Batticaloa confirmed the reports, adding that the Karuna faction was also posing a threat to the UNP election campaign in the area. “There is a strong feeling Karuna might try to disrupt or prevent UNP election activity in these parts of the country”, the military officer said. There were several reports that undercover Karuna cadres
were planning to station themselves inside polling stations to note those
casting their ballots for Mr. Wickremesinghe. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Batticaloa LTTE media secretary, Selvam said there was no such group as the Karuna faction operating in the East. Selvam charged that government and paramilitary forces were using the Karuna name to lunch attacks against the LTTE. The Karuna faction which broke ranks with the LTTE leadership in February last year has been conducting sporadic attacks on LTTE targets in the east, often prompting a furious backlash from the Wanni faction. On October 26 Karuna cadres ambushed a three man LTTE camp in Vakarai, killing one cadre, this attack too had been carried out by the army, Mr. Selvam charged. He said the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was investigating the attack. Rice mill worker shot dead in Akkaraipattu Two unidentified gunman riding in a motorbike shot and killed
Mr. H.G.M Abeyaratna, 38, a rice mil worker at Kolavil, 2 km south of
Akkaraipattu town, Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The rice mill worker, a Sinhalese
from Akurana in Kandy, married to a Tamil woman and a father of a child,
was residing at Kannakipuram Refugee Camp wheh he was shot, Police said
the motive for the killing was not clear. The assailants shot the victim twice at his head with a 9 mm handgun, Police said. Akkaraipattu Police Officer In-Charge Sathees Gamage is heading the investigations into the killing. Akkaratipattu is located 64 km south of Batticaloa town. Without me no JHU vote bank says Dhammaloka Thera Former JHU leader the Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera responding to threats by his party to strip him of his parliamentary seat said yesterday that without him the JHU had no vote bank. Speaking with confidence that nearly 80% of the votes polled by the JHU were in support of him, the former JHU General Secretary denied allegations made against him by interested parties. “I have not betrayed the voters. I pledged my support to UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe because I sincerely believe he can bring peace and prosperity to our country”, he said when rebutting charges levelled against him by JHU parliamentary group leader Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera. Addressing a news conference after Ven. Dhammaloka Thera’s decision to support the UNP presidential candidate, the Ven. Ratana Thera accused Ven. Dhammaloka Thera of betraying those who voted for the JHU in the belief the party would protect Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. Ven. Ratana Thera said the JHU decided to support the UPFA presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse on the basis he would protect the country’s sovereignty. “Ven. Dhammaloka Thera has disappointed the expectations of Sri Lankan’s who value sovereignty in exchange for the post of Director General of the proposed Buddha Sasana Authority”, he said. Ven. Ratana Thera challenged Ven. Dhammaloka Thera to state his position towards the Oslo and Tokyo declarations and whether he had abandoned the 12 main concepts of the JHU, which called for safeguarding the sovereignty of the country and disarming the LTTE as a prior condition for peace talks. However Ven. Dhammaloka Thera said he believed that the Tokyo and Oslo conventions would have no negative effect on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. Navy arrest suspects with narcotics The Navy personnel took into custody two suspects with eleven packets of light brown coloured powder of narcotic nature from the dhow in Talaimannar. The dhow was speeding towards Rameswaram from the Kachchathivu island area when the navy personnel trailed the dhow and checked it on suspicion. A mobile phone and Indian Rs. 300/- was found in addition to the narcotic powder. The suspects and the suspected items were handed over to the Talaimannar Police for investigations. No answer to national problem from both Ranil and Mahinda - Sivadasan Whoever wins the upcoming presidential election, it will have no bearing on the Tamil community, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Kishor Sivanadan said yesterday at Vavuniya addressing 'Pongu Thamil' ceremony. 'If Ranil Wickremesinghe won the election, the national problem would be similar to a diabetic patient and would drag on without a solution. If Mahinda Rajapaksa won the poll, the national problem would be similar to a heart patient and would suffer a stroke and the problem would aggravate and likely to end up in war' Sivadasan said addressing 50,000 large crowd. Shops and government officers in Vavyniya put up shutters
yesterday on account of 'Pongu Thamil' ceremony. The Municipal Grounds
where the ceremony was held as well as roads were decorated with red and
yellow flags and LTTE leader Prabhakara?s pictures were on display everywhere. Hindu, Christian and Muslim clergy were also in attendance and conducted religious observances prior to the commencement of the ceremony. TNA parliamentarians were also present. Grenade lobbed at SLA checkpost in Jaffna Two motorbike-riding men lobbed a hand grenade into a Sri
Lanka Army post located in front of Narikkundu kulam on Rakka Road in
Jaffna around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sri Lanka Army said. The grenade fell
into their bunker, the SLA sources added. No casualties were reported.
Additional troops and riot police were deployed at the site following
the incident, civilian sources said. The SLA checkpost is located close to St. John Bosco School and the ICRC office in Jaffna. In the meantime, Puthur East returned to normalcy as displaced villagers were seen returning to their village following the shooting death of a resident by the SLA Friday, sources said. Austrian company to renovate Eastern railway Udaya Manawas inghe senior deputy secretary (news) of the railway department in a letter to ‘The Island’ states that the Eastern railway is to be renovated to uplift the public railway services in the East. Immediate steps would be taken to revamp 30 kms of the Valachchenai Batticaloa railway line, now lying neglected. Austrian federal railway institute has initiated this project using 20 million dollars obtained from the Austrian government, on a concessionary basis. At present not more than five trains are in operation in the Eastern railway. Three of them operate from Colombo and two others from Mahawa and Gal Oya. In the future the number of trains in operation will be increased depending on the public demand and newly purchased engines and compartments would be utilised. Likewise, the railway department hopes to restore the northern line, using foreign aid. Two awards for Radhika
Both Awards have been presented annually to outstanding human rights activists, a press release from the International Centre for Ethnic Studies said yesterday (29). Amparai to hold Resurgence Convention The final event in the series of Tamil National Resurgence
Convention is to be held in Amparai district in the east at the Thambiluvil
Maha Vidiyalayam grounds on November 12, organizers said. Mr.Kanagasabai
Pathmanathan, Amparai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian,
has been visiting villages in Amparai to conduct consultative meetings
with local Tamil activists, sources said. Mr.Kanagasabai said in the coming weeks several TNA parliamentarians from other district have planned to visit Amparai and extend their co-operation in making the convention a success. Tamil National Resurgence Convention was held in all districts, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Jaffna, and Trincomalee, in the northeast province except the Amparai district. 28 October 2005 Sri Lanka rebel leader to make announcement on peace process: legislator The Tamil Tiger leader would make an announcement on the peace process with the Sri Lankan government during his annual "hero's day" speech next month, a Tamil legislator has said. Selvam Adaikkalanathan, TELO Leader and a parliament member from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), said Thursday the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabakaran would make an announcement on the future of the north and east crisis on Nov. 27, during the annual "Hero's Day" message of the Tiger leader. Adaikkalanathan said the Tamil people had no faith on the ability of the two main candidates in the country's Nov. 17 presidential poll to resolve the armed conflict in a satisfactory manner to ensure the well being of the Tamil community. The main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the incumbent Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse have both pledged to start the stalled Norwegian-backed talks with a view to settling the conflict if elected. Norway facilitated six rounds of direct talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE from September 2002 until April 2003 when the Tigers announced a temporary pull out from the process. Villagers foil SLA rape attempt, Puthur tense, protesters beaten Villagers from Puthur East, 13 km north-east of Jaffna,
protested in front of a camp of the SLA's 511 Division Friday morning
after foiling an alleged rape attempt by a Sri Lanka Army soldier who
entered a house at 3:00 a.m. Three soldiers in civilian dress were chased
by the neighbours who rushed to the house upon hearing the women shout,
sources said. The soldiers ran into the SLA camp, according to the protesting
villagers. At least six protestors were wounded. Riot police and additional
troops were deployed at the site. SLA soldiers opened fire when protesting
youth burnt a checkpost at the camp. Many villagers have fled the area,
sources said. Following the rape attempt, more than a hundred protesting women encircled the SLA camp in the early morning. The youth in the area armed with batons started pelting the SLA camp demanding the soldiers who attempted to rape the women be identified and brought to justice. The youth have put up road blocks and burnt tires. Additional troops were rushed to the site. At least six men, including a 60 years old man, were severely beaten by the soldiers. Mr. K. Nalliah, 60, with a broken leg, Mr. S. Parthipan, 30, Mr. T. Reegan, 25, Mr. K. Kovinthan, 40, Mr. S. Thanes, 25, and Mr. P. Ananthan, 40, were rushed to hospital, sources added. A few weeks ago, on September 07, a 57-years-old man, Mr. N. Kirubaratnam, was allegedly beaten by the soldiers and thrown in front of the camp. He later succumbed to his internal wounds, villagers said. The man who got drunk had argued with the soldiers at the camp, according to the villagers. Mediamen covering the incident, trapped between the protesting youth and the soldiers, were safely relocated by a group of advancing soldiers. Sri Lanka and United
States agree to tackle terrorism The terms cover training and technical cooperation to upgrade Sri Lanka's anti-terrorism abilities to help it deter and counter terrorism. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Sri Lankan government by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Law and Order Tilak Ranaviraja and on behalf of the United States by US Ambassador in Sri Lanka Jeffrey Lunstead. “The assistance would be provided under three basic stages. They are needs assessment, course and consultation offerings, and on-going programme reviews. The agreement also provides provision for the Sri Lankan government to use any equipment provided by the United States,” Mr. Ranaviraja said. Ambassador Lunstead said terrorism was a problem faced by both countries and goes beyond countries' borders. “Sri Lanka and the United States have worked closely in tackling terrorism in the past and looked forward to work together on a common problem,” he said. Ranil has already won: NLF leader New Left Front Leader Wickramabahu Karunaratne yesterday said UNP Presidential Candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe had already won the presidential election given the severe political crisis UPFA Candidate Mahinda Rajapakse is facing. Addressing news conference in Colombo, Mr Karunaratne said the JVP and the JHU had pushed Mr. Rajapakse towards defeat through their racist policies. Mr, Karunaratne also accused Prime Minister Rajapakse of neglecting the Bandaranaike vision just to please the JHU and the JVP – especially by angering President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike who are prominent leaders in his camp. Referring to a statement made by Mr. Wickremesinghe over the splitting of the army into six regiments, Mr. Karunaratne said what the UNP leader intended was to make the army a super force. New left Front Presidential Candidate Chamil Jayaneththi accused Mr. Rajapakse of trying to deprive the voting rights of Tamils in the LTTE controlled areas. SLA fires at Puthur protesters, seven injured Seven Tamil civilians injured and four of them were admitted
to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital Friday evening following the shooting
by soldiers of the SLA at Puttur junction at the angry crowd which pelted
stones and threw a petrol bomb at the army sentry around 3.30 p.m. The
crowd later is alleged to have set fire to an army vehicle, sources said.
SLA soldiers fired at least 250 gunshots to bring the situation under
their control. The fate of other three civilians is not known, as the soldiers did not allow them to be taken out from the site, sources said. The incident took place 1 km east of Puthur junction which is on Jaffna - Point Pedro Road. The eastbound road from Puthur Junction, Puthur-Vatharavattai Road has been blocked for all traffic by the SLA. One soldier was injured in the clash according security sources. Monitors of the SLMM did not arrive at the site till 5 p.m. Following this incident, the youths have set fire to an SLA truck close to the camp. Petrol bombs were used by the youth, police said. The fence of the SLA camp has been burnt down. Many villagers have fled the area. Tension prevails in the area. SLMC dissidents back in Hakeem’s fold Two Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) dissident members rejoined the party after the break-away Athaullah group was dissolved, the SLMC announced yesterday. Party leader Rauff Hakeem addressing the media at the handing over of SLMC membership to Ampara MP’s M. Harees and M. Azeez said they had decided to rejoin the party after expressing satisfaction on the agreement between the SLMC and the UNP. The two members will join Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Presidential election campaign at a rally today in Mutur. According to Mr. Hakeem two other members, Wanni Rehabilitation Minister Rishard Baddiudin and Deputy Minister Anwar Ismail had held similar meetings with the UNP. “The prevailing ethnic and economic issues can only be solved by Ranil Wickremesinghe. That is why we have re-joined the SLMC. We believe that the rights of the Muslims can be won by supporting him and we have faith that he will deliver on his promises. Our return will also strengthen Mr. Hakeem’s leadership,” said Mr. Harees. Mr. Hakeem said that he hoped the Supreme Court would uphold the basic human rights of those living in LTTE-controlled areas. Adding that it was the duty of the Elections Commissioner to decide if a peaceful environment for the Elections prevailed, he insisted that the SLMC would still be able to expand its vote base in the upcoming election. Challenging Ampara MP Feriel Ashraff to prove her vote base by contesting an election independently Mr. Hakeem stressed that his faction still represented the Muslim majority. ‘Week of mourning’ by displaced NE Muslims Today, internally displaced Muslims, who were evicted from the north and east by the LTTE in 1980 declared a “Week of Mourning” and commenced a signature campaign to coincide with the 15th anniversary of their eviction by the LTTE. Through these actions the community hopes to draw the attention of the United Nations, Ambassadors of Muslim countries in Sri Lanka and other nations of the world to their plight. President of the Resettlement Union Musali Division in Mannar, M.S.A. Waajith said his organisation would stage a peaceful march from Kattar to Puttalam today collecting 100,000 signatures for a petition which would be handed over to President Kumaratunge and UN General Secretary Koffi Annan Advisor to the Wanni Rehabilitation Ministry Dr. Yousuf Marikkar, himself a victim of the LTTE’s ethnic cleansing programme, told a news conference yesterday, that three years after the Ceasefire Agreement, internally displaced Muslims continued to languish in camps without basic facilities. That these people do not have faith in the peace accord is not surprising, he said. They live in very pathetic conditions without employment, political and other rights. They have lost everything and the then government failed in its duty to provide them with security, he said. Mr. Waajith said approximately 300,000 displaced Muslims lived in Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Kalutara and other districts, while around 300 families resettled at Musali in Mannar and 150 of them lived in uncleared areas. He said no security could be provided to these families. Danish Princess due today Princess Alexandra Christina of Denmark will arrive in Sri Lanka today for a five day official visit. She will visit the tsunami hit areas of Hambantota, Galle and Ampara and will meet displaced persons at the camps set up by the Denmark and UNICEF, Information Department said. She will leave the country on November 4. 106 pre-election incidents The Centre for Policy Alternative (CPA) has recorded 106 pre-election incidents countrywide from October 7 to 26. According to the CPA, 39 out of 106 are major violence and 67 minor. The CPA launched its election violence monitoring in all nine provinces on October 7. With 28 incidents, the highest has been recorded in the Western Province. Southern Province recorded 22 incidents and North Western Province 18. Violence in the other provinces are: Sabaragamuwa-12, North Central-10, Uva-nine, Central-seven, Eastern-two and North-nil. One murder, 40 election offences, assault 23 along with five incidents involving firearms have been recorded by CPA. The CPA's monitoring of polls violence will continue until November 17. The final report will be released after the elections are over. EU warns of future
missions Addressing the media in Colombo on Friday, Cushnahan warned that the future requests by Sri Lanka may be ignored by the EU if the authorities fail to implement recommendations of the EOM after the November 17 presidential elections. 2004 elections The EU was however pleased that, he said, that the 2004 general election was largely conducted in a democratic manner, apart from the north and east. "I would like to once again acknowledge the contribution of the established political parties for helping bring this about. I hope that they will continue their best efforts to ensure the same will be true of the current election." The EU mission pledged to be ‘fully independent’ and to ‘honestly report’ on the outcome of the presidential elections. The observation mission was established on the invitation of Elections Commissioner, Dayananada Dissanayake. "My team and I look forward to working with all the candidates, their party supporters, civil society and especially the Election Commissioner and his staff," Cushnahan added. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickramasinghe are the main contenders of the November 17 elections. “Interact effectively with the government to control military harrassment” -Tamilselvan requests SLMM Head- “Incidents of military harrassment and provocation of civilians engaged in public demonstrations are on the increase and the SLMM need to effectively interact with the government to drive home to the military that the Tamil people who are frustrated with the unproductive Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) are engaging in demonstrations to indicate to the world the plight in which they are and act with restraint” said the Head of the Political Division Mr.S.P.Tamilselvan in a meeting with the Head of SLMM Mr.Hagrup Haukland today 28 October 2005 at the Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi. Head of SLMM reiterated the necessity for both the parties, the GoSL and the LTTE to sit down in direct dialogue to resolve many problems related to the implementation of the CFA. Responding to Mr.Haukland, Mr.Tamilselvan said that the LTTE has been all the more willing to initiate discussions on the implementation of the CFA but Colombo is preoccupied with the presidential election and a decision has to come from Colombo. Citing instances of military excesses against peaceful demonstrators, Mr.Tamilselvan said that the LTTE had to withdraw its members from the Military occupied areas and therefore not in a position to interact with the people in the absence of security guarantees to its members. “It is therefore an urgent matter that the SLMM intervenes and create an atmosphere for our members to get back to the people in occupied areas lest they become restive” commented Mr.Tamilselvan. Many other routine issues were discussed in the meeting in which the Head of Tamil Eelam Police Mr.P.Nadesan also participated. 27 October 2005 "Ignore Sri Lankan elections," says Students Association in Jaffna In an appeal to the Tamil people, the Students’ Association
of Higher Educational Institutions, Jaffna District, has warned Tamil
voters not to be "hoodwinked" by promises of the Sri Lankan
Presidential candidates. The organisation has argued that a Tamil vote
would imply that the Tamils still trust the Sinhala leaders to resolve
the Tamil conflict. In an appeal issued Thursday evening from Jaffna,
the Students Association asked Tamils to be wary of the election promises
the candidates are making from their election propaganda platforms. "Encouraged by his extremist and nationalist supporters, Rajapakse has openly stated he would never compromise on the Unitary State, never acknowledge the existence of the traditional homeland of the Tamils and never execute the Tsunami rehabilitation plan, revealing his chauvinist stand," the Students’ appeal explains. On the other hand, the Tamil students’ body warns against the "slimy moves" of Ranil Wickremasinghe, who immediately after signing the Cease-fire Agreement three years ago, had exclaimed that with the Agreement he had prevented the LTTE from taking up arms, prevented deaths of "Sinhala soldiers" in battle field and laid an "international network to have the LTTE ostracised." Resurgence event emphasizes Vavuniya Declaration, urges EU to reconsider stand Thousands of people gathered in Vavuniya Urban Council grounds
Thursday at 3:30 p.m. to reaffirm July 27 Vavuniya Declaration. Tamil
National Alliance parliamentarians, academics, religious leaders and social
activists attended the event which also urged the European Union to reconsider
its stand on travel restrictions on Liberation Tigers officials on visiting
EU member states. Vavuniya was the venue of the initial Tamil National
Resurgence Conference that proclaimed that an environment must be created
to enable Tamils to decide their political destiny calling for the Sri
Lankan Armed forces to vacate the land and seas of NorthEast. Residents from the various parts of the Vavuniya district, including the LTTE controlled areas, attended the event. Tension prevailed in Omanthai checkpoint as a bicyle convoy from Vadamaradchi in Jaffna was blocked at the checkpoint North of Vavuynia by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers. The youths had set off from the SLA controlled Valvetithurai in Vadaramardchi at 6:30 a.m, and passed Kilinochchi town noon. Vanni District TNA parliamentarian, Mr. Sathasivam Kanagaratnam and Jaffna District TNA parliamentarian Mr. M. Eelaventhan rushed to the checkpoint to resolve the dispute. However, the Sri Lankan soldiers mannning the checkpoint refused to allow the bicycle convoy to proceed. Although the SLA had previously agreed to keep the A9 road open till 8:00 p.m, the soldiers at the Omanthai checkpoint closed the roads at the usual time of 6 p.m. Many participants were forced to stay in Vavuniya overnight, sources said. Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lankan policemen were deployed in the town and civilians were subjected to severe checking, civil sources said. Officials including the acting Vavuniya District Government Agent, Mr. V. Visvalingam, took part in the resurgence event. No violent incidents were reported, said Vavuniya Police Officer In-Charge (OIC) Mr. AMC Abeyasinghe Banda. No polling in Tiger-held areas, says Sri Lanka Election Chief Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake today said there would be no polling in LTTE-held areas. The Commissioner said this after two presidential candidates asked the Supreme Court to halt arrangements to poll in LTTE-held areas. The two minor candidates asked for an interim order to halt the process, but in reply, Chief Justice Sarath Silva said that as the court was satisfied with the arrangements being made by the Commissioner, there is no need for an interim order to halt the process. The Commissioner said government-sponsored buses will be deployed to bring voters in uncleared areas to cast their votes at polling booths set up near the LTTE’s front line. Top LTTE leader flown to Vavuniya The senior LTTE leader who underwent treatment at a private hospital in Colombo after being seriously injured in a fierce attack between the LTTE and the Karuna faction in Batticaloa two weeks ago, was flown in an Air Force plane to Vavuniya yesterday morning. Government Peace Secretariat’s Director Communications Sharmini Serasinghe told the Daily Mirror yesterday that following a request from the LTTE through the SLMM, the government had provided a plane to airlift the LTTE member from Colombo on ‘humanitarian grounds’. She said the LTTE member was taken by road from Vavuniya to the uncleared area. The SLMM also confirmed that the LTTE member was airlifted to Vavuniya yesterday morning. On October 10, the Karuna faction ambushed a vehicle convoy of the LTTE at Vavunathivu in Batticaloa, killing at least four senior LTTE cadres and injuring several others. Two days later the seriously injured senior LTTE cadre was airlifted from Batticaloa to Ratmalana airport from where he was transported to the private hospital in an ambulance, under Army escort. Meanwhile, in another development, the body of an LTTE cadre who had died of natural causes, was taken to Batticaloa from Omanthai on Tuesday under military escort. The government Peace Secretariat had granted permission for the road movement on humanitarian grounds. LTTE invites poets to compose Thamileelam national anthem An invitation has been extended to "Tamil bards and
minstrels with patriotic afflatus" to compose a Thamileelam national
anthem. The invitation to the poets in the Northeast and among the Tamil
diaspora came in an announcement by the Media Unit of the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), from its base in Kilinochchi, Thursday. Poets are
given time till November 27th, the Tamil Eelam Martyrs Remembrance Day,
to give final touches to their composition. The call for a national anthem comes in the wake of the Thamileelam National Flag and the National Flower already established. The Tiger flag, leaving out the movements name in the flag, was designated as the Thamileelam National Flag by the Tigers fifteen years ago, on the Martyrs Rememberence Day in November 1990. The flower, Gloriosa Lily, was designated as Thamileelam National flower by the LTTE administration during the Martyr rememberence week in November 2003. Sri Lanka's state
radio boss switched off transmissions in rural areas The chairman has been accused by various sections of the SLBC of crippling Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s propaganda campaign through the government media. The engineers say the SLBC channels are not clear in rural areas after the chairman’s decision to switch off the transmissions and relay stations. “In some relay stations, the antennas are not in correct directions,” an engineer told ColomboPage on condition of anonymity. He added that if the transmission and antennas in the rural areas are not in correct mode, the outstation’s entire broadcasting exercise would be a waste. “The chairman’s objective is to block the few pro-government political programmes. At the moment, our rural listeners can not listen to SLBC any more,” an engineer added. Trade unions are angry with chairman Samarasinghe for paralyzing Sri Lanka’s largest electronic media network and warned him with trade union action if he does not correct radio transmissions immediately. Earlier, the SLBC news director also lodged a complaint against chairman Samarasinghe for assaulting him physically. SSP’s killing: Suspect released for lack of evidence The suspect arrested in connection with the killing of Police Senior Superintendent Charles Wijewardena in Jaffna, was released yesterday.The ten policemen were unable to identify the suspect Kathiramalai Vaithian alias ‘Gopi’ at an identification parade. The CID told Colombo’s Chief Magistrate Kusala Sarojin Weerawardena that the Attorney General had instructed them to release the suspect as there was insufficient evidence against him. Gopi was arrested on charges of abducting, detaining and conspiring to kill SSP Wijewardena on August 4. In the process of arresting the suspect the CID had been fired upon resulting in injuries to two police personnel.After his arrest the suspect was airlifted to Palali camp and then to Colombo as it was impossible to hold him in Jaffna. The suspect who is said to be a close associate of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is known to be an explosives expert. Three-wheeler driver shot dead in Trincomalee Unidentified men Thursday noon shot dead the driver of a
three wheeler at Kannagipuram in Orr's Hill, suburb in Trincomalee town.
The dead has been identified as Mr.Anura Abeyaratne aged 24 a Sinhalese,
and a resident of Sumedhagama, a suburb of the east port town, Trincomalee
Police said. Mr.Arthur Tveiten, head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Trincomalee also visited the site. The Police removed the body of the dead to the mortuary of the Trincomalee base hospital, sources said. Soldiers and police immediately cordoned off the area and began search operation, police said. A group of Tamils threatened to leave Colombo A group of Tamils residing at No. 520, Kimbulapitiya, Madampitiya Road, Mutwal has complained to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, the Norwegian embassy and the Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission Haugruf Hockland that they were threatened by a government sponsored armed group to leave Colombo and settle in Jaffna. These hapless Tamils have not lodged a complaint with the
police for the fear of reprisals. According to the letter directed to Hockland by Dr.Jayawardane, 25 Tamil persons have come under death threats. Ready to facilitate
if parties wished Q: How will the Norwegian position be affected if a Sinhalese nationalist-backed government comes to power taking a harder line in negotiations on the peace process. A:This new Norwegian government is restating our readiness to play a role if the parties so wish. Once the elections are held we have to sit down with the parties and lay out what we can do. Then it will be up to the parties to invite us in to continue to play that role. We are ready to contribute but it really has to be owned by the parties. Under the circumstances which will lead from these elections. Q: Do you get a sense that either of these parties actually want peace? A: That is our sense. There would have been no ceasefire agreement, no initial progress if that sense hadn't been there on both sides. Q: What sort of setback was the assassination of the foreign minister, Mr Kadirgamar? A: Among the important setbacks clearly. That kind of violence on either side will always represent a setback. Q: You say either side but one side is actually a non-elected movement and the other side is an elected government? A: True but I'm trying to portray that in a process like this you have to be robust enough to deal with setbacks when they arise. They have risen before and they may certainly come again. Q: You are accused aren't you by many of your critics as being pro-Tamil in this by seeing the side of a non-elected fairly violent terror group? A: Well you know, we've been in office for a week. We are taking forward a Norwegian role as a mediator, third party facilitator and we have to play that role if it is accepted by both parties then the perceptions may shift. But critical to that kind of third party role is an acceptance by all parties and that is what we are ready to re-establish as soon as these elections are held. Q: Is there an unacceptable level of violence when you will say we will no longer be dealing with the Tamil Tigers? A: In general, our approach to this as a third party with no direct interests as a country in the conflict is to leave these key questions to the parties. If the parties are ready to seek solutions and to deal with each other with our contribution we are ready to make an effort. Q: The nub of this is that whereas general international opinion is that there should be no negotiations and no dealings with violent insurgent groups, terror groups as they're called, you are happy to sit down with the Tamil Tigers and act as a peacemaker? A: I would say the parties deal with each other and we are facilitating that.... Our offices are those of good offices and it has to be owned by the parties and if we can play a role there towards peace, less suffering for all sides we will play that role. But it is key that it has to be owned by the parties. It is the parties which have to accept the process and thus in a way accept each other. Q: And whatever the outcome... what sort of conditions are needed there now for peace? A: Generally, we should be cautious of being very detailed on that ahead of elections in a country that will hold it's own elections, but I come back to the answer that right after those elections we will from the Norwegian side sit down with the parties to see if there are conditions for us to continue to play that role. If that's the case we will play it and we will make sure that we will explain our potential to contribute but underline again that there are certain conditions they have to live up to in the way they interact with each other. Q:Have their been lost opportunities over the years? A: I don't think so, I think again this has moved that very tragic process forward towards something in the future which can be a good result for all sides. But then we have to live with the appearance of setbacks from time to time as we've seen in other conflicts. That is part of the nature of these kinds of of processes.. It is painful for the parties but hopefully at the end of that process there are also benefits which will be reaped by all sides. 26 October 2005 Tamileelam court extends remand for Sri Lanka Policemen Tamileelam courts in Kilinochchi Monday rejected bail offer for three Sri Lanka policemen who are being held in custody for entering LTTE controlled areas without prior permission and ordered further investigations into their activities. The case was heard before Ms Sadhana, District Judge, Monday morning in Kilinochchi, under Act 94 of the Criminal Code of Tamileelam Courts. Inspector of Tamleelam Police, P. Bhavani, told the Courts that the explanations the three Sri Lankan officers gave for entering LTTE controlled areas were not satisfactory and as suspicions still remain, they are continuing investigations. The police officer pointed out that initially the defendents refused to reveal their true identity. Ms Bhavani pointed out that the arrested officers gave contradicting statements. She quoted reports from the Political Divison of the LTTE mentioning the area in which the suspects were arrested was a crossing point frequently breached by Sri Lankan Armed Forces. Officer Bhavani argued that the Officers are from Sri Lankan Justice Department and have full knowledge of the legal implications in tresspassing into LTTE territory. They were arrested while in hiding, Ms Bhavani told the judge. Tamileelam Police pointed out that the case was being conducted according to Tamileelam Penal code, Act No.81. The suspects were being detained according to Act 94 which allows detention for 91 days while being investigated and a further 150 days, if necessary. The attorney for the defendants, Mr.S.Velavar, pointed out that the Sri Lankan officers were being detained for the last two months and the Tamileeleam Police has not filed formal charges against them. Arguing that mere suspicion was inadequate for continued remand, the attorney pleaded they be released on bail while investigations are proceeding. He quoted the letters submitted by the suspects, pleading for bail and promising appearance in Courts when summoned. Ms Sadhana, the District court judge, Kilinochchi, rejected the pleas, ordering further remnd till 14 November 2005 and instructed the Tamileelam Police to continue investigations. Second extension for Army Chief President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday again extended the term of Army Commander Shantha Kottegoda till June 31, 2007 and gave her approval for a proposal to fix the retirement age of Majors General at 58, a senior Defence Ministry official said yesterday. He said that although the President had given her approval to increase the retirement age of Majors General from 55 to 58, it would not come into effect until an amendment to this effect was passed in parliament. The proposal to increase the retirement age for Majors General to 58 and for a Lt. General to 60 was made by Defence Secretary Ashoka Jayawardane. Lt. Gen. Kottegoda who was appointed Army commander in July 1, 2004 was granted a one-year extension on November 5, 2004 when he reached the retirement age of 55. The Defence Secretary has also recommended an extension for Chief of Staff Sarath Fonseka after he completes three years in his Major General rank on December 8. Meanwhile military sources said the move to prolong the stay of senior officers in their ranks would affect thousands of officers in the lower ranks. They will have to retire prematurely. Sri Lanka President
refuses Opposition Leader's proposal, budget to be presented as scheduled
President Kumaratunga has reportedly told Finance Ministry officials that the budget should be presented to the parliament as scheduled and pointed out that all the cabinet ministers are in favor of her decision. “There is no other different opinion among the cabinet of ministers. As the President I am only considering their views and budget is totally a government business,” President has said. Government ministers were too critical on UNP’s request for not to present country’s budget on November 8th. “They (UNP) have no right to request even,” Minister Mangala Samaraweera said. Earlier, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has insisted to present the budget in November amidst protests by the UNP. “UNP wants to stop major benefits we are proposing in this budget for the people,” Samaraweera said. Vavuniya prepares for concluding resurgence event, grenade explodes Unidentified men lobbed a hand grenade inside compound of the Tamil National Resurgence committee Wednesday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. No one was injured in the explosion. Witnesses said that two men who lobbed the grenade escaped in a motorbike. The incident happened while Vavuniya residents are making preparations for the third month anniversary celebrations of the 27 July 2005 Vavuniya Proclamation. The concluding resurgence event on Thursday follows district-wise resurgence events in the NorthEast supporting the Vavuynia Proclamation demanding the Sri Lankan Military to vacate the "land and the seas of the NorthEast" and urging the International Community to recognise the "basic rights and life of freedom with peace on the basis of traditional homeland, Tamil nationhood, self rule and struggle for sovereignty". District-wise resurgence events were held in NorthEast on 02 August in Batticaloa, 01 September in Kilinochchi, 14 Sepetmer in Mullaithivu, 28 September in Mannar, 30 September in Jaffna and on 22 October in Trincomalee. A series of explosions have occured close to, or the day of earlier Resurgence events in Vavuniya and Batticaloa. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Vavuniya police visited the scene and are conducting investigations into the incident in Vavuniya on Wednesday. Two hand grenades exploded on 27 July 2005, when the first Resurgence Event was being celebrated in Vavuniya. A bomb explosion was reported in Batticaloa on 02 August. Bandaranaikes did not enter politics to rob: Anura Bandaranaike “People do not want mud slinging or hear filth but need to know what the candidates would do to develop the economy and the country,” declared Foreign and Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike, addressing a rally to felicitate the President on Sunday at Getambe grounds in Kandy. Speaking further the Minister said that the Bandaranaikes entered politics not to rob the people. “They never bought houses overseas and did not kill people.” “Due to a conspiracy, the President has to go home. She cannot go home for security reasons. We have no houses either in England, America or Australia. Although the SLFP does not belong to the Bandaranaikes, the people of the country gave the country to them thrice, to rule,” said Minister Bandaranaike. Ministers Sarath Amunugama, Dinesh Gunawardena and D.M. Jayaratne also spoke. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Ministers Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Dilan Perera, Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake and SLFP district organizers. SLMC, TNA condemn attempts to curb voting in uncleared areas The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil National alliance (TNA) claimed that attempts by certain elements to prevent people in the uncleared areas from voting at next month’s Presidential polls, would give automatic recognition to a separate state. SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali claimed certain people were planning to file legal objection to holding the poll in LTTE controlled areas on the assumption that it could not be conducted fairly.Condemning this line of thinking, he said that instead of resorting to such acts, efforts should be made to help people living in those areas to exercise their franchise. Depriving people of their voting rights is tantamount to recognizing them as persons from a different state, he said. TNA MP and TELO Muthalvar, M.K. Sivajilingam described the move as a blatant violation of a people’s fundamental rights and gave justification for the recognition of a separate state. Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham TNA parliamentarian for Batticaloa said that if such moves were afoot they were undemocratic acts. No party funds for Sri Lanka Premier's campaign The ruling party, SLFP so far has not provided adequate funds for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidential campaign, informed sources said. It is reported that the ruling party candidate’s campaign suffers from lack of funds and party seniors are trying their best to convince various party loyalists to financially support the Premier’s campaign. “The party leader is not showing any interest to solve this urgent and sensitive matter,” a SLFP central committee member told ColomboPage. It is learnt that Prime Minister’s campaign managers have requested funds from the party to implement various activities for the candidate but party leadership so far has not responded positively. “We are ready to walk on the streets to collect money for electing Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is representing common people in this country,” a political activist said. S. African High Commission in Lanka soon South Africa announced its decision to establish a resident South African High Commission in Sri Lanka during the Senior Officials Meeting of the Bilateral Partnership Forum between Sri Lanka and South Africa on Monday. A diplomatic officer of the South African Department of Foreign Affairs accompanied by an administrative staff officer will arrive in late October or early November for this purpose. The Government welcomed this decision, as it would lead to a widening and strengthening of bilateral relations. Sri Lanka will provide all necessary facilities to South Africa to have the new Mission functional very early. The bilateral discussions were held at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Colombo. Sri Lanka military
says two Tamil Tiger rebels killed in attack by breakaway group -Source:AP Witharanage said the breakaway rebels took two rifles. Tamil Tigers have made no comment about the alleged incident. Scores of people _ Tamil Tigers, breakaway rebels, politicians opposing the rebels, and civilians _ have been killed despite a 2002 cease-fire. Violence escalated after a rebel leader and some 6,000 followers split away from the LTTE in March 2004. Both sides blame each other for the violence and the Tamil Tigers accuse the Sri Lankan military of aiding the breakaway rebels, a charge the government denies. The Tigers began fighting the government in 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils, accusing majority Sinhalese of discrimination. More than 65,000 people were killed in the conflict before the cease-fire. Aviation fuel imported for LTTE? The Police have launched an investigation into the import of Aviation Fuel by a businessman based in Colombo city. The Intelligence Division had obtained information that the businessman had imported Aviation Fuel for the LTTE and he is likely to be arrested within the next few days, police sources said Tuesday (25). It was revealed earlier that the LTTE had built an airstrip in an uncleared area and were in possession of two light aircraft. SLAF reconnaissance planes had pictured the airstrip with the two small aircraft. It was possible the fuel was to be supplied to the LTTE for use to fly their two aircraft if the ceasefire agreement is breached at a future day and Indian authorities have warned Sri Lanka that the possession of aircraft by LTTE in the region was a threat to the security of the country as well the South Asian region. Even Rohana Wijeweera called for army to be disbanded - UNP The UNP said yesterday that the JVP`s call, for the dissolution of the army, was not something new since its founder leader Rohana Wijeweera himself said the same thing in his first public speech. Matara District UNP parliamenatarian Sagala Ratnayake told a media briefing in Colombo that Wijeweera launched his armed struggle in April 1971 with an attack on the armed forces, labelling them as an impediment to his revolutionary objectives. `Wijeweera repeated his call in 1988 as well .On that occassion, he not only wanted the army eliminated but their immediate families as well, whom he labelled as traitors.` Ratnayake, said that in the light of Wijeweera`s comments, one had to view Somawansa`s recent call for the army to be disbanded seriously. `It is now quite clear that Somawansa was actually propagating Wijeweera`s policies when he asked the army to go home if it cannot protect the country.` Ratnayake, said that it was incumbent on Prime Minister and SLFP`s presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse to explain what his position is on Somawansa`s threat. `Does Rajapakse condone Somanwanse`s threat . The people are entitled to know`, he said. The UNP`s Polgahawela Chief Organiser and former Major General Sarath Munasinghe said that Somawansa`s threat was a betrayal of the armed forces and cannot be taken lightly. He, said that under a UNP President a separate Ministry to look after the welfare and needs of disabled security forces personnel would be established. Commenting on the Millenium City incident , Munasinghe said that it could have been avoided if the then army commander had sought the President`s intervention. `Some people are trying to get political mileage out of the incident without knowing what exactly happened.` Munasinghe, also brushed aside JVP criticism that the six brigades, UNP`s presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe has pledged to establish would result in the army`s strength being reduced. `The six brigades would be fully equipped unlike at present and would be a short term measure .The army would be expanded and strengthened in the long term`, he said. Jaffna ballot papers airlifted Ballot papers for the Jaffna electoral district, the only area not accessible through land, was airlifted from the Ratmalana airbase to Palali in an Air Force helicopter on Monday. The papers were handed over to Jaffna Returning Officer P. Kuganathan for safe keeping until election day. The Jaffna electoral distinct has around 700,000 registered voters including 6,874 voters in the uncleared areas of Maradankeerni Assistant Government Agent's division and another 89,464 in Kilinochchi, the District Returning Officer said. "We cannot divulge the number of ballot papers we received yesterday due to security reasons," he said. Jaffna consist of two electoral districts; Jaffna which covers Jaffna and Kilinochchi administrative districts and Vavuniya which covers Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya administrative districts. "We will transport voters in the uncleared areas to the Muhamalei entry exit point to cast their vote," Kuganathan said. This has been arranged by the Elections Secretariat in view of a court case after the General Election last year that some of the voters in the uncleared areas were unable to make it since the centres were set up only in far-off cleared areas. The Elections Secretariat is to set up 103 polling centres near Muhamalei for voters from uncleared areas. A total of 624 polling centres will be set up in Jaffna. To ensure a free and fair election in the North and East the secretariat will deploy election officers from the South in polling centres there along with the locals. This was requested by major candidates. The Elections Department will transport ballot papers to the other districts in the North-East by road. Tamil Consortium complains to SLMM Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Consortium (TDTPC) made
a complaint to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Commission against "high-handed
action" of the Sri Lanka armed forces in down-town, Trincomalee on
24 October around 3.00 p.m. TDTPC has stated that a group of unidentified
persons had assaulted and humiliated two foreigners in the presence of
Sri Lankan armed forces for taking photographs of the controversial Buddha-Statue
in Trincomalee. The provocative action took place in the vicinity of the
Trincomalee bus stand, where the controversial statue, much to the protest
of the local people, was erected a few months earlier. TDTPC has argued in its complaint that this should be treated as a human rights violation and violation of the Cease-Fire Agreement. "We expect this act to expose the high-handed actions of the chauvinists and the complicity of the Sri Lankan armed forces, to the international community. We strongly condemn this act of violence,” said Mr.V.Vigneswaran, President of the Consortium,in his complaint to the SLMM with copies to Deputy Inspector General of Police (Eastern Region), Senior Superintendent of Police and General Officer Commanding in Trincomalee district. Sinhalese occupy Tamil-owned Amparai property Tamils living in Amparai are defending their rights to cultivatable
farmland that has been used by Sinhalese residents for the last 35 years.
The land in dispute is Thotasurungiveddai, 174 acres of farmland that
is located in the Amparai-Batticaloa boundary. Six years later, Tamils escaped from this region due to violence that originated from the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). As they fled, Sinhalese residents from Puthangala village took over the land and began cultivating. A Buddhist monk allowed Sinhalese residents to seize the land, therefore government officials did not intervene. As the ethnic crisis continued, the Tamil landowners did not return to their land in fear of being injured or killed. After the 35 years of the abovementioned events, Sinhalese residents are now demanding LDO permits for Thotasurungiveddai and have sent complaints to the Amparai District Human Rights Commission regarding this issue. The district office of the Human Rights Commission will hold a meeting in Samanthurai on November 3, 2005 to discuss the land issue. The Commission has invited Tamils and Sinhalese to attend the meeting. 25 October 2005 CWC leader blasts UNP leadership, leaves for India Leader of the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) Arumugam Thondaman has criticized the UNP leadership for creating an internal power struggle within his party. He is consequently leaving for India this morning, informed sources said. The CWC leader, a campaign partner for UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickramasinghe, says he will not participate in any future propaganda activities for the UNP unless the UNP stops creating divisions among CWC members. Mr. Thondaman was reportedly disappointed when he saw the publicity materials for upcountry people and forced the UNP leadership to change the materials with immediate effect. “All the publicity materials include CWC deputy R. Yogarajan’s pictures and messages, but it was against the CWC policies,” a close confidant of Arumugam Thondaman told ColomboPage. It is reported that R. Yogarajan was behind the CWC deal with the UNP, and Deputy Tourism Minister Faizer Musthapa, who is also a member of the CWC, earlier criticized Yogarajan’s moved publicly. Meanwhile, the CWC leadership believes the UNP is starting a separate mission within the CWC to undermine CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman. “He needs to stop this mission immediately. Otherwise he would withdraw his support for UNP at the presidential election,” sources added. Anura B under fire to act with responsibility Foreign Minister and brother of President Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunga, Anura Bandaranaike is coming under fire and increased pressure
by the members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and their allies
for what they describe as his 'negative' role in the run up to the Presidential
elections. SLFPers say the utterance by Anura Bandaranaike was not doing
any good to the party his father founded. SLFP sources said his utterances
shows signs of desperation. Kotalawela who is believed to be backed by a large number of reminded Bandaranaike that the masses had not forgotten his utterances and how he changed parties. Kotalawela has said "It is the hope of all SLFPers that you would act in a responsible manner and work towards the victory of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse if you want to be the next Prime Minister of the country." He also says that Premier Rajapakse had made sacrifices as had President Kumaratunga to protect and better the SLFP and that Anura Bandaranaike was in the know about the understanding Premier Rajapakse entered with two progressive fronts in the country the JVP and the JHU. Kotalawela had also said that Rajapakse never left the SLFP and he has the ability to rally the progressive forces behind him and defeat Ranil Wickremasinghe who is clearing the way for separatist forces. Kotalawela points out that Bandaranaike lost many opportunities in the SLFP in the past due to his own faults. "I am of the view that if you want to ensure that no such thing would happen in the future you should act with responsibility the way the party and the people expect you to.Kotalawela had copied the letter to the President, Prime Minister, General Secretaries of the SLFP and the UPFA. No actions for resettlement petitions dissatisfy Thenmaradchi CBOs “Though many petitions were handed over for the removal of the High Security Zones and resettlement of the people no action was taken yet”, stated frustrated Thenmaradchi Civilian Based Organisations. More than 4000 families have been displaced due to the High Security Zones and living in welfare centers and with their relatives and friends fore more than 10 years in Thenmaradchi. These people submitted petitions to the SLMM and demanded the removal of the armed forces from their habitats several times. However, Thenmaradchi people dissatisfied since no action has been taken to resettle them in their own habitats. Many people lost their livelihood struggling for their day-to-day life. Kadir killing: Gnanakone further detained Business tycoon Charles Gnanakone, one of the six arrested
over the killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has been detained
for a further 90 days on a request made to courts by the Colombo Crimes
Division. Alliance opposing Oslo Declaration for political mileage, says UNP The United National Party yesterday questioned as to how
the people could trust a leader like Mahinda Rajapakse who continuously
changed his stand on national issues. “The Premier and the JVP are now opposing the Oslo Declaration just to get political mileage, reneging on their original positions. The Premier is opposing the P-TOMS which he himself presented in parliament,” he said. Commenting on the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE signed by Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2002, Mr. Attanayake said that it united a divided country. The LTTE accepted Sri Lanka as one country and they had to take Sri Lankan passports to travel abroad. S.P Tamilselvan, Pulidevan and other LTTE leaders travelled abroad on Sri Lankan passports. Mr. Anton Balasingam arrived here on a Lankan visa, Mr. Attanayake added. “Today the country is under serious threat. The peace talks cannot be resumed because of the double standards of the UPFA government virtually led by the JVP. With the CFA the country could save the lives of our soldiers and the economy recovered. Prior to that there were bomb explosions all over the country and vulnerable economic targets like the Katunayake Airport and the Central Bank were attacked causing heavy losses to the national economy,” he said. The JVP did not utter a word when more than 1,500 soldiers were trapped at the Elephant Pass base during the PA government, Mr. Attanyake said. Sri Lanka accused
on riot report The group says police should be held to account for the deaths which came after locals stormed a detention centre. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court acquitted all accused in the case. Sri Lankan Justice Minister John Senaviratna said police officers accused in the case had been acquitted following trials. He said the matter was in the hands of the president. Teenage suspects The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) says disciplinary action should be initiated against eight police officers, following the massacre at Bundarawela in central Sri Lanka in October 2000. It says the report by Justice PHK Kulatilaka, who led the commission of inquiry into the killings, accuses the police of "indefensible inaction and attitudes at the time of the incident". As well as the 27 who died, 14 others were seriously injured in the attack, which brought international condemnation. Local residents assaulted the inmates with clubs and knives after reports they had taken a security guard hostage. Some victims were said to have been burned alive. Many of those who died were teenage Tamil Tiger rebel suspects. 'Organised massacre' The director of ACHR, Suhas Chakma, said the delay in releasing the report into the attack was because the presidential commission of inquiry "clearly indicated that it was an organised massacre". He claimed police officials were involved in it and evidence was destroyed by the prosecution. It would therefore be difficult for the government to exonerate all the accused and at the same time have a report indicting policemen, the prosecution and the criminal investigation department, Mr Chakma says. According to the ACHR, Justice Kulatilaka said the police knew about the impending attack as the crowd gathered to attack the camp. It also says that the report found that "no meaningful steps" had been taken by the police to prevent the mob from getting into the centre. Earlier this year, the US-based Human Rights Watch said the case showed crimes committed against alleged Tamil Tiger members were not being addressed. The Tamil Tigers have fought a two-decade armed campaign for autonomy in the north and east. It is estimated that more than 60,000 people have died so far. The attack was internationally condemned. SLBC chairman physically attacked his news director State radio chairman Hudson Samarasinghe has allegedly physically attacked his news director for maintaining a pro-Prime Minister policy, police said. OIC of the Cinnamon Garden Police said the assaulted news director Raja Katugampola lodged a complaint against the SLBC chairman and three private security officials today. The SLBC news director accused Mr. Samarasinghe, saying that on various occasions, the chairman threatened his life and said he would order an end to certain facilities to which Mr. Katugampola was entitled as a director of the corporation. ColomboPage had reported that the state radio boss decided to expel Mr. Katugampola from his post for not broadcasting anti-Rajapaksa news. “This was a sad incident as ever happened in SLBC,” a trade union leader told ColomboPage. He added that chairman Samarasinghe and three private security personnel attacked the SLBC news director inside the chairman’s room. “We have eyewitness reports,” the union leader said. It is reported that the SLBC news director was admitted to the general hospital with minor injuries in the late afternoon. Anura and Ratnasiri evicted from election committees Anura Bandaraanaike and Ratnasiri Wickremenayake have been removed with immediate effect from electorate level presidential election committees. Bandaranaike, the chief SLFP organizer for the Attanagalle
electorate who is also the Gampaha district organizer has been replaced
in the Attanagalle electorate committee by provincial councilor Ranjith
Rupasinghe. Both Bandaranaike and Wickremanayake are not actively engaged
in the Rajapaksa’s election campaign. In addition to participating
at election rallies addressed by the President, Bandranaike’s only
appearance on Rajapaksa’s stage was at a recent meeting in Mirigama.
Tamils' Right To
Self-Determination Is Inviolable EUROPEAN TAMIL RALLY AT EU SECRETARIAT Appeal To European Union We, the European Tamil community, gratefully appreciate the role played by Norway in facilitating the peace process in the Island of Sri Lanka and Express our solidarity with the EU for supporting Norway, in its role as Facilitator in the Sri Lanka - Tamil conflict resolution initiatives. It is our fervent hope that this process results in an enduring political solution based on Tamil People's right to self-determination. It was the gross, consistent, and continuing oppression on the Tamil people and the violence unleashed against them during the past several decades by successive Sri Lankan governments that led to the Tamil people getting involved in armed resistance. In February 2002, after almost two decades of war, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) entered into a Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Tamil national leadership. The CFA was facilitated by the Government of Norway which has to date continued to play this role with admirable commitment. In October 2003, the LTTE submitted a proposal for an Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) to enable rehabilitation and reconstruction tasks to be carried out in war devasted Tamil homeland, north and east. At the General Elections in April 2004, the Tamil people endorsed the ISGA proposal, by voting overwhelmingly for the Tamil National Alliance which contested the elections seeking endorsement of the ISGA and acknowledging the LTTE's national leadership of the Tamil people. Despite the three and a half years of truce, normalcy has
not been restored, instead, Over 400,000 displaced by the war remain displaced;
large tracts of fertile land are designated 'High Security Zones', fishermen
are restricted from venturing beyond 2 km from the shore and over 90,000
Sri Lankan armedforces continue to occupy the Tamil Homeland. We fear the peace process is under grave threat and resumption of war, a real possibility. While we appreciate Norway's continued attempts to revive the peace process, we wish to point out that the European Union's statement dated 26.09.2005, deciding not to receive LTTE delegations from visiting the EU Memebr States, has further endangered the peace process by: Placing the Tamils at a distinct disadvantage in countering
sustained attempts by influential sections of the Sinhala polity to misinform
and misrepresent events in respect of the peace process; European Tamil initiative for Peace 24 October 2005 LTTE warns CFA will collapse if Premier amends truce's terms The LTTE today warned that the Ceasefire Agreement would collapse if Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa amends the terms of the truce after being elected President. In an interview with Reuters news agency, the LTTE’s Peace Secretariat head S. Puleedevan said, “According to the Ceasefire Agreement and the peace process, the government of Sri Lanka and LTTE are the only equal partners. So nobody can change it. Nobody can touch it. “Nobody can take unilateral decisions ... that means that’s the end of the Ceasefire Agreement,” he continued. “These three years’ experience [since the truce was signed] clearly shows that we have lost hope with both sides, both the United National Party and Sri Lanka Freedom Party. “Whatever they said in their manifestos is nothing to do with what they will implement. We have no choice at all with these two candidates [because neither] are going to deliver anything tangible to the Tamil people,” Puleedevan added. Premier Rajapaksa has said in his election manifesto that he would amend the Ceasefire and monitoring mechanism to ensure that acts of terrorism would not be permitted in any way. Tamil representatives, Legal experts meet EU officials Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University
of Illinois and a leading practitioner and advocate of international law,
Mr. V. Rudrakumaran, an attorney of law based in New York, U.S, and a
legal advisor to the Tamil delegation at the peace negotiations, Professor
Peter Schalk, chair of History of Religions, at the University of Uppsala
in Sweden and Professor P Ramasamy, Visiting Professor of Political Economy,
Faculty of Social Sciences University of Kassel Germany, met a high level
delegation of EU External Affairs Committee on Monday at 3:00 p.m. in
Brussels following the Tamil diaspora rally. The experts invited to the meet, presented their view to the EU representatives on the peace process in Sri Lanka. Tamil diaspora representatives from various European countries including Ms. Eliza Mann from UK, Mr. Maheswaran from Denmark and Mr. Yogarajah Balasingham from Norway also participated in the EU meet. The Tamil Diaspora representatives handed over an appeal to the EU, sources said. Francis Boyle holds a Doctor of Law and a Ph.D. in Political Science, both from Harvard. He drafted the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989; served on the Board of Directors of Amnesty International (1988-1992); represented Bosnia- Herzegovina at the World Court; was Legal Advisor on the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of 1988 and Palestinian Peace Initiative, as well as Legal Advisor to the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East Peace Negotiations from 1991 to 1993; and helped to draft the Oslo Agreement. Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna MP, Mr. Gajendran Selvarajah and Mr. R. Thirumavalavan, from Tamil Nadu state in India and the leader of the Liberation Cheetahs party in Tamil Nadu, addressed the rally. TNA, SLMM meet in Vavuniya Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Sivanathan
Kishor , Sivasakthi Ananthan and Vino Noharathalingam (TELO) met with
Vavuniya Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) at the Vavuniya
SLMM offices Monday morning, sources in Vavuniya said. The discussion
centered on the National Resurgence Event scheduled to take place on the
27th of this month. The Tamil delegation requested the members of the SLMM to take steps to ensure that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police officers do not interfere with the preparations for the 27 October resurgence event being organized in co-operation with Tamil people in Vavuniya district. The delegation also pointed out the increasing number of violent incidents in Vavuniya. The TNA members told the SLMM unidentified men who lodged hand grenades inside the houses of Head of People Consortium, Mr Sathasivam Kulathevarajan, and of Mr Gunaratnam were alleged to have escaped through the area where there was heavy presence of Sri Lanka Police and that the SLMM should pressure the Sri Lanka Police to apprehend the assailants. The delegation also said the inability of the Sri Lanka Police to identify the killers of Grama Sevakha, Mr Perera Weerasingham has further alarmed the residents of Vavuniya who are questioning their own security and safety in the district. Mahinda comes to Kandy rally after Chandrika and Anura left President Chandrika Kumaratunga emphatically stated in historic
Kandy yesterday that nobody should be allowed to undermine the Sri Lanka
Freedom Party and added its vision and policies followed for decades should
be carried forward without an iota of change.She also sounded a warning
that party members should point out short comings of Prime Minister Mahinda
Rajapaksa to help him guide the SLFP along the correct path. The President
made these remarks at the Kandy rally of a series of rallies organized
to felicitate her services and to ensure victory of Prime Minister Mahinda
Rajapaksa. The President and her brother are at odds with Rajapaksa ever since he struck deals with anti-Bandaranaike and SLFP parties, after being named the presidential candidate of the SLFP. The significance of the Kandy rally was that presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa mounted the stage only after the President and Anura Bandaranaike had left the rally. President Kumaraunga stressed that the policies of the People's Alliance which helped the party to win 11 successive elections must not be betrayed and told SLFP supporters and the public that they should support Rajapaksa to carry forward those policies. While reiterating that she will never allow the party to be dissolved, the President asserted that she will remain as the SLFP leader as long as the people want her to be the party leader. The President entrusted the responsibility of carrying forward the country to the masses with the help of the SLFP and other friendly parties and claimed chauvinistic parties in the South who could not even muster 5% of votes do not have solutions to the national problem. Speaking at the rally Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike said a conspiracy forced the President to retire at the end of this year, even though she was elected for 12 years and warned that he would disclose the details of this conspiracy in Parliament shortly. He pointed out that speaking at public rallies serves no purpose as they are only attended by party members and added the two main presidential candidates - Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader -should take part in a television debate. Human rights watch group accuses Sri Lankan police of 'catastrophic' level of torture Sri Lankan police operate like thugs and gangsters, often committing "catastrophic" levels of torture, a human rights group said Monday, as it urged the United Nations to take measures to curb the abuses. The Asian Legal Resource Center said key institutions such as the police, prosecutors and the judiciary had effectively collapsed in Sri Lanka, leaving the country with no effective way to prevent torture. The Hong Kong-based group said that Sri Lankan police were responsible for a "catastrophic level of torture" and that many victims never pursued complaints due to fear of retribution because little protection is offered witnesses and victims. "Police in Sri Lanka often operate, not like professional law enforcement agents, but (like) thugs or gangsters, and this gang behavior is often displayed through abuse, use of violence and torture," the group said in a report. Sri Lankan police spokesman Rienzie Perera dismissed the allegations. He admitted there were isolated incidents of torture but said they were always fully investigated. Excerpts of the 180-page report were released ahead of U.N. Human Rights Committee hearings on Sri Lanka scheduled for Nov. 7-25 in Geneva. The committee is to focus on torture and police abuses, said Basil Fernando, a spokesman for the ALRC. The report said there was a lack of state-sponsored programs to help rehabilitate torture victims physically and psychologically. The group urged the United Nations to pressure the Sri Lankan government to implement a series of measures to help overcome flaws in the system, including enacting a witness protection law and establishing a permanent special body to investigate torture. It also called on the National Police Commission to strengthen its procedures for acting on complaints from the public, and recommended making senior police officials accept more responsibility for countering torture committed by subordinates. "The breakdown of the state justice machinery has been caused by the malfunctioning policing system where command responsibility is treated as a trivial matter," said the report. "The underlying problem is the inability of the policing system to uphold the rule of law." Policeman shot, wounded in Batticaloa Motorbike-riding gunmen followed and shot a Sri Lanka Police
constable who was on his way to his post at Jeyanthipuram in Batticaloa.
The incident took place around 4:30 p.m. Monday near St. Anthony's Church
in Karuvepankerny, 4 km north of Batticaloa. Two civilians wounded in grenade attack in Batticaloa Two motorbike-riding men Sunday evening lobbed a grenade
in front of a shop near Batticaloa Railway station wounding two civilians,
Batticaloa police said. The incident took place on Boundary Road at 7.25
p.m. Ven. Uduwe Dammaloka to support UNP candidate, JHU alleges money behind the move A well-known Buddhist preacher, Ven. Uduwe Dammaloka Thero, has decided to support UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickramasinghe in the forthcoming presidential election. Ven. Dammaloka Thero, who contested the last general election under the JHU ticket, got a large number of preferential votes in the Colombo district. However, he then stepped down from the all Buddhist monks’ party and decided to remain as an independent MP in Parliament. Prior to his decision to support the UNP leader at the presidential poll, Ven. Dammaloka Thero met with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and explained his political decisions, informed sources said. He also met with a UNP delegation and later decided to support the UNP candidate, a source close to the Ven. Thero told ColomboPage. Ven. Dammaloka Thero has since extended his fullest support for the UNP leader and vowed to start a separate campaign for him. Meanwhile, JHU parliamentary group leader Ven. Athuraliye Rathna Thero has blasted Ven. Dammaloka Thero and alleged that he betrayed JHU policies for Rs. 2 million. “We would expose this dirty political deal shortly,” he said. Fisherfolk protest
government 'inaction' Police arrest Defying police objections that the demonstration was illegal
protestors gathered in front of the Fort Railway station. Police later released Herman Kumara. "Boats yes, nets no" Iresha Niranjala who joined the protest from Rathgama in
Galle said that fisherman who lost their livelihood have not been compensated
effectively. TAMIL REBELS TO ALLOW CAMPAIGNING FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS The Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka say they will allow presidential candidates to canvas for the upcoming elections in rebel-held north east areas but will not support any candidate, sources within the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have said. The decision comes after consultations with the pro-LTTE Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance, which has representation in the Sri Lankan parliament. "We will let the Tamil people make their choice but we will not tell them whom to vote for," an LTTE spokesman said. The LTTE has been fighting for a separate state in the north and east of the country since 1983. They argued that the Tamils have been discriminated against by successive majority Sinhalese governments. A ceasefire was brokered between the government and the Tamil rebels more than two years ago and as peace talks progressed, the Tigers dropped their demand for independence and said they would settle for regional autonomy - a major concession. The government also gave ground and agreed to share power with the Tamil Tigers. The presidential election is scehduled for 17 Novermber and so far only one presidential candidate has expressed desire to campaign in LTTE-controlled territory and is reported to have gotten permission from the group. Victor Hettigoda, an Ayurvedic physician and traditional medicine entrepreneur who is running in the elections has confirmed that he would be heading off to the LTTE base of Killinochchi this week. "I have been told that I would be welcomed," he said when contacted. There has been no confirmation that either the opposition leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, or the prime minister, Mahinda Rajapakse, the two main candidates in the vote, would take the rebels at their word and campaign in the Tiger areas. "As it is we are trying hard to avoid getting hit by LTTE suicide bombers in other parts of the country," said a campaign organiser for the government’s presidential hopeful, Mahinda Rajapakse. A leading monk legislator of Sri Lanka said here Sunday that Buddhist monks should stay out of the island country's politics. Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka, one of the nine legislators representing the JHU, or the Heritage Party, said that political arena was corrupt and the political climate prevailing in the country was not suitable for monks to take active part in politics. The JHU made a sensational entry into local politics when the party was able to secure nearly 6 percent of votes in the parliamentary election held in April 2004. The JHU, however, became faction ridden resulting in a split of its nine member parliamentary group. Venerable Dhammaloka said that the JHU, which had opened doors for the monks to enter political fray, should now close the doors for their entry. He added that he would announce his stance on the Nov. 17 presidential election this week. The JHU has officially entered an electoral deal with the ruling party candidate, the incumbent Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, but Ven Dhammaloka said he, as an individual, has yet to decide which candidate to support. The JHU is opposed to any negotiations with the Tamil Tigers to solve the ethnic separatist conflict in the northern and eastern provinces by devolving power to the Tamil regions. EPDP urges all Tamil-speaking
people to support Rajapaksa Mr. Devananda said, “Premier Mahinda is the best option available to the Tamil-speaking people to resolve their problems non-violently and build a secure future to achieve their cherished goals of a federal constitution.” He also outlined his reasons to support Premier Rajapaksa through a 37-point programme. Minister Devananda said that after several rounds of open talks with the Prime Minister, the EPDP has come to the conclusion to support him. He urged the Tamil-speaking people to vote for Mahinda Rajapaksa without being “misled by empty and destructive emotions that would push future generations to dreaded military campaigns and bloodlettings.” 23 October 2005 Sri Lankan leaders for Indian model of federalism As the Sri Lankan election caravan winds its way across the island's districts, the Indian model of federalism is cited by the two main contestants, Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapakse and the Leader of the Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe. Quite different from the 1988 Presidential poll, when an "anti-India" rhetoric dominated the election campaign, both parties now refer to the Indian political structure as the way out of the "federalism" conundrum the island-nation is ever-so-frequently boxed into. Referring directly to the Indian model in his manifesto, Mr. Wickremesinghe says: "Whilst safeguarding the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka we will make a close study of the Indian example of a three-tier system of devolution." However, emphasising a home-grown solution, he states: "finally we must evolve a system of government that can be truly called our own." Mr. Rajapakse's campaign managers cite the Indian example of sharing powers within "a unitary structure." His Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) asserts that it "still stands for a federal solution based on the Indian Constitution." Political rhetoric At election platforms, however, the Indian example of federalism has not started to figure, making it, as a Sri Lankan diplomat pointed out to The Hindu : "a confidence-building exercise for an insecure south." The reluctance to use the phrase "federalism" is largely because of its imagery of secession. "Heavy political rhetoric has all but brainwashed the people, with both parties trying to bring into the agenda in a disguised manner," the former Sri Lankan ambassador pointed out. Over the decades, opponents of federalism, the latest in the list being the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) portray it as synonymous with separation. Despite various examples to the contrary, at the ground level it is the JVP-JHU perception that dominates an average Sinhalese mind. Mannar hospital suffers from nurse shortage 112 positions out of 147 positions for full time staffing
positions for nurses still remain vacant at the Mannar government district
hospital, and the hospital is currently functioning with only 35 nurses,
hospital officials said. Providing effective medical service to patients
warded in the hospital has become extremely difficult, said Mr.Selvam
Adaikalanathan, TELO Leader and Wanni district parliamentarian said in
a letter the Director General of health Services of the Ministry of Health.
He has sent copies of this letter to the North East Provincial Governor and other relevant authorities for immediate attention. Electricity outages irk Mannar residents Frequent outages of electricity supply in Mannar and its suburbs are hurting residents and economic activity in Mannar, and industrialists are complaining that frequent breakdown and fluctuation in the supply are damaging industrial machinery, Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan,TELo Leader and Wanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian said in a memorandum sent to the Minister of Power and Energy, Mr Susil Premajayantha. In several places in the Mannar district electric posts are found to be in the state of collapse due to poor maintenance and the authorities concerned have failed to take steps to repair or replace them, Mr.Adaikalanathan said in his letter. Mr.Adaikalanathan has brought to the notice of the Minister that a breakdown in electricity supply to Mannar district is reported almost every few hours causing immense hardship for State and private sector banks to run their service. Farmers who use electric motor pumps are in a dilemma to hire petrol driven water pumps for irrigation. People of Mannar district are of the view that Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is showing a lethargic attitude in providing a better service to them, he added. "I request you to send a team of CEB engineers immediately to Mannar to inspect the whole system of electricity supply to the district and take necessary steps to restore the supply to fulfill the needs of the people without any delay," said Mr.Adaikalanathan in his letter to the Minister. Trincomalee Declaration demands SL troops to vacate NorthEast Tamil speaking people in large numbers from north, west and south of the Trincomalee district attended the Tamil National Resurgence Convention held Saturday morning in the Playground located along the Inner Harbour Road in the east port city which is controlled by the Sri Lanka Army. Co-ordinating Committee of the Tamil national Resurgence in Trincomalee District, in the declaration, demanded the Sri Lanka troops to vacate the NorthEast land and seas and declared that the rally "demonstrates to the international community the thirst for freedom of the Tamil nation." Mr.K.Sivapalan, Attorney-at-Law and a human rights activist read out the Declaration of Tamil Resurgence Convention around 1:00 p.m. while thousands of Tamil people, men, women and students including several TNA parliamentarians stood and took oaths. Brammasiri S.Ravichandrakurukkal, Venerable Nandaretna Thera, Chief Incumbent of Mahadiulwewa Raja Maha Vihare, Rev.Fr.C.V.Annathas and Mr.A.H.Sahul Hameed also lit the flame of sacrifice and blessed the occasion. No police and army personnel were seen at the site of the convention. The vehicular traffic along the Inner Harbour Road was diverted at two points- Orr's Hill central junction and the other at Sea View Road junction- by the Trincomalee Police as a security measure. However, the Senior Superintendent of the Sri Lankan Police reacted to the hoisting the Thamileelam national flag at a venue which he said was a "state property". Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) based in Trincomalee led by their head Mr.Arthur Tveiten were present monitoring the situation. SLMM Monitor Tveiten said he handed over the complaint receivedd from the Lankan Police to Mr. R. Sampanthan, TNA leader, and he was waiting for the response. Mr.K.Thangarajah, Convention Committee Chairman presided. Cultural event was also held. Parliamentarians Messrs K.Thangeswary, K.Pathmanathan, N.Raviraj, K.Thurairatnasingham, Selvam Adaikalanathan and R.Sampanthan and several others spoke. Mr.N.Sriskandarajah, Secretary of the Convention Committee proposed vote of thanks. The full text of the Declaration of Tamil Resurgence read at the Trincomalee convention Saturday follows: Trincomalee Declaration After a half century since the independence of the Sinhala nation, Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism has shut all the doors to a democratic and peaceful settlement of the problems of the Tamil speaking people. In this context, we the Tamil speaking people inhabiting our traditional homeland are forced to place our desperate and perilous plight before the international community. We the Tamils had our own Government in this Island before the European invasion. The British Government forced upon us the unitary form of Government for their colonial administrative convenience and annexed the Tamil Nation to the Sinhala Nation. When the British quit this country in 1948, they handed over the governance to the numerically majority Sinhalese. Thus after improperly acquiring the governance of the country, the Sinhala race used their numerical majority to mistreat and oppress our people. Citizenship legislation was enacted to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of plantation Tamils. With the 'Sinhala Only' legislation, Tamils were deprived of their rights to language and employment. Emergency regulations and Prevention of Terrorism Act, as they are applied even today during the Ceasefire Agreement period, furthered the complete denial of Human Rights of the Tamils. Through systematic State sponsored colonization our traditional habitations were taken over by the Sinhalese adversely altering our demographic distribution and right to life especially in the East and more particularly in the Trincomalee District thereby making it impossible for Tamils to live in peace even in their own town, chosen by Tamil speaking as the Capital of the Tamil Nation. Against such oppression and discrimination the Tamil leadership of yester years protested with peaceful non-violent political campaigns. Although as a result of it, Agreements such as "Banda-Chelva Pact 1957", "Dudley-Chelva Pact-1965" were entered into, they were both abrogated unilaterally due to the Sinhala Buddhist extremism led by sections of the Buddhist monks and Sinhala opposition party leaders. The 1972 Republican Constitution and the 1978 Constitution with the Executive Presidential system were introduced without the participation or ratification of the Tamil people or their elected representatives, retaining Sinhalese as the Official Language of the country and making Buddhism the foremost religion of the State paving the way for racial and religious discrimination. The Constitution that should serve justice became the embodiment of injustice. Considering the futility of winning over their rights and realizing that there was no Sinhala Statesman who will rise to the occasion and bring about a solution, the Tamils passed the Vaddukoddai Resolution on 14th May 1976 and on overwhelming Mandate was given by the people of the North-East in the 1976 Parliamentary Elections through ballot foe secession. The majoritarian Sinhala State continuously brutally crushed the just struggle of Tamils using their armed forces composed almost entirely of the Sinhalese. Due to this the Tamil youth were forced to take up arms to ensure the protection of Tamil speaking people. It was as a result of the armed struggle by the LTTE under the able guidance of our national leader that the State came down to start the peace talks under the facilitation of the Norwegians. Three and a half years of cessation of hostilities, brought about in order to find a solution that will meet the just aspirations of the Tamil speaking people is being used by the Sinhala chauvinistic forces to further oppress and weaken them and to fortify their intransigent position. In this difficult situation, the Tamil resurgence Day is taking place in Trincomalee. With State colonization continuing, all the rights of the Tamils being denied and racial discrimination continuing, Tamil speaking people in their traditional homeland have gathered in numbers to show their feeling against such blatant oppression. The main objective of this Trincomalee Tamil National Resurgence Day will be to demonstrate to the international community the thirst for freedom of the Tamil nation for over half a century. It would also urge the international community that they should not yield to the deceit of the Sinhala chauvinist governments and other forces. Tamil speaking people desire to show their opposition to the action arbitrarily taken against the LTTE by the European Union without indictment, trial or judgement-the essential elements of the Rule of Law, under the Chairmanship of the British who have for years reaped the benefit of the Trincomalee Harbour and Naval Yard by its occupation. We therefore urge the European Union to be realistic, if they want to change the situation that has been created by the extremist forces on the ground against peace, and consider lifting their stand that LTTE delegations will not be welcomed to their member countries. Wherefore we demand through this Declaration that the occupying Sinhala Armed Forces do vacate our land and seas with immediate effect. We proclaim that an environment should be created to enable us to decide our destiny in our land on our own strength and for our people to continue to rise as a formidable force to procure the goal of a sacred and higher life of freedom. Whilst making the above Declaration, we seek the recognition by the international community of our basic rights and life of freedom with peace on the basis of our traditional homeland, our nationhood and self-rule and struggle for sovereignty. Three children, SLA soldier injured in Batticaloa Three children were injured in Batticaloa Sunday morning when Sri Lanka Army soldiers opened fire on gunmen who fired at SLA soldiers manning a sentry wounding one soldier. The incident took place around 8:45 a.m. The soldiers were manning a sentry point at the Zahira College on Rosario Road, 2 km north of Batticloa town. The children were refugees stationed in the refugee camp at the Zahira College, civilian sources said.The children were identified as Nadarajah Sasikaran, 4, Pirapharan Venitha, 7, and thavarajah Aniksha, 7.The SLA soldier was identified as J. M. A. Samitha, 20.The injured children and the soldier were rushed to Batticaloa hospital. The gunmen who fired at the two SLA soldiers manning the sentry point escaped from the site in a motorbike, civilian sources said.Batticaloa Police is conducting investigations into the incident. State radio boss removes news director The chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) has decided to remove his news director with immediate effect, sources said.State radio chairman Hudson Samarasinghe, who has been critical of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s campaign for presidency, has removed his news director, accusing him of giving more publicity to the Premier.“I don’t need pro-Mahinda director here at SLBC,” the SLBC chairman reportedly said at the daily management meeting on Thursday. News director Raja Katugampola was removed from his post yesterday, SLBC trade union sources said. It is also reported that several people were assigned to cover the director’s news duty from next Monday. “It’s ridiculous to remove permanent director of news; hence we have enough work ahead for the presidential election,” a SLBC trade union spokesperson said. Foundation laid for Chavakachcheri children medical unit Mr.Kyagama, Director of the Foundation for International Development Relief (FIDR) and Mr.K.Ganesh, Jaffna's Government Agent Saturday laid the foundation stone for children medical unit in the Chavakachcheri hospital. The unit is to be constructed at a cost 2 million rupees funded by the FIDR based in Japan, health department sources said. Dr.E Ketheeswaran, Provincial Director of Health Services and representatives of Thenmaradchchi civil groups consortium were present at the event. The Chavakachcheri district government hospital was destroyed in air and artillery attack in the middle of 2000 in the military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The hospital started functioning in temporary structures after the signing of the ceasefire Agreement. Mr.K.Ganesh, Jaffna Government Agent, speaking at the event said the reconstruction of the hospital with outdoor patient department (OPD) and the water supply will begin with the financial allocation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD) project, at an estimated cost of 75 million rupees. CBK-Ranil in crucial meeting today In the shadow of the November 17 presidential election, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga meets Opposition leader and United National Party candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe today to discuss a string of crucial political issues. Main among them is a common approach to the stalled peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The two leaders are to explore avenues of forging a common southern standpoint for the peace process particularly after the presidential election. The meeting assumes greater significance in the wake of
common positions expressed both by President Kumaratunga and Mr. Wickremesinghe. This is in marked contrast to the public declaration by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse that he was committed to a unitary Sri Lanka. In his manifesto officially released last Tuesday, he has also pledged to abolish the P-TOMS and instead introduce what he calls a Jaya Lanka programme. Details of this programme have not been spelt out. Today’s meeting comes against the backdrop of Ms Kumaratunga’s declaration to continue to remain as leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) even after the November 17 presidential election. Earlier, she had wanted to cease being the party leader. Adding importance is Kumaratunga’s move to launch a campaign to protect the SLFP. On Thursday she told a meeting of All Island local authority chairmen and vice chairmen that the identity of her party had to be preserved and launched an attack on the JVP for trying to destroy it in the past. She has also summoned a meeting of all district level SLFP leaders for Tuesday. PA General Secretary and Minister D.M. Jayaratne told The Sunday Times each district leader had been told to be present at Janadipathi Mandiraya at 10 a.m. with two representatives each. He said they had not been told the reason for the event.
But The Sunday Times learnt she is to discuss measures to protect the
identity of the SLFP. Mr. Wickremesinghe is also to appeal to Ms. Kumaratunga to put off the November 8 budget for a date after the presidential election. On Friday, UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya wrote to her asking that the budget be put off until November 22. “Given that the budget sets the government fiscal policy upto end 2006, it is only fair that it be determined by the policies and manifesto of the new President elected on November 17,” he pointed out. He said it was clearly impossible to present a balanced budget based on the assurances of the two main candidates since the Appropriation Bill had already been presented before such documents were even drafted. Muslim autonomy among SLMC’s 67 demands The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress decided to support the UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe only after he agreed to a 67-point list of demands, party leader Rauff Hakeem said. He said the SLMC leadership agreed to support Mr. Wickremesinghe’s candidacy after they had several rounds of talks with him over six months. “The SLMC central committee is convinced that he is a candidate who respects Muslim’s aspirations,” he said. According to Mr. Hakeem, some of the main points in the SLMC-UNP agreement are the inclusion of Muslims as a separate delegation in the peace talks, Muslim representation in post-tsunami reconstruction arrangements, refugee rehabilitation in the east and autonomy for a Muslim region in the east in any power-sharing deal with the Tamils. “Mr. Wickremasinghe is the only person who can put an end to the long-drawn ethnic conflict. When devolving power to the north and east we are confident that he will protect the rights of the Muslims and offer them some degree of autonomy without violating the the territorial integrity of the country. “Muslims don’t want to live under the domination of the LTTE. There should be a give-and-take policy with the LTTE when devolving power so that the rights of the Muslims in the area will not be compromised,” Mr. Hakeem said. Commenting on the party’s decision not to back the UPFA candidate Mahinda Rajapakse, the SLMC leader said: “We had talks with the Prime Minister as well. Although he agreed to consider our demands, we felt that he might change his stance once he is elected to office due to pressure from certain other parties in his coalition. “One could see that his manifesto has not even spoken about Muslim aspirations. Mr. Wickremesinghe has won international recognition and is experienced in handling the peace process. But Mr. Rajapakse is a virtual greenhorn in handling it.” Is Rajapakse campaign riding on rhetoric?
What followed was more of the Prime Minister as the family man, watching television with his three children and then Rajapakse the villager at ease at a ‘peduru party’ hobnobbing with the hoi polloi of Beliatte. A rare glimpse indeed, minus perhaps only the morning ablutions of the Premier. But this is also so typical of the theme of the Mahinda Rajapakse campaign: a man for all seasons, a man for all people, a family man, a father, accessible, friendly and at ease with the masses and before the cameras. And, if you haven’t realized it yet, so different in all these aspects from Ranil Wickremesinghe, the United National Party candidate for the Presidency. But if the two candidates have anything in common, it is that they have remained faithful to their respective political parties: Wickremesinghe stood by the UNP in its darkest days during the 1991 impeachment of President Premadasa and Rajapakse has always been a true blue faithful of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), a distinction that neither Chandrika Kumaratunga (who helped found the Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya with husband Vijaya) or Anura Bandaranaike (who was Minister of Higher Education in a UNP government) can claim. We do not know whether the young Mahinda Rajapakse, just 24 years of age when he was elected Member of Parliament for Beliatte in 1970 and then the youngest MP, harboured presidential aspirations at that time. But he has got to where he is simply by staying the course and asserting himself at just the right time. Rajapakse did lose at the 1977 general elections, being swept aside by the tsunami-like tidal wave of the J.R. Jayewardene inspired UNP victory, losing to Dr. Ranjith Atapattu, this being a second generation battle between the heirs of D.A Rajapakse and D.P. Atapattu in the ‘thattu maaru’ electoral politics of the Beliatte constituency in the Hambantota district. The defeat was compounded by having been sent to remand prison for an election offence, an attempted murder charge, of which he was later acquitted. So, he could boast the fact that he too has his share of ‘hira buth’(prison food), like the great Nelson Mandela, except that the offences were of a different degree. Rajapakse was in the political wilderness from 1977 all through till 1989, when a slice of good fortune in the shape of the proportional representation (PR) system enabled him to return to Parliament from the Hambantota district. Since then Rajapakse has tenaciously held his Hambantota seat in the House and bided his time while his intra-party rivals fell by the wayside: Anura Bandaranaike, sulking about losing the post-Sirima Bandaranaike leadership battle to sister Chandrika and walking into the waiting arms of the UNP and both Anuruddha Ratwatte and S.B. Dissanayake both eventually falling out of favour with President Kumaratunga. That is not to say there ever was a lot of love lost between Kumaratunga and Rajapakse. Kumaratunga apparently never forgave Rajapakse for not supporting her in the leadership stakes of the SLFP and siding with Anura instead. And the fact that Rajapakse has been able to claim for himself, in quick succession, the positions of Leader of the Opposition (February 2002), Prime Minister (April 2004) and presidential candidate (July 2005) despite this says something about Rajapakse the crafty politician. We see signs of Mahinda Rajapakse the political animal emerging in 2004 when he clinched the Premiership over the dark-horse at the time, Lakshman Kadirgamar who then had the backing of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and some of those now deeply engrossed in the Rajapakse campaign trail. The JVP faxed their request to the President to make Kadirgamar the Premier of their Alliance-led government and the Foreign Minister was anxiously waiting at home for the telephone call from Janadhipathi Mandiraya summoning him to become the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. But elsewhere, sections of the Buddhist clergy were unleashed, calling Kadirgamar a ‘Tamil-Christian’ and many quarters now hailing him as a great patriot and saviour of the Sinhala-Buddhist nation shot him politically dead at that time, to his great sadness, not so much because he did not win the Premiership but for being chastised as being unfit to lead this country because of the accidents of birth. Rajapakse meanwhile sat at President’s House and literally did not budge until President Kumaratunga relented, which she eventually did, fearing a backlash from the nationalist elements in the majority community. Whether Rajapakse has forgiven the JVP for this is a moot point, but he certainly hasn’t forgotten the issue. Recently at a meeting with the US Ambassador, the envoy spoke to him about the purchase of a coast-cutter gun-boat but Rajapakse thought this was a reference to the Coast Guard — this being a subject under the Ministry of Fisheries which was handled by the JVP. An annoyed Premier asked the Ambassador why the US is giving the ship to "those bastards". Taken aback, the Ambassador cleared the air, saying the gun-boat was actually for the Sri Lanka Navy and not the JVP run Fisheries Ministry, but it showed the resentment at the time. But then, that is Rajapakse the politician. His campaign strategists have advised him that hitching his wagon to the well-oiled political machinery of the JVP is the safest bet for the Presidency and he couldn’t care less about party policies, principles or personal preferences. We see Rajapakse, the political animal, again in early 2005 when Ranil Wickremesinghe, with pressure from his party cadres mounting, at first reluctantly, then with the full force of the grassroots UNP behind him, called for Presidential elections this year in the Jana Bala Meheyuma. In his speech at the conclusion of the campaign in July, Wickremesinghe made one of his finest public orations arguing his case. The President’s inner circle laughed at it, and the JVP made no comment, keeping their options open. But it was Mahinda Rajapakse who realised that if he was to be the Alliance candidate, 2005 was better than 2006 for him, because life, especially the economy, was only going to get worse — and if he was to run the race, it was better sooner than later. So, he too publicly called for polls in 2005 even though it meant antagonising President Kumaratunga. And we have to assume that it is co-incidence that the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) which went to courts asking for an election this year, is now supporting Rajapakse! Having decided that the JVP would be his main ally, Rajapakse has tried every method from the mundane to the mercurial to woo each and every vote. He has opted for a nationalist platform gambling that the swing from the Sinhala Buddhist majority will more than compensate for any minority votes that he will necessarily have to alienate. His campaign tactics have been a mixed bag: mass tamashas at Temple Trees for teachers, three-wheeler drivers and technocrats alike, a poster on every wall, having children interview “Mahinda maama” on national television, ‘personal’ letters addressed to all public servants and as many as three to four public rallies every day. In the interim, there have been many blunders that have been grist to the rumour mill. Relations between the Rajapakses and the Bandaranaikes are not at their best and there has been some expectation that Kumaratunga would upset the campaign apple cart. Rajapakse’s move to stop the ‘Helping Hambantota’ investigation has further eroded his credibility, or should erode his credibility, the minority votes appear to have been irrevocably forfeited and he may have also forsaken some SLFP votes because he appears to be dictated by the JVP rather than vice versa. The Rajapakse manifesto that saw the light of day after many false alarms this week is short of specifics though being grandiose in its vision for a unitary state and economic prosperity. It is called “Mahinda Chinthana” (“Mahinda’s Thinking”) and is prefaced by the words of another Mahinda — Arahat Mahinda — saying that he would be a caretaker of the country’s heritage rather than its owner. Clearly, the campaign aims to market the man as much as his mission, more so because the mission is rather mediocre in its content and not least because they are aware that the UNP has difficulty in marketing its own man.For instance, Rajapakse’s solution to the ethnic question is a unitary state, a call to the terrorists to disarm, renounce separatism, embrace democracy and negotiate within a set time frame. Easier said than done, one might say. But the point is: who reads the small print of manifestos anyway, except for columnists, analysts and rival politicians? The line that sells is the concept of a unitary state and the “Ranil aawoth rata bedei” fear that goes with it. And Wimal Weerawansa and his comrades will see to it that this message filters through to the masses. And so, against all odds, Mahinda Rajapakse keeps himself in the race. With regard to the economy, Rajapakse boldly espouses a
“balanced economy” — whatever that means to him —
and promises not to privatize the banking, power and transport sectors
— a demand of the JVP. There aren’t any startling economic
policies announced but there are promises of protecting jobs and promises
of relief measures for various industrial and agricultural sectors, so
different from the private sector that had a human face and was the ‘engine
of growth’ as proposed by Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1994. This is probably why the Premier is reported to have even invited Rauff Hakeem and Arumugam Thondaman to his grand coalition asking them to ignore the pledges made to the JVP and JHU claiming they were mere ploys to get their support. True, Hakeem and Thondaman didn’t join him, but the fact that he dared to do so is a reflection of the campaign philosophy: the end justifies the means. This is not necessarily a negative attribute; what Rajapakse has shown is that he is capable of being the rallying point to many political forces. Never mind the fact that it is a motley crowd: Somawansa Amarasinghe, Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Dinesh Gunawardena, Ferial Ashraff, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and D.E.W. Gunasekera to name a few — though Anura Bandaranaike cannot safely be included in the list just yet! There is nothing to be surprised about. This is a man who went to Parliament before he went to Law College, the man who is seen to be the epitome of the Sinhala Buddhist but shares a Christian environment at home, a man who was awarded the ‘Sri Rohana Janaranjana’ for his services to the Buddha Saasana but who also founded the Sri Lankan Committee for Solidarity with Palestine. This then is the real ‘Mahinda Chinthana’: knowing that he can play the quintessential politician, that he can appear to be all things to all people, even at the same time. And if the past two months are anything to go by, Rajapakse is quite good at it too. The obvious question is: in the event of a Rajapakse victory, will everyone live happily ever after? Privately, the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ on this aspect is that he will deal with both the JVP and his detractors in the SLFP ‘at the right time and in the right way’. As for the JVP, it is not that they love Mahinda Rajapakse much, but that they hate Ranil Wickremesinghe even more. Stranded as they are, they had one other option: allow Rajapakse to lose and return in a post-Wickremesinghe regime as the alternate government, a Marxist strategy of one step back, two steps forward. But the red revolutionaries did not want to take chances with Wickremesinghe in power and place with the state machinery and the executive presidency in his hands. So, they seem to have taken a second option — and not a bad one as far as they are concerned: immerse themselves in the Rajapakse campaign and win and gobble up the weakening SLFP from within — another Marxist if not Maoist ploy of assimilation. Mahinda Rajapakse must be seeing through this virtually inextricable current of political events where the prospect of the JVP jettisoning the SLFP as the left-leaning nationalist alternate to the right-wing, pro-western UNP looms large. But there is nothing he can do about it right now other
than to swim with the anti-UNP tide and defeat Wickremesinghe. Who knows,
he may even be harbouring thoughts of restoring the SLFP to its pristine
glory of the 1956 era. But for the moment, he is happy to have the red
comrades to paste his posters and make up the numbers — albeit with
red flags — for his rallies. But the real question is, even if he does win the election, would it mean the beginning of the end of the SLFP — the SLFP that Mahinda Rajapakse himself painstakingly nursed and nurtured through long years in the opposition, the SLFP which since 1956 has been the alternative political force in the country? Or, will it merely be the end of the beginning, the demise of the Bandaranaike dynasty, and a shifting of headquarters from Horagolla to Hambantota? Either way, the man from Giruvapattuwa has many miles to go and more promises to keep. Special Sarasaviya award for best Tamil film
The awards ceremony promises to be a grand affair this year and would introduce awards for other previously non-existent categories, such as a special award for the most acclaimed movie at the international level. This year will see the 30th Sarasaviya Film Awards. "This is an attempt to appreciate and encourage local Tamil cinema," Editor, Sarasaviya, Sunil Mihindupura speaking on the award for Tamil films, said. While a total of 28 Tamil films have been produced in Sri Lanka in the history of cinema, not a single one has even been attempted after the year 1983. The '83 riots saw the burning of a large number of Tamil-owned cinemas and studios in and around Colombo. According to Mihindupura, this year's award will go to P. S. Krishnakumar, who has directed two Tamil films. Commenting on the award, veteran film director and winner of the Presidential Award of Excellence, Jayantha Chandrasiri said this was a very important step in the history of Sri Lankan cinema. "It is high time we recognised the need for locally produced Tamil films, given that there is a large Tamil speaking population in the country," Chandrasiri said. He added that Sri Lankan Tamils were otherwise forced to turn to South Indian movies for contemporary entertainment, which was often of poor quality. "In addition the Lankan Tamils have an identity of their own, distinct from Indian Tamils or those anywhere else in the world, and we need to build a cinema industry that caters to this identity," he said, lauding the decision. Asked about the prospects of marketing locally produced Tamil films abroad, Chandrasiri said it was a definite possibility, given the large Tamil speaking populace spread around the world who might truly welcome the Sri Lankan brand of Tamil films. Indian film director, T. Arjuna, who has worked in Sri Lanka and directed Sinhala films was however of the opinion that producing Tamil films was not economically viable here." Given that an Indian production would cost around Indian Rs.150 million, while a Sri Lankan production at most would cost around Rs. 5 million, the marketability of the product is also in question," he said. According to Arjuna the best option would be joint ventures between the Indian and local film industries. Special unit to boost Tamil filmmaking Chairman, National Film Corporation, Sunil S. Sirisena was nevertheless quick to commend the decision. "No Tamil films have been produced in Sri Lanka since 1983 and it's time we restart," he said. Sirisena said that the Film Corporation had also recently established a division to promote locally produced Tamil films. "The division organises workshops, radio programmes, lectures and produces a magazine in an attempt to promote the production of local Tamil films," Sirisena said. A script for a Tamil movie has already been written by the division, according to Sirisena. Jaffna fishermen demand removal of restrictions Representatives of Jaffna district fishermen unions, Sri
Lanka Army (SLA) officers including Jaffna Military Commander Major General
Sunil Tennekoon met at the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) office
in Nallur Jaffna Saturday at 3 p.m. in an effort to resolve the hardships
faced by Jaffna fishermen due to the pass system, lack of light house
facilities and the restriction on fishing times, sources in Jaffna said. Military officials raised the issue of fishermen continuing to refuse the adoption of the "pass" system. Fishermen Union representatives said that currently the SLN has imposed a restriction that fishermen who go out to see for night fishing can only return to the shore after 5 a.m. "This restriction forces the fishermen to stay in mid-sea for more than 10 hours if they go out at 7 p.m, and especially with the prevailing stormy conditions, threat of tsunami and the threat of heavy rains due to the NorthEast monsoon fishermen may be forced to return to shore on emergencies. SLN's restrictions have placed a tremendous burden on our fishermen who are eking out a living," the union officials said. "Until these urgent needs of the fishermen are addressed and resolved the fishermen are not inclined to abide by the pass numbers and other restrictive procedures," the fishermen representatives told the security forces commanders. Further, the fishermen union officials demanded that the Light Houses located in areas occupied by the SLA and SLN, in Kankesanthurai, Point Pedro, Kovalam area in Kayts and Karainagar should be reopened, refurbished and allowed to function for the benefit for the overnight fishermen. The GA assured the attendees that he will organize another meeting to review matters related to Light Houses soon. The fishemen also complained that the SLA checkpoint inspection delays of the fish sent to the South from Jaffna make large amount of catch unfit for consumption and that SLA should take remedial measures to assist the fishermen. Major Tennekoon agreed to consider establishing two special inspection points for dealing with such perishable products and that he will take this issue in a follow-up meeting. 22 October 2005 TNA headquarters opened in Trincomalee The headquarters of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) was declared open Friday evening in Trincomalee town on the eve of the Trincomalee National Tamil Resurgence Convention to be held on Saturday morning. Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Jaffna district TNA parliamentarian lit the flame of sacrifice. Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader hoisted the Thamileelam national flag and Mr.Jospeh Pararajasingham, TNA National List parliamentarian unveiled the name board of the headquarters. Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan,TELO Leader and Vanni district TNA parliamentarian and Mr.Sampanthan jointly declared open the office by cutting the ribbon. Ms Pathmini Sithamparanathan and Ms K.Thangeswary, Jaffna and Batticaloa districts' parliamentarian lit the tradition oil lamp before entering the new office building. Fifteen parliamentarians Messrs K.Thurairatnasingham, Mavai Senathirajah, M.Kanagasabai, S.Ariyanethiran, S.Gajendran, S.Jeyananthamoorthy, K.Thangeswary, Pathmini Sithambaranathan, V Noharathalingam, R.Sampanthan, Joseph Pararajasingham, M.K.Eelaventhan, Selvam Adaikalanathan, K.Sivanesan and S.Kanagaretnam participated in the event. Thereafter a meeting followed with Mr.Thurairetnasingham in the chair and addressed by Mr.Mavai Senathirajah, Mr.Gajendran, Mr.Jeyananthamoorthy and Mr.R.Sampanthan, sources said. The TNA headquarters is located along Avvaiyar Road in the heart of Trincomalee town. The road earlier known, as Veechukkara Street was later renamed after Avvaiyar, famous Tamil poetess in the Sankam period. Relatives demand justice for missing Tamils in northern Sri Lanka Relatives of ethnic Tamils who disappeared allegedly after
being arrested a decade ago by security forces on Friday demanded that
Sri Lanka - reveal their fate or compensate the bereaved families. Amnesty International has estimated that 540 people, almost all Tamils, disappeared after the military took control of the Jaffna peninsula from the Tamil Tiger rebels in 1995. Jaffna is 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of the capital, Colombo. The country's Human Rights Commission in 2003 confirmed that 248 persons were killed or disappeared after they were arrested by the military on suspicion of being involved with the rebel Tamil Tigers. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam the official name of the Tamil Tigers has been fighting the government since 1983 to create a separate state for minority Tamils, accusing the majority Sinhalese of discrimination. More than 65,000 people have been killed in the conflict before a Norway-brokered cease-fire was signed in 2002. Peace talks broke down a year later when the rebels withdrew demanding more autonomy in the Tamil-majority northeast. The truce itself has become increasingly shaky in recent months because of frequent violence. Thuraisingham, whose 19-year-old son Senthilnathan was arrested in 1996 while still attending high school, said repeated pleas to the government for details of their loved ones had fallen on deaf ears. She said the families had handed a letter outlining their appeal for information to K. Ganesh, the top government official in Jaffna district, who promised to discuss the matter with the president's office. About 250 families in the association are demanding 500,000 rupees (US$ 5,000, euro4,164) each as compensation for the loss of the family's breadwinner. Government officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Norwegian Tamils march for peace More than one thousand Norwegian Tamils participated in a march carrying torches in the Norwegian capital Oslo Thursday evening. The demonstration, organised by a task group of ten Norwegian Tamil organisations and held in "Pongu Thamil" fashion, urged Norway to promote neutrality in the Sri Lankan peace process that has attracted the attention and involvement of several members of the International community. The demonstrators attended a rally in front of the Central Station in Oslo at 6:00 p.m. and marched towards the Norwegian Stortinget around 7:30 and concluded the march at the Stortinget around 8:00 p.m. The marchers carried placards urging the International Community and the European Union to excercise neutrality. The Hindu Priest of the Sivasubrmanya Temple in Oslo, Sivagama Kriyaratna Krishna Pangusa Kurukkal, and Oslo Tamil Catholic parish priest Rev. Fr. A.C. Inpanathan addressed the rally. Rev. Inpanathan in his address said: "Even after tsunami the Sinhala polity failed to allow humanitarian and reconstruction effort in the NorthEast by derailing the Joint mechanism. The world is now a witness to the extremism exhibited by Buddhist Chauvinism." Constitution of Sri Lanka has been systematically used as an instrument of oppression, he said. "We are afraid that the recent EU Declaration will serve as an impediment to the peace process," Fr. Inpanathan said. Ms. Deirdre McConnell, a UK based human rights activist involved in Tamil affairs and Mr. S. V. Kirubakaran from the Tamil Center for Human Rights (TCHR) spoke at the rally. McConnell, attending the rally said: "The Norwegians have a reputation for their neutrality and fairness. They have already done tremendous amount of work, and the responsiblity rests on the Norwegians to take up this important matter and lead the rest of the International Community," she said adding that the Norwegians are well placed to give the unbiased version of the ground reality to those "who need to hear" in the International Community. "Equality between the parties to the conflict is the key to a peaceful resolution of the conflict," McConnell observed and said that the International Community has the responsibility to do their upmost for the peace and overcome the obstacles. Oslo Town Council member of Red Election Alliance (RV) Ms.
Liv Gulbrandsen, and Reza Reziee, the International Committee leader of
the Socialist Leftist party also spoke at the rally supporting the demand
for a just peace. Addressing the rally, the speakers observed that the
friendly atmosphere emerging between the peoples in Sri Lanka is hampered
by the destructive power-politics in the South. An NTF representative and Oslo Town Council member of Labour Party, Mr. Yogarajah Balasingham, a Tamil, read out the appeal by NTF outside the Norwegian assembly. A copy of the appeal was also handed over to Ms. Ågot Valla, a representative of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Norwegian Assembly. "Peace at any cost" - Vasudeva Nanayakkara Leader of the New Left Front Vasudeva Nanayakkara says Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa would achieve peace at any cost if elected on November 17. Addressing a gathering of intellectuals in Colombo, Mr. Nanayakkara said Premier Rajapaksa was the only leader who can unite Southern political forces before entering into peace talks with the LTTE. “Southern political consensus is very important for final solution, especially to implement the final proposal,” he said. He said all the extreme parties in the South are now working as one political force to achieve victory for Mr. Rajapaksa and the same political force would negotiate with the LTTE in the future to ensure lasting peace for the country. “Prime Minister himself is a leader who is listening to all political voices and therefore he can easily achieve the peace objective,” an optimistic Mr. Nanayakkara said. Anandasangaree urges
EU to save Sri Lanka Tamils from the LTTE In an interview with a news agency, the TULF leader, whose name is on the LTTE’s hit list, said, “The modern democracies can’t be polluted by fascist elements, and the only option the EU has is to proscribe the LTTE in the EU.” He also appealed to the EU leaders, “This is the most opportune time for the international community to liberate the Tamils from the LTTE.” Pointing a finger at the Tamil National Alliance MPs, the TULF leader said it was very unfortunate that the TNA Members of Parliament, who claim the LTTE as the ‘sole representatives’ of the Tamil people, have condemned neither the recruitment of children nor any killings including the murder of two principals from leading colleges in Jaffna. Some TNA MPs are also planning to take part in the rally in Brussels, he said. Tamileelam Police opens inquiry office in Pallai Tamileelam Police Friday opened a new office in LTTE controlled
Pallai area enabling the Jaffna district residents to settle disputes.
Mr.Naga Paramanathan, acting head of the Jaffna District Inquiry Unit
of the Tamileelam Police said people could seek the services of the newly
opened office to settle civil disputes, sources said. Civilians alleged that there were complaints of bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka police stations during the process of registration of complaints and during the resolution phases, sources said. Tamil Alliance won't
support any presidential candidate “None of the candidates are representing Tamil aspirations and we find it difficult to support any of the presidential candidates,” M. Raviraj, Jaffna District TNA MP said. TNA’s decision is upsetting to the UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe since Tamil votes are a crucial factor for his campaign, political analysts say. “Opposition Leader has designed his campaign to attract more Tamil votes from TNA. He would really be disappointed if he failed to secure TNA’s support for his campaign,” UNP MP T. Maheswaran said. TNA sources added that the party needs to play a more neutral role at the crucial election amidst pressure from the southern political parties inviting to join them. “We have received several invitations from the UNP to discuss a possible alliance with them but so far we haven’t responded to them,” MP said. Muslim United Liberation Front to support Ranil "Mr. Mahinda Rajapkse has allied with racialist forces, which have already started their racial campaigns, therefore, as a party and as peace loving people we have decided to extend our support to UNP presidential candidate Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe", said Mujibur Rahman, the Secretary General of the Muslim United Liberation Front, at a press conference held at the Nippon Hotel in Colombo, today. Addressing the media personnel Rahuman said that their party had respected Mr. Wasudeva Nanayakkara, for his contribution towards the aspirations and rights of minorities for the sake of peace in the country, but now his patriotism unfortunately had become history. He had joind the camp of Mr. Rajapaske whose campaign is driven by southern extremist parties, the JVP and the JHU themed on a racialist platform, which would derail the stalled peace process. He also said that his party had decided to unconditionally support the UNP candidate. "We are not looking for any parliament seats, portfolios etc., but to prevent another war and to solve the ethnic conflict through negotiations, we have deiced to support Mr. Wickeremasinghe" he said. On the question whether the party would look forward to involve in any future peace talks with the LTTE, representing the Muslim community, Rahuman said "we are happy that Mr. Wickremasinghe has agreed on a separate Muslim delegation in the peace talks. As far as participation is concerned, the SLMC is the party which has the largest mandate of the community in the house and there is also NUA but others are not representing any Muslim party. I believe that there will be no disputes but proper representation of Muslims" he said. The MULF also expressed its disappointment and condemned the Ven. Rathana Thera's recent comments insulting the Muslim community, when he appeared along with the TNA parliamentarian Mr. Raviraj, in a television programme, last week. “Hands off our educational activities” -Jaffna Central Students Union warns EPDP “We will not permit EPDP and its stooges to hijack our educational pursuits for their political propaganda” said the Advanced Level Students Union of the Jaffna Central College in a statement issued yesterday relative to the sabotage attempts of the EPDP and the Sri Lankan Military in pursuading students to continue with their protest demonstrations in connection with the killing of Mr.K.Rajadurai, Principal, Jaffna Central College. Excerpts: “Students are advised not to fall into the political trap of the traitorous political elements that are trying to sabotage the national efforts for peace through negotiations. EPDP members who attended the funeral with military protection insisted on the students handing over the coffin to them, which they had planned to be taken to the SLMM office and exhibit in a demonstration. The students refused to comply with this stating that they don’t want to become prey to political machinations of the EPDP. Demonstrations were over with the funderal and when the students returned back to school yesterday, EPDP activists presurrised them to continue with the demonstration and went on distributing subversive pamphlets. Spurious pamphlets are being posted everywhere that students are to continue the protest whereas, we strongly object to this sabotage attempt to disrupt our educational pursuits for the sake of EPDP’s political image building. We will continue with our studies while at the same time contributing to the national freedom struggle.” Austrian help to reconstruct Eastern railway THE Railways Ministry has decided to reconstruct the Eastern railway line to expand train operations to the Eastern part of the country. A Ministry spokesman said that the Austrian Government has expressed willingness to provide financial assistance to renovate the railway line which runs from Colombo to Batticaloa. "The reconstruction of the rail track from Valachchchenai to Batticaloa which is in a dilapidated condition will be undertaken as a priority under this project," he said. Austria has agreed to provide euro 20 million on a concessionary rate for the project which will be carried out by Austrian Federal Railways, a company owned by the Austrian Government. Only three trains now operate on the Eastern railway line from Colombo to Batticaloa. Two other trains operate to Batticaloa from Mahawa and Gal Oya. Once the railway line is renovated steps will be taken to increase the number of trains on the line, the Ministry said. Police petition rejected
The twenty three police officers in their petition appealed to the Supreme Court to annul the decesion of the National Police Commission. The Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva delivering his judgement said that these police officers could no longer be allowed to be in uniform, which is unacceptable. "I am surprised as to why the Inspector General of Police took such a long time to take action against them", the Chief Justice said. The Chief Justice rejected the claim by the defedent lawyer that the National Police Commission did not have power to take action against the police officers. National Police Commission is empowered to take disciplinary action against the police officers, The Chief Justice said. 21 October 2005 No funds from budget for 'Mahinda Chintana' proposals Finance Minister Dr.Sarath Amunugama has informed the government hierarchy that he is unable to incorporate promises in Mahinda Chintana in the budget. Amunugama has stated that he would make every effort to present a relief oriented budget, but has pointed out unfeasible proposals such as increasing the Samurdhi allowance to Rs. 5000 could not be included in the budget and has warned to step down if pressure was exerted on hin to include such proposals. Muslim man shot dead in Akkaraipattu Two motorbike-riding gunmen shot and killed a Muslim man
near Akkaraipattu Asha school Wednesday night around 8:00 p.m., Akkaraipattu
police said. Asgiriya Mahanayake to query PM on tsunami funds Official receipts not issued yet by Premier’s office, claims former DN When former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeratne met the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter yesterday, the prelate said that he would request authorities concerned to ascertain what had happened to the Rs. 2,500,000 donated from Sri Dalada Maligawa Funds and the Rs. 150,000 donated from the prelate’s personal funds to provide relief to tsunami-affected persons. Mr. Wijeratne had informed the Most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkhitha Thera that official receipts have so far not been issued in respect of the donation. The donations were made by cheques. The Sri Dalada Maligawa cheque had been addressed to the Prime Minister’s Secretary and the cheque from the prelate’s account had been handed over to the former Governor of the Central Province, late Monty Gopallawa in the presence of the Maha Sangha including the Mahanyake Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters. Mr. Wijeratne informed the prelate that Mr. Gopallawa had informed him in writing that the prelate’s cheque had been referred to the Prime Minister’s office. EPDP courts volunteer teachers for election support Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) met with volunteer
teachers at their Head Quarters in Jaffna located in the Sridhar theater
Thursday morning and solicited their cooperation to do election propaganda
on EPDP's behalf supporting the presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse, sources
in Jaffna said. Sources attending the meeting said that only a handful of volunteer teachers were present and they had explained the difficulties in participating in election work due to the prevailing political climate in Jaffna. The meeting was held under heavy security and the participants were thoroughly searched before allowed entry into the office building, according to sources. Human rights violations
of tsunami victims-BBC The report also says, "armed conflict is ongoing, children are being recruited to serve as combatants… and adults are living in fear among warring groups" indicating that "significant human rights problems persist" in Sri Lanka. Children's rights violated Amnesty International, a worldwide organisation which aspires to improve and protect human rights, has put forward concerns of "orphaned children [being] recruited as soldiers by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)". This subject has become a delicate issue and many agencies have outlined the importance of respecting and protecting the exposed children. UN report says the issue needs to be addressed "Ms. Bellamy (from the United Nations Children’s fund) had also confronted leaders who failed to protect children, going to Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Sudan to advocate demobilizing child soldiers". Not only are there cases relating to children, but also to the women of Sri Lanka, the United States Department of State acknowledged the need to "help raise post-tsunami awareness about the risk of trafficking among vulnerable groups". Women are abused However, women are apparently "excluded from participation in disaster relief and their voices silenced" says the Pesticide Action Network (PAN); forbidding them to be involved in taking decisions, to prevent such violations of human rights". "Gender-specific after shocks, ranging from women giving birth in unsafe conditions to increased cases of rape and abuse" has become common findings among some surviving women of the tsunami in Sri Lanka", says PAN. The Asia Pacific Women, Law and Development (APWLD), which has a membership of over 110 women's organisations across Asia and the Pacific, revealed that one of the worst violations of women's rights occurred in Sri Lanka. "Survivors report unexplained variation" particularly in Sri Lanka, reports the University of California. Fisherman without boats In Sri Lanka, "it is not uncommon to find that fishermen in one village have received aid to rebuild their damaged boats, while fishermen in a nearby village have received no assistance" proclaims the East - West Centre, Honolulu in Hawaii, another internationally renowned centre for generating peace through "research, education, dialogue on critical issues of common concern to the Asia Pacific region and the United States". "One fisherman (in Matara) complained that … they knew fishermen in Hambatota had obtained (new boats) because that was where the prime minister had a home", this was a statement by a tsunami survivor, in the Harvey M. Weinstein of University of California’s report on Sri Lanka; After the tsunami. The University of California’s study shows discoveries of "government agencies as a result of favouritism, political influence, red tape, incompetence and caste affiliation, distributing aid in areas they pleased, without taking into account the equal right of all the tsunami survivors to require essential aid". The East-West Centre has said that "relief, resettlement and reconstruction aid are largely taking place without consultation with the affected communities", resulting (for Sri Lanka) in "demonstrations against local authorities". This reflects Laurel Fletcher’s voice recently, on how "Tsunami victims… have virtually no say in how their towns and communities will be re-built". "Statistics and government reports do bear out the allegations regarding the disparate pace of reconstruction" says Harvey M. Weinstein. This is a "sharp contrast to what (was) heard in the North East". These allegations are backed up with evidence founded by the University of California, and illustrate an apparent unfairness between the Sri Lankans living in different locations across the country. Arbitrary arrests The book "After the Tsunami" by Human Rights Centre, University of California also demonstrates cases of "arbitrary arrests" not only in Sri Lanka but in other tsunami-affected areas such as Indonesia, Thailand, India and the Maldives. The University of California have also discovered that there are "widespread inequities" furthermore APWLD voice that December's tsunami has ''sharpened existing inequalities''. Whether these inequalities existed before the tsunami or not, it is clear that the onset of the tidal wave has provoked further breaches of human rights within the country, where "vulnerable populations [became] even more vulnerable" (East-West Centre). The "psychological support is the next essential step to long-term livelihood recovery", states PAN. 18th anniversary of IPKF Hospital massacre to be held Eighteenth death anniversary of twenty-one persons including
medical specialists, nurses, attendants, patients and members of public
who were massacred inside Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) by Indian Peace
Keeping Force (IPKF) troops stationed in Jaffna Fort on 21st October,
1987 is to be observed Friday in the hospital premises, civil sources
said. The soldiers of the IPKF, advancing from the Jaffna Fort
to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, shot dead the 21 staff inside the hospital
even after they identified themselves as members of the medical staff,
sources said. US Ambassador meets SLMM, SLA in Trincomalee Mr.Jeffry Lunstead, US Ambassador in Sri Lanka, paid a one-day visit to Trincomalee town Wednesday and held discussions with Trincomalee heads of State armed forces and Police and the members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) based in the east port town. His Secretary, Defense Attache and Political Affairs Secretary accompanied him, diplomatic sources said. The discussions with the Major General Sumith Balasuriya, General Officer Commanding of the Brigade 22 headquartered in Plantain Point, Orr's Hill in Trincomalee, Mr.Rohan Abeyawardene, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for eastern region, and services commanders centered on the security situation, sources said. Military officials are said to have briefed the US diplomat about the frequent attacks on the sentry points, sources said SLA authorities maintain that LTTE is behind such attacks. However, Tamil sources alleged that security forces themselves to strengthen their sentry points as mini-camps engineer such attacks, sources said. Later Mr.Jeffry Lunstead met with the members of the SLMM led by its leader Mr.Arthur Tveiten at their Trincomalee office and obtained their views about security concerns of the east port city, SLMM sources said. With the deployment of large number of troops in the town following the erection of a Buddha statue in the vicinity of the central bus stand, grenade attacks on army sentries take place frequently in the suburbs of east port town. Sentry points are seen almost in front of every school in the Trincomalee town. Security personnel carry empty barrels in their trucks and without any notice set up a roadblocks placing empty barrels across the road and start checking vehicles at random, Tamil sources said. Sri Lanka President urges peoples to vote for PM to continue SLFP's policies President Chandrika Kumaratunga yesterday insisted on taking the policies of the SLFP forward and urged the people to vote for Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential election. Addressing a massive rally in Ratnapura yesterday, the President said “I will be leaving office as a happy and satisfied person but I would continue to be the President of the SLFP and serve the people.” The President also hailed the ceasefire agreement for creating an investor-friendly atmosphere and said, “Whatever others may have to say, I personally believe the ceasefire brought about a peaceful situation in the country.” The President also charged the private media for continuously attacking her. President's office denies Sri Lanka President had secret talks with LTTE in Paris Both the Presidential Secretariat and the Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France have denied that President Chandrika Kumaratunga had a secret meeting with two LTTE leaders when she visited Paris recently. Referring to an interview given by the LTTE’s breakaway leader Karuna that the President had secret discussions with LTTE leaders in France, Director General of the President's media unit, Eric Fernando stated “President Chandrika Kumaratunga as a matter of principle does not meet leaders or members of terrorist organizations either formally or secretly as your interviewee in the article claims.” Chitranganee Wagiswara, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to France stated that the Sri Lanka Embassy in Paris was assigned the task of preparing the programme for the President’s working visit to France. "During her stay in France she had bilateral meetings with political leaders in France including President Chirac, Foreign Minister Mr. Philippe Douste-Blazy and Leader of the Socialist Party Mr. François Hollande. All these meetings were arranged by the Embassy.” President was in Paris to attend a UNESCO Conference at the invitation of its Director-General, Koichiro Matsuura. ITRO warns peace building disrupted by smears, attacks The International Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (ITRO)
has written to Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga protesting
her government’s role in a propaganda campaign against its organisation
and physical intimidation of its aid workers. “We notice that sections of your Government, certain nationalist political parties and associated organisations in Sri Lanka and overseas and the local media in Colombo have intensified malicious propaganda campaigns against the TRO family,” Mr. Naga Narendran, the ITRO’s Director, said. “We are also experiencing increased physical intimidation and violence against TRO’s personnel and properties in Sri Lanka,” he said in a letter issued earlier this month by ITRO’s London offices and also circulated to media in Colombo. Mr Narendran cited attacks on the organisation’s offices in Sri Lanka Army-controlled parts of the Northeast in which TRO staff had been killed or wounded and substantial property destroyed. “We consider these as attacks on the tsunami and war affected innocent peoples’ capacity to get back on their own feet.” “Focus on the urgent and substantial needs of the war and or Tsunami affected people of the North-East is being distracted by this sustained propaganda and physical assault, hence, we write this appeal to you with a view to contain it." Pointing out that TRO’s post-tsunami shelter providing activities in Sri Lanka had earned the organisation the President’s Merit Award, Mr Narendran argued ITRO’s “contribution to peace building [is] another casualty of the malicious campaign. It is also undermining TROs potential capacity to assist with future peace initiatives.” Education Council supports Trinco Resurgence Convention The Council for Advancement of Education of Trincomalee District (CAETD) Thursday issued a statement appealing to all students, parents and intelligentsia to attend the Tamil National Resurgence Convention (TNRC) scheduled to be held on Saturday in the east port town in full strength. "The Convention is being held to echo the legitimate aspirations of Tamil people to the international community and other parties concerned that Tamil people cannot be deprived of their right to self determination" said the statement. The main objective of the TNRC is to show the international community the unity of Tamil people in achieving their legitimate political aspirations and also to urge its support for the achievement of Tamils' goals, the statement added. All arrangements are finalized to hold the TNRC on October 22 at the children's playground located along the Trincomalee Inner Harbour Road in front of the Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall on one side, in front of the Provincial Governor's Secretariat on the other side and facing the Trincomalee harbour. Awareness meetings are held in the villages from north to south of the Trincomalee district to gain support for the TNRC, sources said. 20 October 2005 Mahinda manifesto: TNA, SLMC critical The TNA yesterday criticised the Mahinda Chintana manifesto for not having mentioned anything positive regarding the peace process, stating this clearly showed that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse cannot resolve the country’s national question. TNA Parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham told the Daily Mirror yesterday that power could not be shared under a unitary constitution. The Tamil community had rejected, more than 50 years ago, a solution to their problem under a unitary constitution, he said. He said the P-TOMS was a mechanism to address the humanitarian issues of tsunami-affected people, and added it was a pity that Premier Rajapakse had pledged in his manifesto to scrap it. “The idea of an interim solution before a final solution is worked out to the North-East problem has also been rejected. Therefore all aspects relating to peace are negative in his manifesto,” he said. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress general secretary Hasan Ali said the Muslim dimension to the ethnic problem had not been reflected in the manifesto, and therefore this caused anxiety. “It is not merely a manifesto. It is a gist of the political thoughts of the Prime Minister. We note that the SLFP Working Committee was not involved in formulating it,” he said. He said that Mr. Rajapakse was planning to model his solution on a peace pact signed by the Indonesian government with the Aceh militant group. “In this agreement, enormous powers are to be given to the particular militant group, including the power to raise funds and collect taxes. We want to know whether the LTTE is also going to be given such powers here,” he asked. He said this matter should be clarified by Mr. Rajapakse. Sri Lankan UAV comes down in Vanni An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) launched from the Joseph
camp in Vavuniya for surveillance mission into the Liberation Tigers controlled
area has come down in Vanni Wednesday afternoon, sources in Kilinochchi
said. A UAV was seen coming down in Vignanikulam between 9th Mile and
Karappukuththi, around 20 km northeast of Omanthai, according to civilian
sources in Vanni. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) sources in Colombo also confirmed
that an UAV was missing. The SLAF used up to half a dozen Israeli built drones extensively during major military offensives in the Vanni region in the late ninties. Almost all were lost either through LTTE ground fire or accidents, Sri Lankan press reports said at the time. Built by Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI), the planes were said to cost half a million dollars each. Drones - also called Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPV) - are controlled from the ground from a command room with television sets. The aircraft carry onboard computers and cameras and transmit high resolution pictures back to the command room. Sri Lanka places 82nd on global lack of corruption list Sri Lanka has placed 82nd on a list that ranks countries from least to most corrupt. Iceland was in first place as the cleanest, while Sri Lanka took the 82nd spot with a score of 3.2, Transparency International said in its annual report. Transparency International said serious levels of corruption existed in two-thirds of the 159 countries surveyed and there was a clear link between poverty and corruption. Half of the countries that landed in the bottom 10 on the list were African countries, while those at the top were industrialized Asian and Western countries, it added. Transparency International Chairman Peter Eigen said, “Corruption is a major cause of poverty as well as a barrier to overcoming it, locking poor countries in a cycle of misery. “Corruption must be vigorously addressed if aid is to make a real difference in freeing people from poverty,” he continued. An increase in perceived corruption from 2004 to 2005 can be measured in countries such as Costa Rica, Gabon, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay, the report said. Hong Kong ranked 15th with a score of 8.3, Japan was 21st at 7.3, France was 18th at 7.5, Taiwan and Qatar were both ranked 32nd at 5.9, Jordan was 37th at 5.7, and Turkey was 65th at 3.5. Grama Sevaka officer shot dead in Vavuniya A Grama Sevaka (village level) officier, Mr. Perera Weerasingham,
53, was shot and killed in Kankankulam, 18 km northwest of Vavuniya town,
Vavuniya Police said. The GS of Kankankulam village was on his way home
from work in a motorbike when two unidentified motorbike-riding gunmen
gunned him down on Poovarasankulam - Chettikulam Road 4:45 p.m., police
said. The GS was threatened by the paramilitary cadres belonging to Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) two months ago, civilian sources said. Highway to link Negombo
and Trinco The government hopes to invest a large amount of funds that are obtained from bilateral grants, donations and domestic savings for the development of infrastructure.” MULF Condemns Rathana Thero’s comments;Rasthiyadu Karayoth Thambi Minisuth" responsible for 83 Riots In a television programme named ‘News Line' on October 13, Bhikku Parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera had said that the 1983 black July violence unleashed against the Tamil community was an act by the thugs and Muslims, a media release, condemning the thera's statement by the Secretary General of the Muslim United Liberation Front (MULF) says. The Ven. Rathana thera had also said that he had protected and provided security to the innocent Tamils in his temple, whereas thugs and Muslims (Rasthiyadu Karayoth Thambi Minissuth) were responsible for inciting ethnic clashes, the statement says. The Secretary General of the MULF, Mujibur Rahman had said that when it was a known fact to the entire world that it was the racialist extremist forces who unleashed such violence against Tamil. The Muslim community amidst all risks provided maximum security to innocent Tamils. A large number of Muslims were also killed during the clashes for the reason they did not talk Sinhala. "Ven. Rathana thera's this statement had caused a serious insult to the Muslim community" it stated. The MULF while requesting all Muslim leaders to condemn such injurious statements against the Muslim community had urged all progressive Sri Lankan people to join them in denouncing these racialist statements. (A.B) Premier turns to younger brother while Defence Ministry turns its back on him. Prime Minister and Freedom Alliance presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed his younger brother retired Lt. Col. Gotabaya Rajapaksa as his defence consultant. The appointment comes in the wake of step motherly treatment dished out to Rajapaksa by the Defence Ministry. The appointment has been approved by the Cabinet on a memorandum
submitted by the Premier to the September 21 Cabinet meeting. Lt. Col Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a retired army officer residing for a long time in Los Angeles, California and returned to the island after the Prime Minister was named a Freedom Alliance presidential candidate. An official of the Prime Minister's staff told 'Lanka e News' that the response from the Defence Ministry for repeated requests made by the PM?s secretary Lalith Weeratunga for enhanced security and better escort vehicles for the Premier were far from satisfactory. He added that even though two Indian made Tata safari jeeps and additional army personnel had been deployed recently for the Premier's security following intelligence reports that Mr.Rajapaksa's life is under threat from the LTTE, other vehicles assigned to his security - two Benz and two BMW cars-which have even used by Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Ministers, are not in proper running condition. Even the President has instructed Rajapaksa to be watchful and owing to security concerns she had recently advised him not to attend two rallies organized by Minister C.B.Ratnayake at Nuwara Eliya and Walapane. Sri Lanka President returns from Britain President Chandrika Kumaratunga last night returned to the island after a private visit to Britain. The President was in Britain to attend her son Vimukthi Kumaratunga’s convocation at Bristol University. After attending a public rally in Wariyapola to support presidential candidate Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa last Thursday, the President took off for Britain.She is expected to attend nearly ten more public rallies starting today in Ratnapura. Two more LTTEers enter hospital Two senior LTTE cadres, who had been seriously ill were brought to Colombo from Kilinochchi yesterday by road for medical treatment, with the approval of the Government Peace Secretariat.A Peace Secretariat spokesperson told the Daily Mirror that a military escort had been provided for to bring the two cadres from Omanthai to Colombo. “We only provided a military escort and allowed for the road movement on ‘humanitarian grounds’. The two cadres had been brought in their own vehicles,” he said. The spokesperson also said the LTTE sought the Government’s approval, on Tuesday, through the ceasefire monitors, to transport two of its senior cadres to Colombo with military escort and the Peace Secretariat had approved it. Of the cadres, one was suffering from a brain ailment and the other from a complication to his spine. It is also learnt that both cadres were in critical condition. Military sources also said that these two cadres had been suffering from a long time. The Peace Secretariat also provided air transport to bring down a seriously injured senior LTTE leader in the East from Batticaloa to Colombo last week following a clash between the Karuna faction and the Wanni faction. The senior leader is still receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. Police arrest army deserter involved in 42 robberies A suspect allegedly involved in 42 day light robberies was arrested by the Crimes Investigation Unit of the Badulla police Badulla Magistrate , Pradeep M. Abeyratne remanded the suspect till October 24. Police said the suspect Weerakkody Sunil Shantha (24) of Cheenakotuwa Galle, had robbed jewellery, money, electrical goods, and fire arms from a number of houses in the area. A person identified as Shafler Wijekumara who is alleged to have assisted the robbery suspect to mortgage the articles at banks was remanded till October 27. Police said a hand bomb and a pistol the suspect Shantha was carrying at the time of his arrest was taken into custody. Police enquiries revealed that the suspect -- an army deserter -- had been detained earlier at the Matara remand prison. He had escaped after assaulting the prison guards while under treatment at the Matara General Hospital. Shantha had fled away to Badulla with his wife and children where he engaged in house breaking. Badulla Police Assistant Superintendent said that on a Court order the jewellery valued at some Rs. 1,000,000 mortgaged to banks would be taken into police custody. Meanwhile another suspect Nishantha Abeyaratne arrested on charges of possessing stolen goods was released on surety bail. Protest against killing
Jaffna scholars The JVP-led Students for Human Rights, were protesting against the killing of two college principals last week in the Jaffna peninsular. The students allege that Tamil rebels, LTTE, carried out the killings. "Bogus peace" Student spokesman, Nuwan Sanjeewa accused the LTTE of carrying out a "bogus peace" while strengthening their military arsenal. He also criticised the Norwegian of bias. "We know that the Norwegian government is the only European government that opposed the EU ban on LTTE. We call upon the Norwegian government as facilitators to talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers to persuade the LTTE to lay down their arms and enter into real peace," said Sanjeewa. Last Tuesday the principal of Kopay Christian College Nadarajah Sivakadacham was killed by gunmen in front of his home in Kopay North. In another incident principal of Jaffna Central College, K. Rajadurai, succumbed to injuries after been shot near the Jaffna library on Wednesday. Although the students alleged that LTTE was responsible for the two deaths within a span of 24 hours, the rebels deny this. Nadarajah Sivakadacham was later conferred the "Tamil national patriot" title by the LTTE posthumously. "Covering up" When this was pointed out to the protesters by BBC Sandeshaya Colombo correspondent Elmo Fernando Nuwan Sanjeewa said, "the Tamil Tigers did that merely to cover up their tracks and prove their innocence". Earlier the LTTE Jaffna political wing leader C Ilamparithi told the BBC that both the killings are the work of the state military intelligence with the help of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). But the leader of the EPDP, Jaffna Development Minister Douglas Devananda denied the allegation saying that K. Rajadurai, Jaffna Central College principal, was a "close friend"and a LTTE sympathiser until recently. The Sri Lanka Army as well as the EPDP leaders blamed the killing on the Tamil Tigers. 19 October 2005 Rajapakse
rejects Tamil autonomy He has promised to create jobs for thousands of people displaced by the tsunami and two decades of civil war. The polls are scheduled to be held on 17 November. Civil rights Mr Rajapakse, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party's candidate, said he would reject the rebels' demands for self-government. "I will not be held prisoner by concepts such as traditional homelands, the right to self-determination," the 59-year-old prime minister said in his manifesto, the Reuters news agency reports. He said he would protect the unity, sovereignty and security of the country and also preserve civil rights of all groups. "I strongly believe in achieving peace without going to war." There was no immediate reaction from the rebels to Mr Rajapakse's policy statement. 'Peace facilitator' Peace efforts by Mr Rajapakse's main presidential rival
and opposition leader, Ranil Wickramasinghe, resulted in a ceasefire with
the Tiger rebels brokered by Norway more than three years ago. Peace talks broke down in 2003 and have been stalled after rebels demanded greater autonomy in the north and east of the country. Mr Rajapakse indicated that Norway's peace for was up for review. "We all know that the facilitators and the monitors are not doing the job they are supposed to be doing," the prime minister's spokesman, Mangala Samaraweera, was quoted saying by the AFP news agency. Mr Samaraweera said the PM's peace initiative would involve a cross-section of people and that he was also hoping to have direct talks with the rebels. His party has the support of two hardline nationalist parties opposed to concessions to the Tamil Tiger rebels. Mr Rajapakse's party had earlier accused the main opposition United National Party, of making too many concessions to the rebels while in power. "The ceasefire agreement will be reformed as not to allow any room for terrorist acts," said Mr Rajapakse's election campaign manifesto. Mr Wickramasinghe has offered to continue the current peace process and also resume talks with the rebels. Correspondents say the stand taken by the two candidates on the issue of peace talks will play an important role in the election in which the other main issue is the economy. Nimalarajan's fifth anniversary commemorated Fifth death anniversary of Mr.Mylvaganam Nimalarajan a BBC
reporter in Jaffna who was shot dead by suspected members of a Tamil para-military
group on October 19, 2000 was commemorated in an event held at the Offices
of the International Students Union located in Nallur Jaffna. Journalist
Thavachelvan presided the event. Memorial lectures were given by President of Jaffna Students Consortium K Gunenthiran, Secretary of Jaffna Journalists Union, P thayaparan, Editor of Jaffna daily Valampuri, Mr Sivasundaram and President of Jaffna Technical College Student Union, N Suganthan. Mr. Nimalarajan was gunned down on October 19, 2000, at his home located in the Sri Lanka Armyâs High Security Zone in Jaffna. Though five years have passed by since his murder, the assassins are yet to be captured. The murder case is stuck in the courts in Sri Lanka without any progress as there appears to be no firm will on the part of the Sri Lankan government and its security establishment to apprehend and prosecute the alleged assassins from the EPDP, human rights activists say. Emergency extended for another month in Sri Lanka The parliament today approved to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of sixty one votes. The main opposition United National Party voted in favour of the motion to extend the emergency law. Only 19 parliamentarians voted against the motion. Acting Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake moved the motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month till November 13 when the parliament met today. Parliamentarians of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) abstained from voting. CWC parliamentarians voted with the government last month when the first extension was adopted. This is the second extension of the State of Emergency, which was imposed on August 13 following the assassination of Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on the night of August 12. Ranil-Chandrika meeting next week President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet next week to discuss a common agenda for peace and national development. UNP presidential candidate Wickremesinghe has written to President Kumaratunga seeking an appointment to discuss ‘matters of national interest’, UNP sources said. “Two leaders will meet on 24th of this month,” sources added. The UNP leader in his letter informed the President there has been unanimity between the SLFP, the UNP, the LTTE and the international community that devolution should be on the basis of a federal framework. He went on to state that the Oslo Communiqué spelled out such a framework for a united Sri Lanka which has found acceptance by all the parties mentioned above. Father of LTTE members shot in Batticaloa Two motorbike-riding gunmen shot and seriously wounded Mr. Velupillai Kathirgamathamby, 49, Tuesday morning on Hospital Road in the heart of Batticaloa town. Velupillai, whose sons are in the LTTE, works at a cafe close to the Batticaloa Post office, sources in the town said. The unidentified gunmen shot Velupillai while he was on his way to work at 6:50 a.m.The incident took place near the water tank in the town.Velupillai was rushed to Batticaloa hospital.He is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit, hospital sources said.Velupillai is from Thimilatheevu. Police constables shot in Kaluwanchikudy, one dead A Sri Lankan police constable was killed and another was
wounded in Kaluthavalai, 28 km south of Batticaloa town Tuesday around
4:00 p.m. Two motorbike-riding gunmen shot at the policemen who were also
riding in a motorbike. The wounded constable, S. Kulasingham, a Tamil, was rushed to Batticaloa hopital. The policemen were shot while they were returning to Kaluwanchikudy Police Station from Kaluthavalai. Policeman shot dead in Puttalam Two motorbike-riding gunmen, stopped by the Sri Lankan police
Monday night at a checkpoint in Puttalam, shot and killed a police constable
and escaped leaving behind their motorbike 50 meters away from the ckeckpoint.
The incident took place in front of a Mariyamman temple on Puttalam -Mannar
road around 8:00 p.m. Monday. The motorbike did not have a number-plate on it, police sources added. Five policemen were manning the checkpoint. Puttalam is located 83 km north of Colombo. Kadir’s alleged killer weapons sent for examination Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday ordered the CCD to send the alleged killer weapon which was said to have been used to kill Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar to the Government Analyst for examination and report. The Magistrate made this order when the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) produced a stock of ammunition including a sniper gun which was found at Mahawewa packed with three magazines, 82 rounds of live ammunition, two 7.2 mm micro pistols with six magazines, 45 rounds of live ammunition and seven hand grenades. The ammunitions found in Marawila area were similar to that
of the weapons used to murder the Foreign Minster. Anura: P-TOMS or Mahinda-TOMS, joint mechanism with LTTE essential
Minister Bandaranaike said equal distribution of the tsunami aid was a must whatever name it was given. “Be it Mahinda-TOMS or P-TOMS, there should be a mechanism in place.” In contrast, the newly-launched Mahinda Rajapakse manifesto said the P-TOMS agreement would not be implemented and instead there would be a ‘Jaya Lanka’ programme to rebuild the tsunami-devastated areas in the North-East. Mr. Bandaranaike who came from Parliament to his Visumpaya residence for an interview with the Daily Mirror relaxed on his sofa and queried, “Did you see a copy of the manifesto? I don’t know what’s in it”. Mr. Bandaranaike said he hoped Mr. Rajapakse would have given due significance to SLFP policies. Asked how he saw the prospect of becoming the future Prime Minister in a government including all the JVP and the JHU with which the SLFP has serious policy differences, Mr. Bandaranaike said: “It could be one hell of a job”. Asked why he did not take up issues directly with Mr. Rajapakse, he said President Chandrika Kumaratunga had directly spoken to Mr. Rajapakse about these issues. “The President as the head of the party did the talking. So there was no need for me to do it again,” he said. The manifesto issued yesterday said Mr. Rajapakse would seek to find a solution to the ethnic conflict based on a unitary state concept though President Kumaratunga has been insisting on SLFP policy which calls for a federal solution within a united Sri Lanka. Mr. Bandaranaike said he had no major problem about the words unitary or united so long as there was maximum devolution of power. Mr. Bandaranaike, however, expressed concern over Mr. Rajapakse’s proposed economic policy, saying the concept of a balance economy was too vague. “When the policy is too vague and up in the air, it is confusing. Nobody knows what is in it,” the Minister said. “Does that mean, the imports will be restricted, whether the economy is closed? It should be mentioned specifically.” Mr. Bandaranaike admitted there were differences of opinion
between the SLFP, the JVP and the JHU on the economy and the peace process.
“My Prime Ministerial candidacy was approved by the SLFP Central Committee. Hence there was no need to get anybody’s written approval for that,” he said.
Referring to Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s challenge to Mr. Rajapakse on probing the controversial Hambantota fund, Mr. Bandaranaike said “if I were him I would have accepted the challenge and allowed them to go ahead with the probe”.
18 October 2005 Progress in talks
after election - Solheim Speaking to BBC Sinhala service 'Sandeshaya' soon after his appointment, Erik Solheim said, "after the elections there is a chance of serious progress in the peace process regardless of who is elected". Election campaigns While the ruling party presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa's campaign for a "Unitary Sri Lanka" rejects sharing power with the Tamil Tigers, his foremost challenger Ranil Wickramasinghe's election manifesto calls for a solution based on "agreement arrived at between the Government and the LTTE and the Oslo and Tokyo declaration". The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers agreed in the Oslo round of peace talks in December 2002 to "explore a political solution founded on internal self-determination based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka". After the elections there is a chance of serious progress in the peace process regardless of who is elected Solheim helped broker a February 2002 cease-fire between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers that paved the way to six rounds of peace talks that ended in a stalemate in March 2003 after talks in Hakone, Japan. Since the breakdown in talks and the breakaway of the Tamil Tigers Eastern commander Karuna a year after, the ceasefire has been heavily threatened with killings, mainly in the East. "Direct involvement" The Norwegian minister was optimistic that the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE can be brought back to the negotiation table after the elections to be held on November 17. "I definitely expect to be directly involved in the peace process of Sri lanka" he added. The coalition (known as the Red-Green coalition) of the Labour, Socialist Left and Center parties won a majority in the Norwegian Parliament in last month's election, promising to increase spending on welfare and to put up taxes. Political independence
to Muslims living in North-East: Ranil Armed men enter Colombo weekly press, set fire, warn employees A group of seven unidentified men, armed with batons and
swords, entered the printing press of the English weekly, the Sunday Leader,
published from Colombo at around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday and threatened the
employees. The intruders set fire to bundles of papers. The editor of
the weekly Mr. Lasantha Wickramathunga said that the manger of the press
was assaulted was warned of dire consequences if he continued to print
the paper. The Sunday Leader has been a critical voice towards the governments
in Colombo from the time the paper started publication in the mid 90s.
The Free Media Movement (FMM) Monday issued the following press release: "Free Media Movement condemns the arson attack, which took last night on printing press of the Sunday Leader and Irudina weeklies. This attack threatened not only press freedom but also free and fair election environment in the country. FMM as a co convener of Centre Monitoring Election Violence is very much concerned that violence against media should not be allowed to continue in the context of upcoming presidential election on 17th November. "A group of seven eight persons armed with clubs and knives entered the premises of the printing press at Rathmalana, Colombo around 8.00 pm on 16th October 2005, threatened the manager of dire consequences if he continue to print the newspapers and set fire to bundles of returned newspapers. The workers were able to extinguish the fire thereby saving the printing machine, according to the management. "News papers the Sunday Leader and Irudina are very critical towards the government and exponents of opposition political views. As a press freedom organisation that stands for media freedom as well as plurality and diversity of media FMM defends the rights of privately and publicly owned media emphasising the need for ethical journalism at all times. "The Sunday Leader newspaper and its editor Mr. Lasantha Wikramatunga has been harassed and threatened many times during the last few years. FMM views this attack as a continuation of same trend and request the authorities to initiate an impartial inquiry in order to bring the suspects to book. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that media freedom prevails during the period running up to presidential election on 17th November." Rajapaksa seeks greater Indian role in Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said he will use India and other South Asian countries to counter the "unnecessary intervention" of foreign countries, particularly the US, EU and Norway in Sri Lanka's peace process. Rajapaksa, the candidate of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in the coming presidential elections, said this in his election manifesto. The manifesto is to be officially released on Tuesday. "I will open discussions with neighboring India on a priority basis on this issue. I will reach consensus on regional security and peace with them," Rajapaksa says. On the controversial ceasefire agreement (CFA), which his rival Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) signed with the LTTE when he was in power in February 2002 and which is being monitored by a Wet-backed Scandinavian group, Rajapaksa says that it will be "reviewed" and that he will get "regional cooperation in the monitoring process." He said that he will ensure that the reviewed CFA does not give terrorist activities any place. Clearly, Rajapaksa is alluding to India in his statement as India is also believed to be concerned with the spate of assassinations taking place despite Article 1.2 of the CFA. Kudu Lal JP wanted by India on drugs charge The notorious drug trafficker Lal Peiris alias Kudu Lal who was recently sworn in as a Justice of the Peace is wanted by the Indian government in connection with a massive ten kilo drug bust, a Police Narcotics Bureau official said yesterday.“The PNB was informed by the Indian police that Kudu Lal is the main suspect in a narcotics investigation”, he said. The officer said the airport authorities had been alerted in case Lal Peries attempted to leave the country. Meanwhile Justice Minster, John Seneviratne has told Police Chief Chandra Fernando to hold a full inquiry and submit a report to him on Lal Peries after a controversy arose over his October 7 swearing-in before the Additional Colombo Magistrate Sujeewa Nissanka. Reportedly Lal Peiris was accompanied for the swearing-in by Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva who is said to have recommended Lal Peries for the post of JP. The noted underworld character residing at 190/2, Kirimetiyagara, Kadawatha was appointed as a JP by gazette notification of September 9. A Justice Ministry official said the usual procedure for JP appointments was based on reports from the police and the Grama Sevaka and if a person so recommended was found unsuitable, then the Kadawatha OIC and the Grama Seva Niladhari who recommended Lal Peries should be held responsible. The Justice Ministry in a statement last week said an opportunity was given to the people’s representatives to recommend suitable persons for appointment as JPs and such appointments were made on the recommendations of the police and the Grama Seva Niladhari. “In this instance Lal Peiris has submitted an application, stating he has passed his A/L examination, is a businessman and the President of the Sinhala Buddhist Society and is holding office in many other societies”, the official said. He said the application was recommended by deputy Labour Minster Mervyn Silva, the Kadawatha Grama Seva Niladhari had issued a certificate of residence and character stating the applicant’s character was very good. The Kadawatha Police OIC had issued a clearance certificate stating there was no record of a criminal report against the applicant since 2000. Last week the Justice Minster said the appointment of Lal Peiris would be revoked if it was proved he was involved in any misdeed and as such not suitable to be a JP. Meanwhile the PNB officer said according to the fax message received from India, Lal Peiris was definitely not suitable to hold a JP’s post. “Though he is in the PNB drug traffickers’ list, he could not be convicted due various reasons. One of which was due to some police officers being in the payroll of these culprits”, the senior PNB officer said. Pen pistol picked up near UNP rally A pistol like device was discovered near a rally of UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe in Trincomalee on Sunday. The device, according to Ministerial Security Division personnel, a pen pistol, was discovered at the Trincomalee main bus stand, where the public was subjected to body searches before attending the UNP rally. The MSD had received a tip off that a suspicious looking individual was present at the scene with a device which could be assembled into a pistol, North East DIG Rohan Abeywardane said. However the person had given the MSD the slip, but they had discovered the pen pistol on the floor of the bus stand. MSD personnel are conducting further investigations. Tamils are frustrated by the peace politics-LTTE When ceasefire was signed three and a half years ago Tamils celebrated it as the end of war and the flourishing of peace. Tamils were confident that the peace process under the watchful eyes of the international community and the facilitation of a third party state will progress well. However, due to the disregard shown by the Sinhala government towards even the international community, the peace process is facing serious threat. At the same time, the situation has deteriorated to the extent that ruling party is contesting the Presidential election under the slogan that Tamils should not be given any of their rights. Those wishing peace in Sri Lanka hoped that the involvement of the international community would strengthen the peace efforts. Yet, what is happening is that the warmongers and the Sinhala chauvinists have joined up and are dominating the Sinhala politics. The Sinhala government has not looked upon the ceasefire agreement that is a historic turning point in the ethnic conflict as a key to peace. It is continuing to suppress the peace process. With the view to break the ceasefire agreement and resume the war, it has taken the stand that there will be no more peace talks in another country. Sinhala governments have a long history of putting up such hurdles to the peace efforts. This chauvinistic stance and deceptive politics of the Sinhala government is frustrating the Tamil people. Tamil people have demonstrated in several ways that they cannot be deceived by the political dramas staged by the Sinhala governments. Recently the people of Jaffna have staged a Pongu Tamil event to show their aspirations to the Sinhala government and the international community. Similar events have been held throughout the Tamil homeland. It is the Tamil people who have suffered most during the two decades of war. They long for a peaceful settlement. However, if the Sinhala government miscalculates this longing and wishes to resume war, Tamil people are ready for it too. People are joining the territorial force of the LTTE and are receiving training from them. This is going on both in the LTTE controlled and military controlled areas. Tamil people wish to inform the Sinhala government that they are ready to fight the Sinhala military force if needed. Tamil people are very critical of the Sinhala government and its approach to the peace efforts. They expect the international community to understand this. Sinhala government must not dream that it can use the peace process as a strategy to crush the Tamil people’s desire for freedom. It cannot also deceive the international community forever.
Bookmakers give Ranil the lead Sri Lanka's two leading bookmakers state there has been heavy betting on the outcome of the presidential election billed for November 17. The nation's two leading betting empires are said to be taking bets at odds of 11 to four in favour of Ranil Wickremesinghe, and four to one for a victory by Mahinda Rajapakse. At current odds, a Rs. 10 bet on Wickremesinghe will earn Rs. 32.50 in the event of the Opposition Leader winning, and Rs. 50 in the event of a victory by the Prime Minister. Although the odds thus favour Wickremesinghe over Rajapakse by a strongly significant 35% lead (almost double that of two weeks ago), the bookmakers are expected to hedge their bets by declaring Wickremesinghe odds-on favourite in early November. "Betting is something done by tens of thousands of ordinary people," a leading bookmaker told The Sunday Leader, "And it is a better and less biased reflection of the public mood than opinion polls that sample 1,000 or 2,000, or telephone polls which target the more affluent markets. The betting public has never been wrong, or we would have lost millions. The difference between betting and opinion polls is when you bet, you have to put your money where your mouth is," a top bookmaker said. CFA has failed to advance
peace-Sampanthan Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham, Trincomalee district TNA parliamentarian presided the meeting, which was held Saturday evening at Trincomalee Peruntheru Vigneswara Maha Vidiyalayam. GOSL and other forces that are against Tamils achieving their legitimate political aspirations with the backing of LTTE military strength are working hard to sabotage the ceasefire agreement with the help of state armed forces and para military groups, Mr.Sampanthan said. Mr.Sampanthan further said a political solution should be found for the Tamil national question with adequate powers leading to an autonomous region of NorthEast. Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham said the Tamil National Resurgence Conventions are held to urge the international community to recognize the self determination of Tamil speaking people and to witness the struggle and barriers they are facing to achieve legitimate political aspiration through peaceful negotiations. Tamil people should be vigilant not to be distracted by elements hostile to the Tamil cause and are seeking to sabotage the TNRC in Trincomalee by spreading unfounded rumors, the MP said. P-TOMS out in PM’s
manifesto These were the two critical issues on which President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga raised issue and wanted Mr. Rajapakse to make immediate changes. However, a Committee headed by the Premier and named by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has rejected President Kumaratunga's demands and endorsed this manifesto. A copy of the manifesto was flown on Friday to President Kumaratunga who is now in London. Prime Minister Rajapakse is to declare that his prime objective is to have a peaceful political solution empowering all communities. He is to reject concepts of traditional homeland, self determination etc. -- key demands made by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) periodically. Premier Rajapakse is to say he would recognise Sri Lanka's independence, territorial integrity, unitary status, the national identity and peaceful co-existence in arriving at a national consensus. Such a consensus is to be placed for approval by the people at a national referendum. Whilst the process of formulating a consensus continues,
Premier Rajapakse is to announce that he would open direct talks with
the LTTE. He also wants to meet its leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. He
is to say that he wants to have an "open agenda" to get the
LTTE to end separatism, disarm, enter the democratic process and enter
into a final solution to the ethnic problem. Premier Rajapakse is to declare his intention to have what he calls a "balanced foreign policy." He is to have "priority" discussions with India on this matter, and strengthen relations with China, Russia and Pakistan. He is also to announce that he would have open discussions with donor co-chairs the United States, the European Union, Japan and Norway. Pointing out that priority will be given to tsunami reconstruction efforts in the North and East, Premier Rajapakse is to have a 'Jaya Lanka' programme to re-build the North and East with representatives of the people from these areas as well as people's organizations. He is also to declare that he would give the LTTE a specific time frame and a specific agenda. If all the discussions are successful, he wants to announce that he will set up a Constitutent Assembly to draft a new constitution. He is to declare that he would get the opposition also involved in this effort. The new constitution is to be placed for public approval through a referendum. Mr. Rajapakse is also to announce the review of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) between the Government and the LTTE in what he terms in a manner in which terrorist activities have no place. He is to offer regional co-operation in the monitoring process of the CFA.
LTTE wants Human Rights Declaration deferred
International Advisor on Human Rights Ian Martin met with Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process, Jayantha Dhanapala on his return from Kilinochchi after his meeting with the political leadership of the LTTE Friday (14). Martin conveyed to the government that the LTTE had indicated that progress on a human rights declaration would have to be deferred until issues relating to the ceasefire agreement have been addressed. Dhanapala reaffirmed the government's commitment towards a human rights declaration - as had been agreed to by both parties in 2003 - and the need for an objective monitoring process. He further stated that effective monitoring is essential for meaningful progress on human rights. Human rights must always take precedence in any peace process and should not be made subservient to the improved working of the Ceasefire Agreement. Martin agreed to continue his efforts with both parties in progressing beyond the decisions at the sixth round of talks in Hakone in March 2003.
Faizer Mustapha to join SLMC DEPUTY Minister of Tourism and Ceylon Workers Congress Vice President, Faizer Mustapha is likely to join the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), political sources said. Mustapha who is at loggerheads with CWC Chief Arumugam Thondaman has refused to tender his resignation after the CWC decided two weeks ago to support the United National Party (UNP) presidential candidate Ranil Wickreme-singhe. After the CWC decided to support the UNP, Estate Infrastructure Minister Muthu Sivalingam and his Deputy M.S.Sellasamy tendered their resignations. However, Mustapha did not. he has now decided to quit the CWC and join the SLMC to contest the next parliamentary elections from the Kandy District. Mustapha was not available for comments. Military and LTTE in ‘subversive war’ – Oslo envoy Sri Lanka’s military and the Liberation Tigers are locked in a ‘subversive war,’ visiting Norwegian envoy Major Gen. (retd) Trond Furuhovde said Friday, calling on both sides to exercise restraint. "This is subversive war [and] both parties are involved in this," Reuters quoted Maj. Gen. Furuhovde, the former head of the international truce monitors in Sri Lanka, as telling the Foreign Correspondents' Association. "The parties, as they are involved in a subversive warfare, have to show self-discipline. We believe that peace talks is an alternative which is very useful," Furuhovde said. “If they use force, they have to be sure whether it is necessary to use force and the kind of consequences it could bear,'' he added. "It is alarming. All war is alarming. This is dangerous for the ceasefire and for the country. … There is no military solution to this conflict, that's for sure." "We have seen similar warfare going on Iraq, the transformation of war into something else," Furuhovde added. "What we see now, it's not only criminal acts, it's also acts of war." Scores of LTTE members, Army intelligence officers, paramilitary cadres and civilians have died in a cycle of violence which escalated last year in the wake of the defection to the Army of a renegade LTTE commander, Karuna. The LTTE says Sri Lankan military intelligence is deploying five paramilitary groups in a concerted campaign of violence against its members and supporters in the eastern province. The violence, once predominantly taking place in Sri Lanka’s restive east and occasionally in the Sri Lankan capitol, Colombo, has spread to almost other parts of the Northeast. SLA soldiers, gunmen clash in Eravur
No casualties were reported. Earlier in the day, around 6:00 a.m. SLA soldiers and policemen cordoned off and searched the Sithandy Divison no. 2 and no.3 areas in Eravur. The house to house search operation continued till noon, civilian sources said. The soldiers blocked civilian movement, vehicles were stopped and roads were closed during the search operation, sourced added. Eravur police said no arrests were made during the search operation. Corruption smuggle
weapons -BBC These remarks were made by Athas in an Interview to Sandeshaya on the Cambodian government publicly acknowledging that Cambodia is being used by the Tamil tigers to smuggle out arms. In a public gathering telecast live over Cambodia's national television Prime Minister Hun Sen admitted that Cambodia has been used as a spot to ship weapons to rebel groups in Sri Lanka and Philippines. The Prime Minister Hun Sen reminded the audience that the government is taking arms smuggling seriously and recently about 160,000 guns were destroyed. Hun sen also admitted that his government is facing some difficulty in fighting arms smuggling. Athas said "this is nothing new and on a number of occasions the Cambodian government has tried to stop it but with little success. Asked why the Cambodian prime minister has made an announcement on arms smuggling at this point of time Defense analyst Athas said "it may be due to pressure by US which has launched a war against terrism,he said. Previously Tamil Tiger carders have been arrested in Thailand while trying to smuggle arms. New military camp inside the Trincomalee Technical College. Military has started building a new military camp inside the Trincomalee Technical College. Civilian Based Organizations in Trincomalee have severely condemned it. Military personnel arrived at the Technical College a few days ago in heavy vehicles and have put up military fences, security posts and tents. People of the area said that two days ago a large contingent of army was taken to this location in heavy vehicles. Tamil Peoples Federation of Trincomalee (TPFT) has lodged a complaint with SLMM about the building of this military camp. The new camp built under the cover of the Emergency Regulation has caused fear among the people. TPFT is demanding the SLMM to take immediate action to stop the building of this camp. They have warned that if the camp is not stopped people will go on the streets to protest. Large military presence was also visible throughout the Trincomalee city two days ago. This military are stopping people travelling on motorbikes and vehicles and are subjecting them to search, causing fear and tension among people. Soldier killed - LTTE
accused-BBC The defence ministry said a group of Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels attacked the checkpoint (in the village of Santhiveli) on Thursday night, wounding the soldier who later died in hospital. Earlier on Thursday, Norwegian mediators had appealed to the political leadership of the Tamil Tigers to revive stalled peace talks with the government. Correspondents say violence has escalated in eastern Sri Lanka since a factional split among the rebels in March last year. The LTTE have said they have crushed the renegades who left the group, but many believe the breakaway faction is still active. U.S visa lottery open The 2007 Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery was formally declared open in Washington, DC on October 5, 2005. This program allows randomly selected applicants to immigrate to the United States on an expedited basis, provided they meet all the criteria, 50,000 individuals will be selected for the lottery worldwide. The lottery registration period will run until December 4, 2005. For the third year in a row, the lottery will be conducted entirely by electronic means. Paper entries will no longer be accepted. The State Department has established a website for the submission of entries, which can be accessed at: www.dvlottery.state.gov Fowzie warns of communal
riots if unauthorised A senior government minister has predicted communal riots if the unauthorised Buddha statue opposite the Colpetty Jumma Mosque is not removed. The Sunday Leader learns that repeated appeals by concerned Muslims to have the statue removed has fallen on deaf ears. The Sunday Leader two weeks ago exclusively reported on the Buddha statue erected in front of the Colpetty Jumma Mosque by a three wheel driver. Environment Minister A.H.M. Fowzie said the statue has been erected 50 feet away from the Mosque and is causing concern among the Muslims. "The act can develop into a communal problem in the future," he said. Fowzie says that repeated representations to the Mayor by Muslim parties and other Muslim officials has gone unheeded. "In fact I told Mayor Prasanna Gunewardena personally to take action to remove the statue but he has not done anything" Fowzie said. He said the Muslim community is angry about the matter but rational thinking has contained them. "But I wouldn't vouch for the future," he said. "It is very unfair on the part of the three wheeler driver to erect the statue on that spot" he added. Colombo Mayor Prasanna Gunewardena when contacted said that the media should have other issues to focus on. "Let the issue rest. Good-bye" and he slammed the phone. When The Sunday Leader called again and asked him what "other issues" the newspaper should focus on he was unable to reply but repeated that the matter be "put to rest." The Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque authorities say that the Buddha structure in front of the Mosque is causing much concern among the Muslim devotees. The Mosque trustee M.J.M.Mubarak told The Sunday Leader that the devotees are angry that nothing has been done so long to remove the structure. He said that three weeks ago the devotees were planning a march to the Prime Minister's official residence- Temple Trees protesting against the structure opposite the mosque. "But we were able to restrain them. But how long can we hold them back. We don't know," he said. Mubarak says that repeated representations to the Mayor and to the Prime Minister to take action against the three wheeler driver well known as Lakshman has not been heeded. "We have made representations even to the Muslim Ministers and political parties," he said. The Muslim politicians had given an assurance to the mosque authorities that something would be done but to date nothing has happened. Meanwhile it is learnt, work on the shrine where the Buddha statue lies is going on and plans are a foot to have an inauguration ceremonysoon. The mosque authorities are perturbed about the inaction of the Municipal Council and are now planning to take legal action. "We are now planning to take legal action against the three wheel driver" Mubarak said. "We are within the law and the structure is within
30 meters of the mosque. Any structure within 50 meters of another place
of worship is illegal," he said. 13 October 2005 The Sinhalese and the Tamil question By K. Godage In a perceptive and thought-provoking article, that has been circulated widely, a London-based political analyst has said “the peace perceptions of a particular strata (meaning the Sinhala intelligentsia and the ‘gambada janathawa’) of Sri Lankan society are very different to the expectations of those pro-Federalists in metropolitan Colombo. These layers of society, which the JVP and Rajapakse are trying to win over, view peace in terms of a multicultural democratic society in which all citizens are equal, something like multicultural England. They reject Federalism or anything that will give special status to an ethnic minority held to ransom by a terror group, the same way the so-called middle England would reject any special status to the sizeable South Asian/Black/Jewish minorities in England.” Do these “layers of society” which the analyst referred to view peace in terms of a multicultural democratic society in which all citizens are equal? If they only did, we would have conceded to the minorities equal rights, rights which we demand for ourselves, with regard to their language which was the principal issue that gave rise to other issues such as standardization and allegations of discrimination in employment etc. The JVP and the JHU stand for majoritarian politics where
the Sinhalese Buddhists will rule over not only ethnic minorities but
also religious minorities on the basis of their slogan “ME SINHALA
APAGE RATAI” meaning. “This is the country of the Sinhalese”.
One needs only to talk to a few members of the JHU to know that he is
completely wrong in his understanding of the JHU; the JVP certainly identifies
with the poor. The constituency they seek to win over which he says “view
peace in terms of a multicultural democratic society in which all citizens
are equal” unfortunately does not concede that ours is a pluralistic
society. Their position is the absolute antithesis of a multicultural,
multiethnic, democratic society in which all citizens are equal. It took 30 years after 1956 to give Tamil parity of status, but that too was done only because of Indian pressure and the Indo-Lanka agreement. In 1987 Tamil became, in terms of the 13th Amendment, “also an official language”; but it remains so only on paper. Though Tamil is an official language a complaint cannot be lodged in Tamil at any Police station in this country outside of the Northern Province. No Tamil could transact business in his own language in any government office including a Post Office, outside of the NP; there isn’t a single nameboard in Tamil in the city, leave alone the south. Hardly any Tamil has been recruited to the SLAS or the SLOS or to any of the state services since the 1960s. We should here recall the anti-Tamil campaign of a racist Sinhalese supremacist, Cyril Mathew (sadly named after a Christian Saint), who gave all Sinhalese a bad name, was the man principally responsible for the killing of innocent Tamils in July 1983, which tarnished the image of the country worldwide. It should not be forgotten that innocent Tamils were attacked in 1956, 1958, 1966, 1971, 1977 and finally in 1983. It is an undeniable fact that the Sinhalese conceded nothing to the Tamils after 1956 despite the efforts of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in 1957 and Dudley Senanayaike in 1965 aborted by the predecessors of the JHU of those times. This is why the Tamils feel alienated. This is why we drove them to adopting the Vadukoddai Resolution in 1976 and to insurgency thereafter. The government of the day also sent the Armed forces to crush the rebellion in 1978 without addressing its causes. The armed forces committed heinous crimes against innocent Tamil people and united them against the State and us. It is the constituency of people described by the political analyst as ‘middle Sri Lanka’ “the strata of Sri Lanka society very different to the Pro federalists” who “view peace in terms of a multicultural democratic society in which all citizens are equal,” that denied equal rights to the Tamil people. Mr. Rajapakse is said to stand for “equality for all and no special status for Tamils”, the Tamils do not seek special status but only equality. It should not be forgotten that when the late C. Suntheralingam contested the Vavuniya seat in Parliament on Separatist Eeylom ticket, he not only lost his deposit but was hotly opposed by the Tamil Congress whose leader was the late dapper G.G. Ponnambalam, the grandfather of the articulate promising Tamil leader Gajan Ponnambalam and also by Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayagam leader of the Federal Party. As for Federalism, the concept must be understood. Through a federal arrangement we do not seek to give special status to an ethnic minority. Yes, it would seem so in an Asymmetric arrangement but the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, to which he too refers, has already set in motion a process of devolution (which is what federalism is all about). In terms of that Amendment and the Provincial Councils Act No: 42 of 1987 executive and legislative power has already been devolved to the Provincial Councils. The issue or rather the problem has been that the Centre has also retained power to pass legislation on all subjects that have been devolved which in effect nullifies the devolution. Had the Concurrent List in the 13th Amendment been withdrawn or even amended, making a reality of the devolution, we would then have had nine federated units in a united Sri Lanka, (I do not personally accept a ‘North-East Provincial Council’ – the East must be de-linked from the NP in terms of paragraph (a) of sub-section (2) of Section 37 of the Provincial Councils Act which provides for a Referendum to be held in the Eastern Province to enable the electors to decide whether the two provinces should remain linked or not). It is surprising that the JVP the JHU have not understood the effect of the 13th Amendment and that we cannot now effect a change without a 2/3rd majority. What is intended by that Amendment is the sharing of power. Those opposing a Federal solution seem to be thinking only in terms of an Asymmetric arrangement, it need not necessarily be so. There should be no break-up of the country through the back door of a semi-independent province, which could later metamorphose into a sovereign state. President J.R. Jayewardene was himself opposed to an asymmetric arrangement and hence it was that power was devolved to all nine provinces; but if the Province is considered too small then let us re-image the country into four or five regions and devolve power to them all, for that would be essentially democratic. It must not be forgotten that it was the British that arbitrarily carved out the nine provinces and there is no particular sanctity attached to that arrangement. I do agree that Mahinda Rajapakse by forming an alliance with the pro-poor JVP and the JHU “is reaching out to the masses and is projecting visual and psychological messages to cater to the aspirations of middle Sri Lanka”; On the other hand, by the political parties of the minorities being compelled by Mahinda’s own actions, to team up with the UNP they are sending another ‘message’ to the paranoid Sinhalese in the south. It must be understood that what is being advocated by the JVP and the JHU will not infuse any confidence in either the minorities nor will that win for us the support of the international community to come to a negotiated settlement, which support is absolutely vital in the matter of dealing with the LTTE and its support base among the Diaspora. The hard-line positions of the JVP and the JHU coupled with their intransigence will, without doubt, result in the international support for the LTTE to realize Eelam. The need of the hour is for the JVP and JHU to change and reach out to the minorities too if they wish to ensure the unity and security of the country. May I ask the members of the political Sangha whether the Buddha’s sermon on love, compassion and tolerance is only to be preached and not to be lived and practiced? May I, in conclusion quote (in translation), for those so
called Buddhists who are even today advocating a military solution to
the conflict, one verse from the above mentioned ‘Sutta.’ SLA and LTTE blame each
other -BBC Spokesperson of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Vilja Kutvonen told BBC Sandeshaya that Jaffna Central College principal, K. Rajadurai succumbed to injuries after been shot near the Jaffna library on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Kopay Christian College principal Nadarajah Sivakadacham was killed by gunmen in front of his home in Kopay North. Students protest : Kopay Christian College students in their hundreds mounted a protest in Jaffna on Wednesday blocking the Kopay junction. Reports from Jaffna say that students from other schools also joined the protest that stopped the traffic for nearly four hours. Protesting students called for an impartial inquiry to bring the responsible for the killing to justice. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said that the police "diverted traffic and minimised inconvenience to the public". N Sivakadadcham was the Kopay division organiser of the Pongu Tamil movement. The Pongu Tamil movement is known to have close links with Tamil Tigers. Responsibility LTTE Jaffna political wing leader C Ilamparithi told the BBC that both the killings are the work of the state military intelligence with the help of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP). Leader of the EPDP, Jaffna Development Minister Douglas Devananda denied the allegation saying that the Central College principal was a "close friend". He added that the Kopay Christian College principal was a LTTE sympathiser until recently. The SLA as well as the EPDP leader blamed the killing on the Tamil Tigers. A correspondent from the North said that killing of scholars has sent a shockwave through Jaffna.
LTTE's auxilliary force cadre shot dead in Batticaloa A cadre of Liberation Tigers National Auxilliary Force, Mr. Rasalingam Pugalenthiran, was shot and killed Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. by a group of men wearing military uniforms, according to Batticaloa District Political Head of the LTTE, Mr. Ilanthairayan (Marshall). The gunmen had moved beyond the no-man zone and fired at Pugalenthiran, Ilanthirayan told TamilNet. The cadre was on duty at the time of the incident, he added. LTTE's Batticaloa political head further said that the gunmen withdrew to Mavadyvembu Sri Lanka Army base following the incident. The incident took place at the Mayilavedduvan, 3 km west of Sithandy in Eravur Hisbullah to rejoin SLMC Mr.M.L.A.M.Hisbullah who entered parliamentary politic through the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), and later left it due to difference of opinion with the leadership has decided to rejoin the party. Mr.Hisbullah is to formally announce his political decision Wednesday at a media conference at Kattankudi, Muslim dominated town and his home political base in the eastern province, SLMC sources said. He held the post of a Deputy Minister in the People's Alliance (PA) government when the SLMC was its constituent. Meanwhile, Mr.H.M.M.Harees who represented Amparai district on the SLMC ticket in the last parliament and lost in 2004 general election is also to rejoin the SLMC along with Mr.Hisbullah, the sources said. Sri Lanka's President
decides to retire from politics “I have ruled this country 12 years. That’s enough for me. Therefore, I am not going to contest for any political post hereafter,” she reportedly told her close confidants. President Kumaratunga added that she has a number of things to complete before she died and that is why she is happy to retire at this age. Hindus celebrate Navarathri festival Hindus across NorthEast and other regions of Sri Lanka concluded celebrations of the nine-day 'Navarathiri' (nine nights) festival Tuesday. 'Navarathiri' is an annual festival celebrated by Hindus across the world, especially in India and Sri Lanka, where prayers are held for first three nights for Goddess ‘Thurgai’ (bravery), second three nights for Goddess ‘Lakshmi’ (wealth) and the final three nights for Goddess ‘Saraswathy’ (education). The tenth day is very auspicious and it is called Vijayathasami, since this day falls on the lunar day Thasami. Small children are introduced to their first alphabet on this auspicious occasion. Devotees step into new ventures on this day as they believe that it would bring them success. In a a Puranic story an Asura called Mahisasuran had ill-treated
and harnessed devas and to get away from his cruelty they approached Ambigai
and narrated the harassments of this Asura and requested her to free them
from the Asura. Ambigai destroyed this Asura on Vijayathasami and relieved
the devas. 12 October 2005 Anura slams JVP, tells Mahinda to follow SLFP policies Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike said yesterday the country could not be managed by implementing the economic policies advocated by the JVP and he believed that Premier and presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse should cancel the agreement with the JVP if it was detrimental to the country. Speaking to journalists at his Visumpaya office, Mr. Bandaranaike said Mr. Rajapakse should follow SLFP policies on the ethnic issue and other important matters. He said his family – his father, his mother and his sister had ruled this country for about 30 years and at no stage had they discouraged the security forces. In an apparent reference to the JVP leader’s call to disband the security forces if they could not fight terrorism, Mr. Bandaranaike referred to how the security forces had quelled the insurrections of 1971 and 1988. Mr. Bandaranaike said the P-TOMS agreement signed by the government and the LTTE could not be cancelled just to please the JVP and the Prime Minister must remember it was he who presented the agreement in parliament. Mr. Bandaranaike said he and President Chandrika Kumaratunga held similar views on the peace process and would continue talks with the LTTE though the Tigers had violated the ceasefire agreement on some 3000 occasions, the worst being the killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Mr. Bandaranaike said he also would attend seven rallies where the President would be present and he would explain SLFP policies on the ethnic issue and economic matters. He said any statement saying there would be no talks with the LTTE was a virtual declaration of war and the people who held such extremist views would realize the value of the ceasefire agreement if bombs started exploding again.
Furuhovde to meet Sri Lanka military and rebel leaders Former SLMM Chief Trond Furuhovde, who is currently in Sri Lanka, will meet senior military officials and also LTTE leaders. A spokesperson for the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo said Furuhovde will tour LTTE-held Kilinochchi to discuss the amendment of the Ceasefire Agreement, signed between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE three years ago. Furuhovde will travel to Kilinochchi next Thursday to meet Tiger leaders, the spokesperson said. Last week, Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar also met LTTE political leader S.P. Thamilselvan and discussed the current state of the peace process. Armed men, LTTE cadres clash in Vavunathivu A group of men in military fatigues launched an ambush on an LTTE convoy in Vavunathivu, 5 kilometers west of Batticaloa Monday night. LTTE sources in the East said three of their cadres sustained injuries in the counterstrike. The clash took place at the entrance to the LTTE controlled area in Vavunathivu around 10:00 p.m. on Monday. Vavunathivu is located 5 km west of Batticaloa. Around 15 heavily armed men moved beyond the no-man zone in Vavunathivu attempting to target an LTTE convoy moving along the border. LTTE sources said that their cadres launched a counterstrike at the group which withdrew towards Vavunathivu SLA camp. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Army sources, denying their involvement, said that the ambush targeted LTTE's Special Commander Col. Bhanu.Continous firing was heared for more than 10 minutes, according to civilians in the area. EPDP Pottuvil Head shot and killed An unidentified gunman shot and killed the Pottuvil organisor of the paramilitary Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) Monday around 5:00 p.m. Mr. Abubhakkar Sagabdeen, 43, who had gone alone to a cafe without his usual police escort, was gunned down by the attacker who was riding a bicycle police sources said. The killing took place in front of the old Post Office building on Pottuvil main road. Mr. Sagabdeen is a resident of Kalappukattu in Pottuvil. Pottuvil is located in Amparai district, 112 km south of Batticaloa. Pottuvil police is conducting investigations into the killing. Sri Lanka police find weapons in Wariyapola ahead of President's visit Police found a haul of weapons in Wariyapola today, ahead of a scheduled visit by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to address a presidential election rally tomorrow. Police found one sniper gun, four T56 guns, seven hand grenades, two pistols, two shotguns, 180 rounds of T56 cartridges and 60 rounds of pistol cartridges in a bag. They said the weapons are to be transported to Colombo for further investigation. Following the recovery of the weapons, security in the area was doubled for the election rally. Charles Gnanakone taken into custody for questioning over Kadirgamar killing Wealthy businessman Charles Gnanakone was taken into police custody for questioning in the early hours today in connection with the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Police said a special Army team captured Gnanakone from a house at Nikape in Dehiwala around 2 AM today. Later he was handed over to the Dehiwala police, who then handed the suspect to the Colombo Crime Division for further investigation. The Colombo Magistrate had earlier ordered that Gnanakone’s passport be retained to prevent him from leaving the country. CBK scrutinizes SLFP manifesto sans Mahinda Amidst speculation that the SLFP manifesto would be out this week, President Chandrika Kumaratunga has invited some SLFP frontliners excluding Premier Mahinda Rajapakse for a discussion on the highly controversial manifesto. Despite claims by the Prime Minister’s office that the final touches were being added to the manifesto, President Kumaratunga invited Party General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha and Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama for another round of talks at President’s House. Though the scheduled meeting for last evening was postponed, sources said it would be held prior to Ms. Kumaratunga leaving for London later this week. Meanwhile President Kumaratunga is due to address the first SLFP Presidential campaign rally in Wariyapola today backing Premier Rajapakse’s bid for the Presidency. This would however be the only rally the President would be addressing before leaving for London this weekend for her son, Vimukthi Kumaratunga’s convocation
Bandaranaike and Thondaman in 'secret' talks Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike met CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman on Sunday at his official residence, 'Visumpaya'. Bandaranaike, who just returned from the USA, had earlier stepped down voluntarily from the presidential campaign rather than support party presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa. The CWC had also resigned from the government and decided to support Rajapaksa’s rival, UNP candidate Ranil Wickramasinghe, after one month of discussions with the ruling party candidate. Anura’s meeting with Thondaman upset Premier Rajapaksa’s presidential campaign, details of the discussed topics were not available for the media. Norway provides Rs.180
m. for tsunami rehabilitation With the Norwegian financial assistance, ILO will strengthen the coordination and monitoring mechanism set up by Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN). TAFREN has, with the support of ILO, UNDP and the World Bank, prepared an "Income Recovery Technical Assistance Program (IRTAP)" which includes temporary income transfer scheme, cash for work and support to revive and improve economic activities. This project would provide technical assistance to TAFREN for coordination of the livelihood component of the Government’s back to work programme and it would increase the institutional capacity of TAFREN to implement the income recovery programme at national, district and divisional level. "We see the necessity to speed up the tsunami reconstruction work and are happy to contribute to TAFREN's efforts for social and economic reconstruction and poverty reduction," says ambassador Hans Brattskar. Major activities of the project include staff training, introduction of procedures and guidelines, setting up a management information system, employment of temporary staff, procurement of computer equipment, vehicles and motor bikes, research and studies, database development and publications. This project will be implemented during a 12-month period in 2005 and 2006. Who are the worse terrorists? When the Sinhalese mobs were going about freely attacking Tamils in 1983, a rumor went round that the Tamil Tiger cadres had appeared in Colombo. The Sinhalese veerayas and chandiyas were in total panic and were fleeing in all directions as far as Kalutara and Avisawela underlines Makenthiran. In a letter written to Asian Tribune he further wrote, “Some ran into Tamil houses for safety. It was obvious that these Sinhalese thugs were a bunch of cowards who will boldly attack if Tamils are passive, but flee when challenged. There is a saying in Tamil that a fellow who keeps knocking when one keeps bending down is a fool, and a fellow who keeps bending down when one keeps knocking is also a fool. The full text of the letter written by Makenthiran to Asian Tribune is given below : The Editor Comments on indictment of Sri Lanka Government You have done a great service by publishing letters on the above subject giving different views. Readers will be able to get the facts from your columns. Please publish this letter so that the readers can form an opinion as to who is the better of the two parties to terror. Asoka Weerasinghe has only confirmed my assertion that those trying to comment on the numerous Sinhalese atrocities and war crimes listed by me are not disproving them. They are only trying to prove that Sinhalese no doubt are guilty of the war crimes and terrorism, but they are not as bad as the Tigers. Abusing the Tigers does not exonerate Sinhalese from war crimes and terrorism. I will not like Asoka Weerasinghe say dishonestly that all what he says is concocted fairy tales. The truth of the matter is that from 1948 to 1983, the Sinhalese and the Sri Lanka government committed atrocities and genocide against the unarmed Tamil civilians and reveled in it. Tamils could not resist as they were unarmed. After 1983, the Tamil youth armed themselves to protect their people and gave it back bellyful to the Sinhalese. From then on both sides suffered and both sided killed each other. Asoka Weerasinghe and Sinhalese Buddhist extremists are surprised that the docile Tamils are now hitting back and hitting hard. Do they expect the Tamils to suffer for ever without defending themselves? During the 1983 anti-Tamil riots by the Sinhala thugs, one sobering lesson was learnt by both Sinhalese and Tamils. Till 1983 Tamils were always at the receiving end and the Sinhalese behaved like bold fighters as long as Tamils were passive. It was the general impression among the Sinhalese, that Tamils as a race are passive and cowardly. So much so that Tamils were despised as second class people by the Sinhalese and were refered to as ‘para Damalo’. However, the Tamil Tigers carried out some daring attacks against the army and police and the Sinhalese began to fear and respect them. The young Tamils are a new breed of angry and fearless youth. I can recall the massacre of Tamils in 1956, 1958, 1961, 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1983. I lived through the first three of them and left the country and the misery in 1972. When the Sinhalese mobs were going about freely attacking Tamils in 1983, a rumor went round that the Tamil Tiger cadres had appeared in Colombo. The Sinhalese veerayas and chandiyas were in total panic and were fleeing in all directions as far as Kalutara and Avisawela. Some ran into Tamil houses for safety. It was obvious that these Sinhalese thugs were a bunch of cowards who will boldly attack if Tamils are passive, but flee when challenged. There is a saying in Tamil that a fellow who keeps knocking when one keeps bending down is a fool, and a fellow who keeps bending down when one keeps knocking is also a fool. This is what was happening during the time of the older generation of Tamils. When 13 soldiers were killed in 1983, Sinhalese ran riot against unarmed Tamils. After 1983, Tamils Tigers are said to have counter attacked and killed about 20,000 Sinhalese armed forces, but no anti-Tamil riots has taken place. How can a ‘good Sinhalese Buddhist’ like Asoka Weerasinghe write that Tamils ought to thank the Sinhalese for massacring the Tamils in 1983, because the Tamils were able to go into foreign lands? Would he thank those who killed Sinhalese because the dead went to heaven sooner? You cannot have different standards for Tamils and Sinhalese. How would Asoka Weerasinghe in the safety of Canada react if his family were killed, mutilated, burnt alive, his women raped, houses burnt and left in refugee camps. It is a disgrace to the great King Asoka whose name he bears. Weerasinghe asks why Tamils did not go to India. India took in 500,000 Upcountry Tamils sent out by Srimavo government and 200,000 Northeast Tamils who fled there after the 1983 massacre. Is that not enough. Applying the same argument, why cannot the Sinhalese go to Bangladesh from where Vijaya came. Why cannot the Sinhalese Budhists go to Burma where there are plenty of Budhists and let Tamils live in peace in Ceylon. Tamils can also ask why Asoka Weerasinghe and Iris de Silva are in Canada, and what right do they have to ask the Tamils to go elsewhere? If it is accepted that Tamils are economic refugees, then it is a proof that Tamils are leaving because they are being economically strangled in the country of their birth. What is the need for us to come and live in the Canadian winter if we were allowed to live in peace in our own warm country? I never wanted to leave Ceylon till things became unbearable. There was a Sinhalese friend of ours, an ardent nationalist, in Botswana with us. A few days after I arrived in Canada I was shocked to see him on the road. When I asked him what he was doing here, he sheepishly replied that he came as a refugee because of the Sinhalese JVP terrorists. He said “What a small world”. I thought “what a strange world”. I will not mention names to avoid embarrassment. I quite agree that Tamils and Sinhalese can be friends as individuals and do help each other. One of my Sinhalese friend and accountancy batch mates, Frederick Mahasinghe arrived in Malawi after I had left that country. He had arrived alone without his family and was enquiring about me. I was sad to hear that he suddenly died there, but the entire Tamil community there gave him a decent well attended funeral. We are human beings. Dollar and Kent farm killings mentioned by Weerasinghe was case of tit for tat. It is in the Tamil heartland and was originally owned and occupied by Tamils. The Sinhalese killed and drove away the Tamils and planted Sinhalese convicts. The Tamils retaliated by attacking and killing the convicts. It is chain reaction. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Some Buddhist priests have no doubt been killed in the civil war. However, they are no saints. There are many criminals and racists among them inciting violence. During the 1983 massacre of Tamils, a Buddhist priest was asked on the radio whether it was not a sin to kill. The pious Buddhists said it is a sin to kill, but killing Tamils is alright. It is also agreed that some Muslims unfortunately have suffered in the war. It has also to be pointed out that the Sri Lankan government used the divide and rule policy, by recruiting home guards from the Muslims and using them to kill and oppress Tamils. The all Sinhala army and police were alien to the Tamils and were behaving in the Northeast like an army of occupation. In Jaffna they were treating the Tamils, as if they were a conquered people. In July 1983 came a rude shock. A group of Tamil Tigers ambushed and killed 13 soldiers at Thinnavely. The army was going for the Tigers, but the hunters got hunted. It was a fair game, but the Sinhalese masters would have none of it. They wanted to teach the Tamils an objective lesson and organized a well conceived plan of ethnic cleansing by massacring Tamil civilians and destroyed 90 % of their property. Many young Tamil women with infants were in detention without trial and the kids growing up in jails for no fault of theirs. The army killings has made thousands of Tamil children orphans, but the Colombo media are shedding crocodile tears alleging that LTTE are using child soldiers. Whether these allegations are true or not, it is not possible to say. However, it is extremely baffling that child soldiers can destroy a well armed Sri Lankan armed forces of 150,000, and smash all the way through the jungles of Vanni, from Nedunkerny to Manalaru, Omanthai, Mannar, Poonahari, Elephant Pass, Palai, Chavakachcheri and hammer at the gates of Jaffna within a few days during operation ‘Unceasing Waves 3' by the LTTE. Since there is a ceasefire for the last four years whom are the child soldiers fighting anyway now. Appeal for urgent action Every time there are anti-Tamil riots, the Sinhalese mobs indulge in an orgy of violence and rape of Tamil women. The army and police force, almost all Sinhalese, are hostile to Tamils. The police force of 60,000 has only a few hundred Tamils. In the army there are hardly any Tamils. Sinhalese and Muslim home guards and Tamil militant groups armed and paid by the government are guilty of further atrocities. All nations and organizations that are interested and promoting peace in Sri Lanka should take serious note of past happenings. The Sinhalese government, police and army cannot be trusted to protect the Tamil civilians. A change of government in the South dominated by racists like JVP, JHU, Sinhala Urumaya or the Budhist clergy or even PA can be more dangerous for the Tamils. Any political solution therefore has to be designed to permanently safeguard the Tamils against Sinhalese state and mob terrorism. If the country is to remain undivided, the Tamils homeland and rights should be recognized and proper autonomy granted within a federal set up. For the protection of the Tamils, they should have their own police, judiciary and army in the Northeast, and sufficient Tamils should be recruited to the police and army by the central government to serve in the Sinhalese provinces according to the ethnic composition. The Sinhalese armed forces should immediately vacate the Tamil homeland and withdraw from Jaffna. Tricomalee, Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Mannar. S. Makenthiran 8 October 2005
Bomb explosion van: Attempt to kill EPDP Intelligence Chief ? A bomb that exploded yesterday morning in a parked van in Wellawatte injured two people and caused damages to buildings in the area, police said. They said it could have been an attempt to assassinate the EPDP intelligence chief whose van had been parked opposite the Thinamurasu newspaper office at Nelson Road in Wellawatte. Wellawatte police Inspector Nihal Mendis said the bomb had been placed in a white van, which was parked near the EPDP newspaper office and among the injured were the driver and a fish seller. He said the explosion had occurred around 7.45 in the morning. Police said the vehicle belonging to the Hindu Cultural Affairs Ministry had been used by the Minister’s personal assistant Anthonipillai Jeyaraj alias Kiruban, who is also the EPDP’s intelligence chief. Mr. Jeyaraj who was residing in a room at the Thinamurasu newspaper building, used to travel to the EPDP Nelson Road office daily. Initial investigations revealed some unidentified people had set up the time bomb while the vehicle was parked near the newspaper office. Police said Mr. Jeyaraj had been using this vehicle for the past few days. They said though his driver usually came to pick him up at 7.30 a.m. he was late by about 15 minutes yesterday.Meanwhile police detectives have questioned suspicious people who were seen loitering near the area at the time. A special police team is probing the incident.
Woman commits suicide in Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader's premises Kumari Cooray, daughter of former UNP Kalutara District organizer Mervin J Cooray has committed suicide this evening in the premises belongs to SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem, police said. Ms. Cooray has earlier alleged that the SLMC leader had an affair with her and promised to support her to go abroad. Kollupitiya police says the woman has come to the ice cream manufacturing plant owned by Mr. Hakeem around 3.00 a.m. this morning to meet Mr. Hakeem. “Later she has left the premises and returned and entered the vehicle park over the wall climbing on to a telephone box. Soon after, she had poured petrol on her body and burned herself while the security personnel were watching,” Kollupitiya OIC said. Hospital sources added that Mr. Hakeem personally visited the hospital to see Ms. Cooray, who was suffering with burn injuries. “She died one hour after she was admitted to the hospital,” hospital sources said. EPDP cadre shot dead in Trincomalee Unidentified armed men shot dead Mr.Kingsely Weeraratne, alias 'Suriya', a senior member of the paramilitary group, EPDP, at Palaiyootru, a suburb in Trincomalee town, around 10.45 a.m., Thursday. Two persons waiting near a private communication centre shot the victim when he was returning home passing through the road. The death was instantaneous, police said. Trincomalee EPDP spokesman said 'Suriya' was shot dead when he was going to deliver copies of Thinamurasu weekly to shops in Palaiyootru. The father of the victim is a Sinhalese and the mother a Tamil, Uppuveli Police said. He is father of two children. The police began investigation immediately blocking all roads leading to the site, civil sources said. Three injured in grenade explosion in Trinco A Sri Lanka Army soldier, a police constable and a civilian were injured when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade into the checkpoint which is located in the heart of the Trincomalee town along the Sea View Road, around 8.30p.m., Thursday. They were immediately admitted at the Trincomalee general hospital and are reported to be out of danger, Trincomalee Police said. Security forces immediately cordoned off the Sea View road and blocked all traffic and the movement of pedestrians and began intensive search operation in the vicinity, civil sources said. Meanwhile, residents in Trincomalle said another explosion was heard in the town around 9.30 p.m., Thursday. 70% of Sri Lanka university
students says PM will win the presidential race “Opposition Leader and UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe lagged far behind with a mere 19.1 per cent as the prospective winner,” Dr. Sunanda Maddumabandara said in his report. Premier Rajapaksa also scored heavily on the cost of living front with 643 or 37.5% among those interviewed saying he was best equipped to reduce the COL, while 273 or (15.5%) favored Wickremesinghe in this regard. On the ethnic question, Premier Rajapaksa came on top as the candidate best able to solve the ethnic conflict among 480 (28%) of those interviewed as against 308 (17%) whose choice was the opposition leader. The opinion of 777 (45%) was that neither of them could tackle the issue. Norwegian Ambassador meets LTTE Political Head Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar met with LTTE Head of
the Political Wing, Mr S P Thamilchelvan, at the Liberation Tigers Peace
Secretariat, Kilinochchi, Thursday, sources in Kilinochchi said. The discussions
centered on the recent EU Statement and its effect on the peace process.
Mr. Brattskar also explored the possibility of resuming peace negotiations
early. Mr. Thamilchelvan pointed out that the activities of paramilitary elements have escalated with the EU Statement which singled out the LTTE for criticism and punitive actions. Thamilchelvan expressed his concern and the urgency to arrest and contain this development. Tamil civilians associated in community and social activities are also being affected badly, he said. The Political Head of the LTTE also referred to the increase in anti-Tamil propaganda conducted by extremist Sinhala nationalists both from the political platform and through the Colombo mainstream news media. They are openly urging the Sri Lankan Military forces to resume war and are quoting the EU statement as support for their demand, he added. "When the LTTE agreed to participate in negotiations, it was from the position of its military strength and in the hope that the International Community would fully support the basic human and democratic rights Tamils. The faith the Tamil people have in the International Community has been shattered with the EU Statement," the Political Head said. Pointing out that EU Member Countries were initially instrumental in encouraging the LTTE to take part in the Peace Talks facilitated by Norway, preventing LTTE delegations from visiting EU Countries now is tantamount to refusing the LTTE the opportunity to maintain a dialogue with those countries, he argued. This development denies the LTTE opportunity to present their case face to face to Europe while Colombo alone will be able to take its case to the European capitals. This gives room for misrepresentation by Colombo and misunderstanding by the EU countries, and is bound to have adverse effects on peace process, Mr. Thamilchelvan stated. Thamilchelvan also observed that Norway, with its close association with both parties to the Peace Talks during the last three and a half years, is better positioned than any other country as a witness for the sincerity, dedication and seriousness with which the LTTE has approached the peace process. Norway is also aware of the patience the LTTE has exercised during times of provocation. Norway has an obligation to take steps to present the true case to EU member countries, Mr. Thamilchelvan said. Human Right expert Ian
Martin to visit Sri Lanka In a statement Government Peace Secretariat said “the government and the LTTE invited Mr. Martin in his personal capacity as an expert in the field of Human Rights during the fourth round of peace talks in January 2003 in Thailand.” At the sixth round of talks in March 2003 in Hakone, Japan, the proposals under the roadmap initiative by Mr. Martin were reflected in decisions taken on human rights issues. Mr. Martin has visited Sri Lanka on two previous occasions, in March 2003 and May 2004, in his capacity as the human rights advisor to the peace process. He is also expected to visit Batticaloa and meet with the Security Forces and community based organizations in the area. Mr. Martin was the Secretary General of Amnesty International from 1986 to 1992 and he has many experiences world wide on Human Rights issues. Currently, Mr. Martin is the head of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal. 6 October 2005 Ending a long lasted debate, two influential political parties, the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) today pledged their support to the UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe at the forthcoming presidential poll. SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem said that after series of discussions his party decided to tender its support to Ranil Wickremesinghe. “We have decided to support Mr. Wickremesinghe because some of our demands are already included in Mr. Wickremesinghe's manifesto,” the SLMC Leader told reporters this morning. Hours after the SLMC announcement addressing a media conference the CWC Leader Arumugam Thondaman said that “We are confident that Ranil will win and that is why we decided to support him at the forthcoming presidential election.” He also said that before taking this decision it has considered the prospects for permanent peace and national development. ‘SLFP is not a private property of Bandaranaike’s or Rajapaksa’s’-PM Ruling party presidential hopeful, Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa says that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) truly belongs to the ordinary Sri Lankans and always maintaining people friendly policies in Sri Lanka. “The SLFP is having a reputation of implementing more people friendly policies while they are in power. That’s why the SLFP truly belongs to the people. Therefore I would not allow it to become a private property of either the Bandaranaike’s or the Rajapaksa’s. Addressing SLFP rural-level organizers, he added that he would make way for common people to work towards party leadership via the door opened for him by the SLFP Central Committee under the President's leadership.
CWC ministers to resign,
extend support to Ranil All the CWC parliamentarians participated in the press conference. CWC ministers will tender theri resignations to President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge once she returns Colombo, Mr. Mr.Armugam said. Mr.M.S.Sellasamy and Mr.Muthu Sivalingam, CWC parliamentarians currently hold ministerial portfolios in the UPFA government. A large number of media media personnel attended conference held at Trans Asia Hotel. The 19 proposals put forward by the CWC are: · 1. Recognize that the ethnic conflict must be resolved by negotiations to the satisfaction of all communities living in Sri Lanka while guaranteeing the rights of the minorities. · 2. The ethnic problem should be resolved by means of an extensive power sharing arrangement through institutions with devolved powers · 3. Appreciating the agreement between the Government and the LTTE for the P-TOMS, believes that the proper implementation of the agreement will be essential for the equitable and efficient reconstruction of the damaged areas of the North East. · 4. The government should seek a mutually beneficial partnership of shared economic, defense, security and foreign policy interests with India · 5. Guarantee the retention of the Executive Presidency and the present electoral system. · 6. Introduction of ethnic ratio for employment to the public sector by suitable amendments to the Constitution if necessary with flexible recruitment criteria to make this a reality. · 7. Implement of government decisions on- (a) Recruitment of teachers to plantation schools. · 9.The community development function of the Ministry should be implemented through Soumiyamoorthy Thondaman Memorial Foundation and allocations made as per above plan. · 10. Plan and implement a state provided housing development programme with a house for every family on a land extent of 20 perches (as stipulated under the Land Reforms Commission Act of 1973) on all plantations. · 11. The government must implement a plan for the economic development of he Indian origin Tamil country based in the plantations through micro enterprises and self-sustaining ventures. · 12. The government should develop an integrated townships programme incorporating the Provision of Urban Amenities in rural areas concept enunciated by His Excellency Abdul Kalam, President of India, for the plantations. · 13. Develop selected schools serving the plantation community and develop them to be state of the art schools as provincial centres of excellence and develop 5 schools as National Centres of Excellence as proposed by the National Education Commission. · 14. Open up opportunities in the university system for plantation youth through modes of continuing education. · 15. Restructuring of State Owned Plantations to be undertaken expeditiously in consultation and with the consent of the CWC. · 16. Alienation of estate land for settlement to be stopped and if absolutely necessary to be done in consultation with the CWC. · 17. Have a moratorium on the cuttings of trees in the Plantations. · 18. Demarcate Tamil Grama Sevaka and Samurdhi Divisions in the districts of Kandy, Matale, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle and Matara plantation areas and appoint Tamil officers. · 19. Draw up a scheme of developing the Estate road network and make available sufficient funds through the Ministry of Estate Infrastructure.
Peace broker Norway to meet Tamil Tiger rebels to salvage Sri Lanka's peace process A top Norwegian diplomat will meet with Tamil Tiger rebel leaders on Thursday to try to keep Sri Lanka from sliding back into civil war amid escalating violence, officials said. Hans Brattskar was expected to travel Thursday to the northern rebel-held town of Kilinochchi, officials involved in the peace process said on condition of anonymity. Brattskar, Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, was a key player in the Norwegian-brokered 2002 cease-fire that halted two decades of conflict in the country. While in Kilinochchi, Brattskar will meet with Tiger leader S. P. Thamilselvan to discuss how to end a stalemate between the Tigers and government over where to hold crucial talks to review the shaky truce, the officials said. Norwegian Embassy spokeswoman Kjersti Tromsdal confirmed the meeting, but gave no details. However, other officials said an European Union decision last month to refuse entry to rebel delegations and a warning by a Norway, Japan, the EU and the United States - co-chairs of the international group backing Sri Lanka's peace efforts - will be the focus of the discussions. The meeting will be the first since the EU imposed tough sanctions on the Tigers by refusing their delegations' entry into any of the 25 EU member states, while the body decides whether to add the group to its list of terrorist organizations. A week earlier, the co-chairs warned that the escalating violence put the fragile cease-fire at "grave risk." Scores of people, including civilians, soldiers and rebels, have been killed since a split in rebel ranks in March last year. Also Wednesday, a Muslim man was shot dead and another was wounded by an unidentified gunman on a bicycle in volatile eastern Sri Lanka. A day earlier, suspected rebels shot at a prison vehicle, injuring a guard and enabling four prisoners - two believed to be Tigers - to escape in the same region, the military said. The officials said a change in Norway's administration after parliamentary elections last month will also figure in Thursday's talks. However, no major progress is expected on the peace bid until Sri Lanka's Nov. 17 presidential election is concluded. The guerrillas began fighting in 1983 for a separate homeland for minority ethnic Tamils in the country's north and east, claiming discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. The conflict killed nearly 65,000 people before the cease-fire was signed. Subsequent peace talks have been stalled since 2003 over rebel demands for wider autonomy. Businessman in Uduvil shot dead A video shop proprietor was shot dead Tuesday night at Dutch road, Uduvil by unidentified gunmen. Rasarathinam Rajavinothan, 30, was returning home from his shop when he was waylaid by gunmen who shot him in his head. Jaffna police who rushed to the scene, have handed over the body to the mortuary at the Teaching hospital, Jaffna. Jaffna Police is conducting investigations into the killing. Kumarappa, Pulendran Eighteenth anniversary held in Jaffna The eighteenth death anniversary of senior commanders of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Lt. Colonel Pulendran and Lt. Colonel Kumarappa and ten other cadres was observed in Munai in Vadamaradchchy, Jaffna Tuesday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The event took place in the Sri Lanka Army controlled area. Munai region Leader of auxilliary unit of the LTTE naval wing, Pathinather presided the event. Mr Thavarajah, father of LTTE martyrs Major Thavachelvi and Lt. Nivendra lit the flame of sacrifice. Mr Santhiyapillai, father of LTTE martyrs Lt Ceaser and Lt Selvam hoisted the Tamileelam flag. The military parade of more than two hundred cadres who completed naval training at the Gangai Amaran Training facility took salute to the memorial built for the twelve cadres. Senthamilchelvan and Sooriyakumar spoke about the incident where the cadres lost their lives and the contribution of the twelve towards the Tamil National struggle. First week of October, 1987, two months after the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) arrived in the northeast under the Indo-Sri Lanka pact, seventeen LTTE cadres were taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in midsea when they were on their way to Trincomalee from Jaffna. They were then brought to main Sri Lanka Army base at Palaly
in the north. When the SLA attempted to take them to Colombo for interrogation,
commanders Pulendran and Kumarappa took cyanide and committed suicide
along with ten other cadres: Major Abdullah, Captains Karan, Ragu, Palani
and Miresh, Lts Thavakumar, Anbalagan, second Lt. Anandakumar, Lt.Reginald,
Captain Nalan while in the custody at Palaly SLA main base on 05.10.1987
around 5.05 p.m. 5th October 2005 EU
will continue to support Norway's facilitation of Sri Lanka's peace process “However some reporting has implied that the EU Declaration represents a ‘defeat’ for the Government of Norway. This is false and highly misleading,” it said. “In fact, the Declaration underlined the 19 September Statement of the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference, which specifically expressed continuing support for the role of Norway as facilitator of the peace process. “The EU continues to give its fullest possible support to the Norwegian facilitation of the peace process. The EU reiterates that the primary responsibility for taking forward the peace process rests with the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, not with the facilitator that both parties have appointed. The EU recognises that Norway’s role is to stay in close contact with both parties and to use its good offices to help them find common ground and work for a lasting and just resolution of the conflict that continues to plague Sri Lanka. “In its Co-Chair capacity, the EU will continue to help Norway wherever possible and to support both parties in their attempts to resume dialogue and carry the peace process forward,” the High Commission stated. Mahinda’s concepts in manifesto The much awaited SLFP manifesto for the presidential election would insist on a negotiated settlement to the ethnic conflict under a unitary structure, a senior party leader told the Daily Mirror yesterday as senior members finalized the document. He said the key points in the manifesto relating to the peace process would be a majority consensus and an honourable peace—phrases regularly used by Prime Minister and Presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapakse. However, President Chandrika Kumaratunga addressing a crucial central committee meeting last Friday, before leaving for Paris, maintained that the party manifesto should be based on a federal solution to the ethnic conflict within a united Sri Lanka rather than a unitary state. Analysts said Ms. Kumaratunga as president of the party would need to approve the manifesto and its fate was uncertain if she insisted on a federal solution. The senior member said there could be meaningful devolution of powers under a unitary structure, and such a concept would not be an obstacle for a negotiated settlement with the LTTE. He said the manifesto would also emphasize on settling the ethnic conflict within a specific time frame and on a specific agenda thus avoiding prolonged delays. Asked whether the P-TOMS agreement would be scrapped the member declined to comment but said the manifesto would assure immediate steps for tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction. On the economic front, Mr. Rajapakse would offer 200,000 direct jobs in the first year of office, while thousands of other youth would be given vocational training and equipment to go into self employment he said. He said the manifesto was likely to be released within five days after nominations on Friday. Meanwhile the committee appointed by President Kumaratunga to coordinate with the parties that have pledged support to the Premier, met yesterday for the first time. However, the Premier was not present due to a busy schedule.
India closely monitoring
CWC's political stance The CWC mainly represents people of Indian origin and is one of the crucial factors in the election. “Their support is vital for victory of main candidates. Therefore they need to take correct political line, especially pro-Indian candidate’s line at the forthcoming election,” a senior Indian diplomat said on condition of anonymity. The CWC, led by Arumugam Thondaman, has indicated that it would support Opposition Leader and UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickramasinghe at the election, despite the fact that ruling party candidate Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa’s policies are more favor of the Indian government. Diplomatic circles here in Colombo said that Premier Rajapaksa has already received India’s blessings for his campaign. “In this context, CWC should have taken pro-Rajapaksa stance and it’s very good for their political health,” the senior diplomat added. He also said that India and its people who are living in Sri Lanka are “a bit worried” by the UNP’s pro-LTTE policies. Unidentified gunmen abduct prisoners in Muttur Unidentified gunmen Tuesday morning around 10.55 a.m. waylaid a government passenger bus bound for Muttur town at 59th mile post on Muttur Batticaloa highway and abducted four suspects two Tamils and two Muslims who were taken by prison officials from Trincomalee remand prison to be produced in the Muttur Magistrate Court in connection with criminal cases. Later two Muslims suspects were freed but unidentified men took the Tamil suspects, Muttur Police said. The names of the Tamil suspects are Mr. Kanapathipillai Vinayagamoorthy and Mr.Kanapathipillai Jeyanathan. The names of the freed Muslim suspects are Mr.Mohamed Cassim Fahir and Mr.Mohamed Farhan. All the four suspects were manacled- each pair comprised a Tamil and a Muslim. However Muslim suspect in each pair freed them from unlocking the manacle forcibly, police said. A prison guard Mr.Sukunakumar who tried to avert the abduction received gunshot injuries in his legs in the gunfire, police said. Muttur Police and prison officials immediately brought the abduction incident to the Muttur Magistrate Mr.M.Ganesharajah. Muttur Police recorded the statements of the two Muslim suspects who escaped the abduction. They were to be produced before Muttur Magistrate late in the night, police sources said. JHU seeks NE demerger The JHU yesterday sought parliamentary approval to abolish the temporary amalgamation of the northern and eastern provinces on grounds that it poses a threat to the peaceful co-existence of ethnic communities as well as the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. In a private member’s bill to be taken up for debate later, the JHU says Tamils in the east have a cultural and social identity which is independent of those in the north while the population in the eastern province consists of 30 percent Sinhalese, 30 percent Tamils and 40 percent Muslims. The bill states that the desire of people in the country is to prevent ethnic enclaves being established in Sri Lanka. It also states that the amalgamation was done on the basis that these two provinces are the homeland of Tamils, but there is no historical evidence to prove it. London
murder suspect named 22-year-old Pirapakaran Krishnasamy, also known as Praba, of Cranborne Rd, Barking was fatally stabbed outside the Shell petrol station Ilford Lane, Ilford. Praba was rushed to King George's Hospital. He died shortly afterwards. A statement issued on Tuesday, the metropolitan Police says, "Praba was with friends who had pulled into the service station in a car. Subsequently these men were involved in an altercation with a number of other men. The victim was stabbed; his friends managed to make off." Police wish to trace Srinavatheepan
Srirangarajah also known as Theepan or Teepan in connection with this
murder. He is Sri Lankan, 24 years of age and described as dark skinned
in appearance, 6" in height, with dark hair. 4th October 2005 UNP
may suspend Maheswaran The UNP’s Deputy General Secretary said yesterday disciplinary action has been initiated against Mr. Maheswaran on three main charges including the charge of making public statements which were contrary to the policies of the party. In media statements over the weekend, and in a TV last week, Mr. Maheswaran alleged that CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman was seeking a financial commitment in exchange for his party’s support at the upcoming Presidential election. The CWC which is known to have a vote base of some 900, 000 and could play a crucial role in the election, has denied Mr. Maheswaran’s allegation amidst reports that the party would throw its weight behind UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mr. Attanayake said the UNP working committee had authorized Mr. Wickremesinghe to negotiate with any party to obtain its support at the Presidential election and Mr. Maheswaran’s statements might undermine that decision. He said there was a possibility that Mr. Maheswaran would be suspended after a preliminary inquiry was held. Mr. Attanayake said there were also other disciplinary charges such as Mr. Maheswaran paying no heed to instructions issued by the party and acting against common decisions taken by the parliamentary group. Gamini Dissanayake's
son to support Rajapaksa Earlier, Mayantha had participated in Premier Rajapaksa’s inaugural election rally in Colombo, indicating his future political stance. Gamini Dissanayake’s elder son is married to UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya’s daughter and holds the post of UNP organizer for Nuwara Eliya. The Dissanayake family had gotten upset with Mayantha’s decision and forced him to go abroad during the election period, sources close to the Dissanayake family told ColomboPage. It is reported that Mayantha was disappointed with the present UNP leadership and expressed his fullest confidence in the Prime Minister. Mayantha, a businessman by profession, has shown interest in politics over the last three years but has not gotten any such opportunities from the UNP.
EPDP cadre shot dead in Jaffna Mr.Krishnan Parameswaran (40), was shot and killed Monday morning around 6:30 a.m.by unidentified men who came in a motorbike. The incident took place at Puthu Road in Anaikoddai area in Jaffna district when the victim was returning home after leaving his wife in the bus stand, police said. EPDP sources in Jaffna have claimed that Mr Krishnan was an EPDP cadre. A police team from the Jaffna Police rushed to the site and began investigation into the murder. The cadres of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), a close ally of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, operate as paramilitary cadres in the NorthEast. US State Dept. official
here Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Donald Camp met business leaders, politicians and government officials. Mr. Camp re-iterated the gratitude of President Bush and the American people for Sri Lanka's quick offer of assistance to hurricane Katrina victims and conveyed his hope that the ceasefire agreement and peace process would continue to hold despite the recent assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Donald Camp also reviewed bilateral relations, saying: "We have excellent bilateral relations with Sri Lanka, as evidenced by the large donations of post-Tsunami assistance the Americans provided, as well as Sri Lanka's help to Hurricane Katrina victims. We'll continue to work on reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in tsunami-hit areas." Mr. Camp, who was posted to Colombo earlier in his diplomatic career, added, "It is always a pleasure to come back to Sri Lanka to see old friends and renew my acquaintance with this island and its people."On Sunday, Mr. Camp visited USAID projects in Ahungalle and Moratuwa to provide transitional shelter to hundreds of families left homeless by the tsunami. Jewellery shop owner shot in Chunnakam A jewellery-shop-owner in Chunnakam, Mr. Ponnuthurai Subenthirakumar,32, was shot and wounded at Kantharodai in Chunnakam while he was returning home from work around 6:45 p.m., Chunnakam Police said. Two unidentified gunmen shot at the victim on Subramaniyam Road in Kantharodai in Chunnakam. The victim was rushed to Tellippalai hospital with serious wounds. Chunnakam, a busy market town in the Jaffna peninsula, is located 10 km north of Jaffna town. Gunmen fire at Police Jeep, Sub-Inspector wounded An unidentified group of armed men fired at a Sri Lankan Police Jeep near Mandur in the east around 7:30 p.m. Monday wounding the Mandur Sub-Inspector of Police, Mr. S. Vickrama, 42, police sources said. The sub inspector was rushed to Kaluwanchikudy Hospital. Four policemen riding with the Sub-Inspector escaped from the gunfire and returned fire at the attackers, police said. The policemen were returning from Palaimunai to Mandur. The attack took place near Palaimunai School in Mandur 35 km southeast of Batticaloa. Ratwatte afraid to come, Court gives new date The Colombo High Court yesterday reissued summons on former Deputy Defence Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte who on security grounds did not appear to face bribery charges against him. Mr. Ratwatte who was to be indicted on charges of collecting more than Rs 45 million in cash and property, did not appear on the basis that he faced an LTTE threat to his life. He asked for a further date when he could come with necessary security arrangements. When the case was taken up yesterday, Mr. Ratwatte’s lawyer Rienzie Arsekulratne said his client was on the LTTE hit list as was the slain Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Judge Upali Abeyratne ordered Mr. Ratwatte to appear in court on Friday. In this case the Commission to Investigate into Allegation of Bribery or Corruption has indicted Mr. Ratwatte on charges of being unable to account for his assets including money and property amounting to Rs. 46 million during the period March 31, 1997 to August 31, 2002. According to the indictment the money that Mr. Ratwatte could not account for from his known income was Rs. 34,593,698 and property worth Rs 12,363,905.
University student killed in Vadaramardchi A Jaffna University student and a driver of a Canter ELF truck was killed Monday morning in the Vadamaradchi area, Police said. Mr. Karthikesu Senthoorchelvan, 22, of Varany, Thenmaradchi area was the victim of the unknown attackers. The victim, involved in illegal sand business, was loading sand from a sand dune between Vallipuram and Manalkadu, civilian sources said. The motive for the killing is not established, according to the Point Pedro police conducting investigations into the killing. Aussie MPs, Tamils gather in support of Tamil Resurgence Federal Members of Australian parliament, Ms Julie Owens, and John Murphy, Chairman of International Commission of Jurists Justice John Dowd and several hundred Tamils from Sydney and adjoining counties participated in an event held at the Ryde Civic Center in Sydney Sunday in support of the Tamil Resurgence events being held by fellow Tamils in the NorthEast. The event was organized by the Australasian Federation of Tamil Associations (AFTA), an umbrella organization of Tamil groups in the region. Representatives of more than thirty member organizations participated in lighting the flame of resurgence at the beginning of the event presided by AFTA chairman Mr Ana Pararajasingham. Ms Julie Owns, Federal Member of the Australian parliament expressed her desire for a political solution. John Murphy, another Federal Member of the Australian parliament commended the Co chairs to the Peace Process for calling for the disarming of the paramilitaries and expressed the view that " this alone is insufficient" and called for the "complete withdrawal of the Sri Lankan armed forces from the Tamil Homeland." The key note speaker, Justice John Dowd, a prominent Australian Human Rights Activist, and Chairman of the International Commission of Jurists drew attention to the need to keep the international community informed of developing political situation in Sri Lanka. Rev John Barr, the National Secretary of the Uniting Church in Australia and Tamil activists and political commentators Mrs. Margaret Pararajasingham, Dr Siven Seevanyagam, and Mr Thanapalasingam also spoke. A petition calling for "a political solution to the conflict based on the Tamil people right to self-determination and an end to the occupation by the Sri Lankan armed forces of the Tamil Homeland," addressed to the Australian Prime Minister was signed by those attending the event. Panic on SriLankan flight to London
They said the SriLankan airlines flight UL-501, with 257 passengers and 12 crew members on board had taken off from the BIA at 1 45 pm on Sunday. Some 48 minutes later, an unidentified female-caller had warned the airport duty officer that the London-bound flight was under threat, though the exact threat was not mentioned. Soon after the telephone call, the captain and cabin crew of the aircraft were alerted and told to return to the BIA immediately. Around 2.38 pm the plane landed and immediately the passengers onboard were evacuated by airport officials. A thorough search operation was launched, while the Air Force Bomb Disposal Unit was summoned to the scene. They checked the plane fully but no bomb was found. SriLankan Airlines spokesperson, Ruvini Jayasinghe said yesterday all the passengers on board were safe and arrangements had been made for them to go on a separate flight to London on Sunday evening. Sunday’s drama came less than a month after a Saudi Air India test fires Akash missile thrice India Monday successfully test fired thrice its medium range surface-to-air missile Akash from a base in Orissa, defence sources said. The indigenously developed missile, which has a range of 27 km with an effective ceiling of 15 km, was test fired first at 12.50 p.m., for the second time at 1 p.m. and again at 1.05 p.m. from the Integrated Test Range of Chandipur (ITR) in the costal district of Balasore. Earlier, Lakshya, the pilot less target
aircraft (PTA), was test flown from the ITR at 12.41 p.m. and Akash was
fired at an object attached to it. The missile, which uses an Integral
Ramjet Rocket Propulsion System with a 700 kg launch weight, can carry
a 60 kg warhead. The test firing was a routine test to judge its accuracy,
the sources said. 3rd October 2005 Defence takes lion’s share of 2006 budget The Defence Budget for the up-coming year has been increased by nearly Rs. 13,000 million, up from Rs. 56,300 million in 2005 to Rs. 69,470 million for 2006. Defence is among several areas that have been allocated increased funding in the government estimates for the coming year. The total government expenditure for 2006 was estimated at Rs. 568 billion, up from 438 billion in 2005, in the Appropriation Bill for next year to be presented by Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama in Parliament on Tuesday. The envisaged increase is Rs. 130 billion. The allocations to almost all ministries have gone up significantly. The amount allocated for the general administration of the President’s Office too has seen an increase; going up to Rs. 1,079 million for 2006 while in 2005 it was 657 million, an increase of Rs. 422 million. Several institutions that have got notable increases are the Auditor General’s Department, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, as well as for the general administration of Parliament. The Education Ministry budget has been upped from Rs. 26,050 million to Rs. 34,009 million for 2006. The Transport Ministry has taken a cut from Rs. 13,338 million in 2005 to Rs. 7.790 million but the newly created Railways Ministry has been allocated Rs. 12,900 million. The Ministry of Finance and Planning
too has got a reduced budget, down to Rs. 52,791 million from this year’s
Rs. 95,246,411,000 The budget for the Ministry of Relief Rehabilitation and Reconciliation has gone up to Rs. 12,512 million in 2006 while in 2005 it was Rs. 8,322 million. There has been a marginal increase in the funds estimated for the Ministry of Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation as well which has increased from Rs. 14,174 million in 2005 to Rs. 17,728 million for 2006. The Ministry of Buddha Sasana too has a considerable increase of Rs. 490 million from Rs. 277 million in 2005.
Thondaman to back Ranil
A Prime Ministerial source told The Sunday Times Mr. Rajapakse had rejected two of the many conditions put forward by the CWC. One is said to relate to financial issues and the other the insistence that the Premier should only deal exclusively with the CWC when it came to the plantation sector. CWC officials declined comment on the issue but said their official position would be made public soon. According to the Prime Ministerial
source, during early rounds of contacts between Mr. Rajapakse and Mr.
Thondaman, the CWC leader had made available a list of demands. This list
had not included the demand that the Post-Tsunami Operational Management
Structure (P-TOMS) should be implemented by the winning candidate at the
presidential elections. Last week Mr. Thondaman held a series of talks. At first he met Premier Rajapakse in the company of Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Thereafter he met Opposition leader and UNP candidate Wickremesinghe and followed it up with a meeting later with President Kumaratunga. At this meeting Ms. Kumaratunga is learnt to have told Mr. Thondaman to hold back a decision of his party until she resolved the issue of P-TOMS with her party candidate, Mr. Rajapakse. The CWC is known to have a vote base of 900,000 in the districts of Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Matale, Ratnapura and Badulla. At the 2004 parliamentary general elections, the CWC returned eight MPs to Parliament. It also polled considerably in the Western province. Left Alliance pledges its support to Sri Lanka Premier The Left Alliance, consisting of Sri Lanka Communist Party, Democratic Left Front, LSSP, Mahajana Party of Sri Lanka, Desha Vimukthi Party has pledged its support to the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in the forthcoming presidential campaign. Leaders of those parties Dew Gunasekera, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Ranjith Nawaratne, Wimalasiri de Mel, and R.M. Podiappuhamy met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his official residence Temple Trees. A large number of political parties, including the JVP and the JHU so far have pledged their support to the Premier in the forthcoming presidential poll. Sri Lanka President leaves for France President Chandrika Kumaratunga last night left for France for a ten-day private visit. This would be her last overseas visit as the President of the country as her term of office is to be ended next November. The President is expected to return to the island before the nominations day. She was in the USA past two and half week period to attend the UN assembly, where almost all world leaders attended and several other meetings. She returned to the island last Tuesday night. International children's
day celebrated in Vanni Tamileelam Sports Directorate provided assistance to the event presided by the Head of the Children Welfare section of Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, Mr Raju Ravi. Events started at 8.30 am following the lighting of common flame and hoisting of the Tamileelam National flag. Children were grouped into five houses the flags of which also were raised. Kilinochchi residents, TRO officials and volunteers, representatives of non-Governmental Organizations, civil society members and LTTE cadres attended the event . The International Children's Day is celebrated in most countries, normally on June 1 each year. Japan and South Korea celebrate on 5 May, India on 15 November, Turkey on 23 April, Hong Kong on 4 April, and Singapore and NorthEast of Sri Lanka on 1 October. “EU should review its decision in the interest of peace” -Trincomalee Tamil peoples’ forum “European Union should review its decision on the censure on LTTE in the larger interest of peace in this country” said Mr. V.Vigneswaran, Chairperson of the Trincomalee Tamil peoples’ forum in a statement on the consequences of EU’s censure on LTTE activities. Exerpts: Tamil people view the action of EU as an incentive to the government of Sri Lanka to continue its discriminatory treatment and would no doubt place them again in a vulnerable situation of facing military oppression. The Tamil determination to fight against military oppression climaxed with the LTTE successfully evicting the occupying forces from major parts of the Tamil Homeland, placing the LTTE in a very stronger position. It is at this stage the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) was entered into with the encouragement and support given by the international community. Cease-fire having not produced any tangible benefits that could create normalcy in the life of a people battered by two decades of war, remains just a promise more on the breach and pushing the war affected people into the abyss of frustration. On the other side of the divide, south is pre-occupied with a presidential election that has already seen strange bedfellows entering into pacts with the solemn pledge of doing away with all that could help the peace process to move on. A naked war mongering on in the election platforms, extremist elements in the south have now got a fertile ground in the form of the EU censure on LTTE which for all intent and purposes would mean a censure on the Tamil people. The oppressed is being censured to the delight of the oppressor. With no malice to the people of Great Britain, one feels the irony of Britain heading the EU at a time the censure is made, for the Tamil people have an axe to grind with in this case with Britain. Recorded history tells the present Tamil generation that their sovereignty as a distinct nation was lost to the invaders in the early 16th century and Britain being the power that held sway in the affairs of the isle of Ceylon, as it was then known, at the time full independence was contemplated by the Crown, failed to realise the dangers that would ensue to the Tamil people through the first constitution, safety clause 29 on fundamental rights notwithstanding. The Tamil people rightly expect Britain to be more circumspect as dictated by history and right the wrongs rather than aggravate the situation. The decision of the EU has only helped to exacerbate the already complex nature of the conflict resolution. The most worrying question in the Tamil mind is about the partisan manner in which the ‘terrorism’ mode has been applied to the Tamil side of the divide, leaving the state terrorism perpetrated by successive governments untouched; the question per se is “under what classification does the terroristic acts of the state of Sri Lanka fall into”? It is a sad commentary on the EU if it had fallen for the propaganda fabricated by the government and the late Foreign Minister. It would have been more sensible, had the EU and the international community at large strived and succeeded in providing to the Tamil people the necessary political arrangement with the right to self-determination and then censure the LTTE to ‘behave’. This is what the Tamil people expect from the civilised world. If this just and fair expectation does not materialise through the good offices of the EU and the like entities, the Tamil people have no alternative other than to achieve it all by themselves. We therefore request the EU most respectfully to review its decision in the light of ground realities and historical obligations”. SLFP admits President-
PM rift “I sincerely hope these issues will be resolved after discussions,” the minister told BBC Sandeshaya (bbcsinhala.com).PM Rajapakse has signed election deals with Sinhala nationalist People’s Liberation Front (JVP) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU). Federal solution The PM has agreed to scrap the deal
to share tsunami aid with Tamil Tigers (P-TOMS) and find a solution to
the national question within a unitary Sri Lanka. President Kumaratunga,
however, has insisted that the solution should be based upon a federal
structure. Committee appointed According to a statement issued by the SLFP, President Chandrika Kumaratunga has appointed nine-member committee to co-ordinate party’s election work.The committee is headed by PM Rajapakse. Senior ministers Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, Maithreepala Sirisena, Nimal siripala de Silva, WDJ Seneviratne, Susil Premajayanth, Chief Minister Reginald Cooray, and Governors Alavi Moulana and Regie Ranatunga are the other members of the committee. The statement added that the president is to chair SLFP provincial rallies.President Kumaratunga is scheduled to leave for an official visit to Paris on the weekend. ehk;;
td;KiwkPJ fhjy; nfhz;l kdNehahspfs; my;y kf;fspd; tpLjiyiaNa Nerpf;fpNwhk;
;;vkJ ,dj;jpd; tpLjiy vd;gJ ,e;jpahtpd; ghJfhg;NghLk; ,e;jpag; ngUkf;fspd;
eyj;JlDk; gpd;dpg; ;gpize;Js;sJ vd;gij kPz;Lk; mWjpapl;Lf; $wpf;nfhs;s
tpUk;Gfpd;Nwd; - rpwprgh
|
||
