30 October 2011

David Cameron human rights plea at Commonwealth meeting

David Cameron has pressed for progress on a range of human rights issues during the Commonwealth summit.Mr Cameron told the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Australia that to stay relevant it must work harder to uphold basic values.The Chogm leaders agreed on Saturday to step up efforts to wipe out polio from the four countries where it is endemic.And the human rights record of the Sri Lankan government came under scrutiny. It will hold Chogm in two years' time.The Eminent Persons Group, which includes former UK foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, has examined the challenges facing the Commonwealth, and made more than 100 recommendations.The suggestions were proposed as ways to ensure that the organisation remains relevant in 21st Century global affairs.Mr Cameron has said he expects good progress to be made on developing a "charter" of rights and freedoms.Other recommendations, which are proving more problematic, are the appointment of a independent commissioner for the rule of law and human rights and a call for all member states to repeal laws banning homosexuality.

'Great network'

The summit in Perth is the first Chogm meeting Mr Cameron has attended since entering Downing Street.The prime minister said: "The Commonwealth is a great organisation, a third of the world's population, 54 countries across six continents, a really great network, but it is a network that must have strong values."The Eminent Persons Group report will strengthen those values particularly by having a charter setting out the rights, the freedoms, the democracy that we all believe in, and I think that is important."Mr Cameron added that he thought "good progress" would be made in Perth.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's army has been accused of war crimes during the civil war with the Tamil Tigers.Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has said he will boycott the 2013 summit unless there are major reforms in the country.When asked about Sri Lanka, Mr Cameron said there had to be a "proper, independent exercise to look into the whole issue of what happened, and whether there were war crimes, and who is responsible". Mr Cameron also joined the leaders of Canada, Australia and Nigeria, in committing tens of millions of pounds towards eradicating polio in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.The campaign will be supported financially by Microsoft magnate Bill Gates.Australia's prime minister, Julia Gillard, said: "While polio remains anywhere in the world, it is a threat to everyone."We're here today to demonstrate our commitment to ending the fight against polio, that is, ending polio for all time."

TNA leaders meet U.S., U.N. officials

Even as Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and its diplomatic corps douse the many fires at the Perth Commonwealth summit, the Tamil National Alliance leaders are in the United States, meeting ranking leaders in the Obama administration and the United Nations to press for an amicable political solution.Mr. Rajapaksa had travelled to New York to address the U.N. General Assembly too, last month. He held a series of bilateral meetings with leaders to impress on them the progress Sri Lanka had achieved since the conclusion of the bloody war with the Tamil Tigers in May 2009. In Australia too, he is in the same mode, even as the Tamil diaspora has tried to approach the courts to bring him to justice over alleged war crimes.While the efforts of the diaspora have at best been irritants, the decision of the TNA to travel to the U.S. to engage the State Department, and the U.N. has been viewed with hostility in the Sri Lankan administration. It has made it clear that the TNA is not the sole representative of the Tamil people, and hence, a meet with the U.N. officials is unnecessary. The TNA, however, has the support of the main Opposition party, the United National Party. According to media reports, the UNP has held that there was nothing wrong in the TNA meeting U.N. Secretary-General and the others to help speed up a political solution.The TNA's concerns are in three major areas: the militarisation of the North and the East, the lack of economic opportunities, and the slack attempts at rehabilitation.According to TNA leader M.A. Sumanthiran, after May 2009, the defence forces have occupied more than 7,000 sq km of land owned by Tamil people. There is one member of the armed forces for approximately every 10 civilians in the Jaffna Peninsula. The heavy presence of the military continues to be the most serious concern in the North and East. More than two years since the conclusion of the war, the government has still failed to facilitate the proper transition of these areas from a situation of conflict to a normal' environment.

TNA must agree for the proposal of power sharing accept by all communities: Ranil Wickramasinghe

Leader of the United National Party Ranil Wickramasinghe said Tamil National Alliance must agree to the proposal of power sharing which is accepted by entire SriLankans.Leader also said proposal which is submitted on the power sharing must be acceptable by all communities of this country.Opposition Leader made this statement during a media briefing at the Party Headquarters today.Finally leader said UNP will give it's fullest support for this new proposal.

U.S. support for transport and healthcare in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka

The United States through its aid agency has provided assistance to two important sectors - transportation and healthcare in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka , a press statement from the U.S. Embassy in Colombo said.The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided assistance to renovate a bus depot in Vakarai and hand over newly refurbished buses to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) and to provide a new incinerator to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.The measures will ease transportation hassles faced by Eastern Province residents, as well as ensure cleaner, safer healthcare for the 360,000 annual patients at the only teaching hospital in the Province, the statement said.Complementing the Government of Sri Lanka's investment in infrastructure development, the project also trained SLTB staff in motor repair and mechanics to ensure that the buses remain in good shape."Vakarai residents can now reach schools, hospitals, courts and have increased access to markets without difficulty," said James Bednar, Director of USAID in Sri Lanka. "And by supporting Batticaloa's healthcare, we hope to improve the quality of life for thousands of families in the surrounding communities," he added.

Govt. to blacklist relatives of LTTE int’l operatives

Colombo (Srilankamirror) - The Sri Lankan government has decided to blacklist even the relatives of LTTE international operatives, ‘Divaina’ reports.The aim is to prevent their entry into the island, says the newspaper.Military intelligence has come into possession the real names of these persons, who are publicly referred to by pseudonyms.LTTE international operatives had sent even their wives and siblings to the island on the guise of tourists, investigations have revealed.They have been accompanied by NGO activists and friends and held talks with LTTE supporters in the North, adds the newspaper.

WikiLeaks: American assistance to track Prabakharan

“The defense Secretary also repeated that the GSL would be willing to offer amnesty to all LTTE fighters, save Prabakharan and Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman.” the US Embassy Colombo wrote to Washington.Ambassador also raised potential USG assistance tracking Prabakharan if he manages to flee Sri LankaAccording to an unclassified cable, which Colombo Telegraph found from the Wikileaks archives, US offered their assistance to track LTTE leader Prabakharan. The cable, written on April 15, 2009 recounts details of a meeting between the Secretary Defense Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the US Ambassador in Colombo Robert O Blake.The Ambassador wrote “In a meeting with Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Ambassador pressed Rajapkasa to have the military exercise restraint and not enter the safe zone by force. The Defense Secretary again assured Ambassador that the military would not take the safe zone by force ‘ceasefire or no ceasefire.’ Rajapaksa did outline a strategy in which the Sri Lanka forces would attempt to take territory to get closer to the safe zone so that they could better broadcast messages to civilian population urging them to flee. Rajapaksa indicated that the military was attempting to divide the safe zone in three parts but didn’t specify how it would do so while maintain his pledge not to enter the area forcibly. Rajapkasa stated that had the LTTE released some number of civilians the pressure would have been on the GSL to extend the 48 hour ceasefire. Because LTTE continued operations against the GSL the ceasefire expired.”

Gotabhaya scared Sinhala Nationalists

Under the subheading “Goatabhaya Repeats Amnesty Offer” the US Ambassador wrote “The defense Secretary also repeated that the GSL would be willing to offer amnesty to all LTTE fighters, save Prabakharan and Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman. Ambassador asked whether this message had been widely communicated to LTTE fighters at the front. Rajapaksa said that such offers had been quiet and implied that Sinhalese nationalist parties (JHU, NFF and JVP) would react loudly if such offers were publicized too widely. Ambassador noted that without a more public effort to communicate the offer of amnesty, the effectiveness of such a move would be muted. Ambassador also raised potential USG assistance tracking Prabakharan if he manages to flee Sri Lanka.”

Shelling before ceasefire ended

Ambassador Blake also wrote “Media and private reports confirmed that the military has recommenced operations following the end of the 48 hour ceasefire declared by President Rajapaksa on April 12. The UN reports that the shelling started around 9pm on April 14 (before the 48 hour period ended) and Tamil sources indicated hundreds of casualties by mid-day April 15” placing a note Blake further wrote “ Such reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed and are frequently exaggerated.” To Read another Gota – Blake meeting visit “ WikiLeaks; Gota to provide mercenaries to Afghan war”

Lanka gang behind new card fraud?

CHENNAI: The number of complaints from ATM users, alleging credit card fraud, lodged with the central crime branch (CCB) in the city has touched 120. The total amount of the illegally swiped money is estimated to be to the tune of Rs 1 crore. The latest set of complaints has poured in from customers of private and nationalised banks living in suburban areas, such as Madipakkam and Pallikaranai and the needle of suspicion points to another Sri Lankan gang.Meanwhile, after a double breakthrough in October that led to the arrests of two gangs of credit card fraudsters, the CCB sleuths have sounded an alert to the US Consulate here after probe showed that some of the stolen data belonged to residents of that country. The arrests revealed two types of modus operandi (MO), a senior CCB officer told Express on Friday. Led by a Sri Lankan kingpin Sharcy alias B Umesh (27), the first group had stolen credit card data from ATM machines through insertion of skimmers. In the second case, a four-member gang had intercepted the data while the cards were on transit with the connivance of courier company employees. “Scientific analysis of the latest complaints from suburban residents shows that the MO is similar to the first category,” the officer said.Interrogation of Sharcy and his gang members in police custody, the available evidence and caller records brought to light the involvement of another Lankan gang, staying and operating from the suburban areas. “The three-member gang appears to have roped in locals for withdrawal of cash from ATM centres,” the officer said.The probe revealed that the Lankans came to India on a three-month tourist visa and overstayed despite the expiry of the visa. They mostly congregated in the suburban areas. The fraudsters procured the fake credit cards from Malaysia through courier, and printed the data - stolen or purchased from within India or other countries, he said.The Canadian connection came to light after the arrest of Sharcy, who claimed that he obtained his education as well as learnt the ‘techniques’ of the trade in that country. Hence, the assistance of Interpol might be sought in the future in tackling the menace, CCB sources said. Meanwhile, the sleuths are hot on the trail of the second Lankan gang and hope for a breakthrough within a week.

Sri Lanka Marxist party's internal clash spreads to foreign branches

Former legislator of Sri Lanka Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Bimal Ratnayake and Central Committee member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa are to leave the country on November 06 to visit France and other European countries to win the support of the party branches in those countries.However, party internal sources say that the majority of the JVP branches in foreign countries have pledged support to the JVP rebel faction led by Premakumar Gunarathnam.It is reported that the JVP's present international secretary Somawansa Amarasinghe and Vijitha Herath who held the position earlier have almost lost the control of the international wing of the JVP.Meanwhile, JVP Secretary Tilvin Silva said in a seminar held in Matara town recently that all the leaders of the party were with the main faction despite the claim of the dissidents that the party majority was with them.

Colombo hub of huge heroin operation

An estimated 350 heroin dealers are operating in the city of Colombo, with about 45 of them dealing in wholesale transactions involving millions of rupees, National Dangerous Drug Control Board (NDDCB) detectives said yesterday.They said their investigations had revealed that 10 to 15 drug lords were leading the mafia-style operation with at least 25 kilograms of heroin being sold in every transaction, while the other 30 traded between one and two kilograms in each transaction.Apart from these drug kings, another 300 operators were actively involved in the heroin market trading in small quantities of between 50 and 100 grams, they said. In addition there were an undisclosed number, but believed to be in the thousands dealing in the retail market throughout the city and its suburbs, the detectives added.According to investigations, about 90 per cent of the heroin entering the local market came from Pakistan and South India – with the bulk being smuggled in by boat across the Palk Strait.A kilogram of heroin sells on the street between Rs. 4.5 million and six million, depending on the grade.The detectives identified the main landing points for the boats bringing in the heroin as Chilaw and Negombo on the western coast and Mannar further up north.They said the heroin was also reaching areas such as Hikkaduwa, Trincomalee, Talaimannar, Marawila Beruwala, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu, Thoduwava, Batticaloa, Arugam Bay and Panadura.They said the heroin smugglers were known to tape the heroin to the bottom of the boat. If they were confronted by law enforcement officers, they would cut the tape and let the heroin sink to the bottom of the sea. Later they would send divers to fetch the packages of heroin when all is clear.The detectives said they also had evidence that refugees returning from Tamil Nadu were also being used as couriers to smuggle in the heroin for a large fee.The bulk of the smugglers using the sea route between Sri Lanka and India have been identified to be wealthy boat owners from Chilaw and Negombo.

Sri Lanka and China: About Face-The Economist

SRI LANKA has cancelled the sale of one of its most valuable commercial properties, which would have gone to the state-owned China Aviation Technology Import-Export Corporation (CATIC), amid local protests over some of the deal’s shadier-seeming aspects. Sri Lanka’s government is now negotiating with the exasperated investor to see whether a deposit of $54.5m, already paid by the Chinese, can be diverted to a fresh land deal somewhere nearby.Basil Rajapaksa, the influential economic development minister and brother to the president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, secured cabinet approval for the transaction in the first place. In light of its cancellation, he admits, the Chinese are “not happy”. He said the sale was annulled after the government belatedly decided to lease the lands in question—prime commercial areas in the capital, Colombo—instead of vending them outright.CATIC had signed an agreement to buy ten acres of land (four hectares) opposite Galle Face Green, a historic beachfront promenade in Colombo, only nine months ago, in February 2011. The company, which exports military aeroplanes to Sri Lanka, was looking to set up a luxury hotel and shopping mall, according to the terms of the agreement. It swiftly opened a local office, made a down payment and prepared to take possession of the land.But the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP), attacked the deal relentlessly. They say it was shrouded in secrecy and they questioned several of its terms. Harsha de Silva, a parliamentarian, asked why the government would sell “the best property in Sri Lanka” to a military-hardware manufacturer which happens to own a few hotels in China rather than to a renowned international hotel chain.The government accused the UNP of “playing politics” to discourage foreign direct investment. It argued that CATIC’s involvement in the Sri Lankan hospitality industry would draw high-end Chinese tourists to the country.The land opposite the green is owned by the defence ministry and till recently housed the army headquarters and military hospital. It was cleared for development and subdivided into three parcels. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the defence secretary (and another of the president’s brothers) says they hope to raise $325m from selling the plots. The money would mainly go to fund a posh new military headquarters and ministry.The Hong Kong-based Shangri-La group bought one plot for $125m and is set to complete a luxury hotel, deluxe apartments and a shopping complex there by 2014. The company said it will also develop a beachside resort in Hambantota, President Rajapaksa’s constituency.The Shangri-La deal encouraged CATIC to make a $139m offer for the second plot, officials said. But unlike Shangri-La, which operates 72 hotels in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, CATIC runs just 11 hotels in China. When the government accepted its bid without calling for a public tender, its critics began crying foul.Months later, the deal is off. The government denies bowing to pressure. Basil Rajapaksa says simply that the cabinet resolved to stop selling such valuable properties and that it will lease them instead. No explanation as to why this decision came only after the state committed to sell to CATIC and accepted the advance payment. The Chinese then balked at attempts to renegotiate the terms. No doubt they noticed that the adjoining plot was sold outright to Shangri-La.On October 21st, Basil Rajapaksa told parliament that the government did not pursue its memorandum of understanding with CATIC “due to a certain problem with the company.” Although he did not say it, one issue might have been that CATIC missed payment deadlines stipulated in their memorandum of understanding. The company agreed to pay the full sum by April 21st, 2011, but never produced anything beyond the deposit. Officials said alternate land elsewhere in Colombo is now being offered to CATIC on a 99-year lease.Outside analysts wonder whether the annulment of the CATIC deal means the government is going to become more circumspect about the manner in which it conducts business with China. Chinese involvement in the country has been moving at a gallop. All of Sri Lanka’s largest infrastructure projects—including highways, a coal-fired power station, a port and an airport—are funded through Chinese loans. Investment is edging forward too, if more gradually.Official data shows that China was Sri Lanka’s biggest lender in 2010, with loans amounting to $821.4m. It also offered $7.5m worth of grants. China plans to pump $1.5 billion into Sri Lanka over three years to develop infrastructure including roads, bridges, water supply schemes, irrigation and power.But India led Sri Lanka’s foreign direct investment, with $110m in 2010, followed by Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. President Rajapaksa has made himself a regular visitor to Beijing, where be brings the message that Sri Lanka is eager to boost Chinese investment.There has been some response. In August 2011, China Merchant Holdings and Aitken Spence, a blue-chip conglomerate in Sri Lanka, entered into an agreement with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to design, build and operate a container terminal in Colombo’s port. At $500m, it is Sri Lanka’s single largest foreign investment deal.The CATIC transaction was to be another step in the direction of foreign direct investment, but it limped from the start. Whatever the government’s reasons for dropping the property deal at Galle Face, surely adding a bit more sunshine to the process couldn’t hurt.

Toronto Tamils try to rally international support-TORONTO SUN

TORONTO - Tamils still suffer human rights violations two years after the civil war in Sri Lanka ended, protesters at Queen’s Park said Saturday.Roughly 5,000 Tamil Canadians — joined by Occupy Toronto protesters — flooded Queen’s Park for the “Tamil Freedom Rally,” intended to renew the community’s call to social justice.“The United Nations’ report has come out saying there were war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the last conflict,” said Krisna Saravanamuttu, spokesman for the National Council of Canadian Tamils. “During that time, 40,000 to 75,000 Tamils civilians were killed in four months alone. What we want to see is a lasting political solution for the island, so it doesn’t get drowned in war again.”The Tamil dominated area of the island of Sri Lanka is heavily militarized with over 100,000 armed forces and Tamils are denied the right to return to their towns and villages, the NCCT said.Around 20,000 members of the local Tamil community came to Queen’s Park in May 2009 in an attempt to persuade all political parties and the provincial and federal government to pressure the international community for a war crimes inquiry. “Similarly, today, we’re here to call upon our leaders to pressure the island of Sri Lanka to accommodate the Tamil’s demands for self-determination to ensure there’s a sustainable peace,” Saravanamuttu said.Many in the crowd waved Tamil Eelam and Canadian flags.Among other speakers at the rally included Toronto and York Region Labour Council John Cartwright and Liberal multiculturalism critic Jim Karygiannis, who criticized the government’s “anti-refugee” Bill C-4.“The Sri Lankan government, like an ostrich, has stuck its head in the sand,” Karygiannis said. “If you were to come in by boat to this country and claim refugee status, we might put you away in prison for five years and might not allow you to land for another five years and when your family joins you, it will be another nine years.”The Gardiner Expressway came to a standstill for almost five hours when 2,000 Tamil protesters marched up the ramp to the highway and blocked lanes and ramps during the protests two years ago.“I don’t think (there are any more plans to do that),” Saravanamuttu said. “I will say at that time when the Gardiner occupation happened, it was out of pure desperation. Tens of thousands of our relatives were being killed.”

Karunanidhi criticises Jayalalithaa over Rajiv Gandhi killers' mercy petition

Coming down heavily on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for her government's stand in the Madras High Court seeking dismissal of petitions of three Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts for commutation of capital punishment, DMK leader M Karunanidhi today said her "true colours" (on the issue) have come out now."Cat is out of the bag. If she has any real intention of saving the three (Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan), she should have convened the state cabinet to pass a resolution to recommend to the Centre requesting pardon for them, he said in a statement here.Tamil Nadu Home Secretary Rameshram Mishra in an affidavit filed on behalf of the state called for dismissal of the mercy pleas in the Madras High Court yesterday. Karunanidhi said even the senior counsel in the Supreme Court Colin Gonsalves had said the chief minister had powers to reduce the capital punishment to life by taking a cabinet decision."Instead of doing it, Jayalalithaa has sought the dismissal of the writ petitions by the three. By this her true colours have come out. Those, who are singing the praise of her will realise it now", he said.He said Jayalalithaa inadvertently had accepted that the DMK government was instrumental in reducing the death sentence of Nalini in the case to life, when she told the assembly that mercy plea of the three had been rejected by his government at the cabinet meeting on April 19,2000, accepting Nalini's plea.His government then had sent the mercy pleas to the Centre and that was why their death sentences were not executed.After a delay of 11 years, the president had rejected the pleas, which was cited as one of the reasons in the recent petitions, he said.He said during his tenure as chief minister, the state cabinet took decisions commuting the death sentences, saving the lives of four people."At least now, without any further delay, Jayalalithaa should use her powers and save the lives of the three. If she continued to be adamant and delay it further, it will only cause setbacks", he said.

US wanted SL troops in Afghanistan

The United States in December 2009 raised the possibility of Sri Lanka contributing to US-led coalition operations in Afghanistan, but Sri Lanka had declined the offer, a leaked US diplomatic cable cited by Wikileaks revealed.The leaked ‘Confidential’ cable stated that this was revealed in a meeting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake had with Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on December 8, 2009.“Blake raised the possibility of Sri Lanka contributing to US-led coalition operations in Afghanistan, noting that would be a significant step in support of improving military-to-military engagement. Rajapaksa replied that contributing forces for combat operations right now would be too politically sensitive during the current election season in Sri Lanka.  He added that the Sri Lankan Government would have to consider seriously the implications for its Muslim minority as well as the danger of drawing the ire of groups like Al-Qaida and Lashkar-e-Taiba by becoming a force provider.  He said a possible alternative for Sri Lanka might be to provide training assistance to Afghan security forces under the auspices of a non-governmental organisation or private company.  He recalled a local precedent for this approach, dating back to 1985-1986 when a South Africa-based company had provided security assistance to Sri Lanka in the early years of the war with the LTTE.  He said the company had provided military and security experts from a host of countries, including the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth nations, and even some Russians.  For four or five years, the company was based in Jaffna and had trained Sri Lankan pilots and taught infantry tactics, including close quarters combat skills.  He said that while the South African company had not participated in combat operations, it had closely monitored Sri Lankan military operations, assisting in de-briefing patrols and conducting after action reviews,” the cable stated.It said Blake had warned that Lakshar-e-Taiba, which had used Nepal and Bangladesh as staging posts to attack India, could next turn to Sri Lanka.“Rajapaksa said the Sri Lankan Government has arrested two men transiting Sri Lanka to Nepal based on information provided by India’s research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The Sri Lankan Government has since turned them over to RAW. Rajapaksa noted that the Sri Lankan Government has assigned separate officers to watch extremists. Blake suggested that the Sri Lankan Government exchange further information about LTTE networks with US counter-terrorism experts,” the cable stated.According to the cable they also discussed accountability and reconciliation, the State of Emergency; disarmament of ex-combatants and paramilitary groups; reconstruction in the North, rehabilitation of LTTE ex-combatants; LTTE child soldiers; access to LTTE ex-combatants for the ICRC; potential Sri Lankan contributions to peacekeeping operations and to US-led coalition efforts, and Sri Lankan military expansion plans.

“Rookie” Canadian MP Rathika told “Diplomacy works behind the scenes” by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Hello Friends,

Rathika Sitsabaiesan elected as member of Scarborough –Rouge river this year created history as the first person of Sri Lankan Tamil descent to be elected to the Canadian Federal Parliament.The 29 year old MP from the New Democratic Party(NDP)made waves during her maiden speech in the Ottawa House of Commons by speaking briefly in her mother tongue Tamil in addition to the Canadian official languages English and French.Ms. Sitsabaiesan whose family hails from the northern Jaffna peninsula in Sri Lanka came to Canada at the age of five.Although she grew up in Canada Rathika has evinced keen interest about matters concerning the land of her birth. Being of Tamil heritage she has been troubled by the Tamil predicament in the Island nation and has striven to focus the attention of her Parliamentary colleagues on the issue.Two days ago on October 26th Ms. Sitsabaiesan raised the Sri Lankan issue during question period.Parliamentary secretary to the dept of Foreign Affairs and Conservative MP representing Calgary East ,Deepak Obhrai responded officially.There was a further exchange of interesting words between both after the question and answer.It is interesting to note that Mr.Obhrai born in Tanzania is of South Asian descent and has been in Parliament since 1997 winning six consecutive elections from the same constituency. That makes him the senior most Canadian Parliamentarian of South Asian heritage in the Canadian legislature.Sri Lanka born Ms. Sitsabaiesan also being of South Asian heritage is a first –timer in Parliament. One is able to discern an air of condescension on the part of “veteran” Deepak as he seeks to enlighten the “novice” Rathika on the finer points of effective diplomacy. In the process he illuminates us about how the Stephen Harper govt is acting on the Sri Lankan human rights situation.I am reproducing the parliamentary exchange between two Canadian MP’s of South Asian heritage on my blog as I thought it was both interesting and informative.

So here it is friends-DBS Jeyaraj

PARLIAMENTARY EXCHANGE BETWEEN RATHIKA SITSABAIESAN AND DEEPAK OBHRAI.

Rathika Sitsabaiesan Scarborough—Rouge River, ON

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the parliamentary secretary for taking the time to be here tonight.On September 27, I was grateful to have had the opportunity to co-host a screening of the channel four documentary, Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields, with my fellow parliamentarians, the hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood, as well as the hon. member for Barrie. Also present was a representative from Human Rights Watch.This documentary detailed the alleged human rights violations and crimes against humanity that were committed in Sri Lanka during the final phase of the Sri Lankan civil war. The screening of this documentary moved me, as it did everyone else in the room who was watching. That night, we demonstrated that partisan lines could be crossed in order to seek justice for those whose human rights have been violated.On this side of the House, we have been calling on the government to take action and commit to fighting for justice for Sri Lankans. We called for action in 2009. New Democrats stood with hundreds of thousands of Canadians from across the country who were calling on the very same government to take action. Jack Layton stood with these Canadians and facilitated an emergency debate in the House, on the Sri Lankan conflict, demanding that the government stand up for human rights and justice.We have been asking the government to call upon the United Nations to follow the recommendations provided by its own panel of experts and to launch an independent investigation into the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity that may have been committed during the final phase of the Sri Lankan conflict. Canada is home to one of the largest communities of Tamil diaspora in the world, outside of India, many of whom live in my constituency of Scarborough—Rouge River and across the greater Toronto area in general.These are people who have lived through the atrocities committed during the Sri Lankan conflict. These are people who have witnessed their loved ones being murdered or kidnapped. These are people who have felt unsafe in their own homes. My family joined these people, fleeing our home country to come to Canada, leaving behind our friends, families and loved ones. Many of us risked our lives in order to escape the horrors taking place inside our homes and in our own backyards.During the almost 30 years of this conflict, and particularly during the final phase of the war, Canadians and the rest of the world stood idly by. Though there were many cries for help, there was no foreign intervention in the spring of 2009. Even the United Nations left Sri Lanka during the final phase of the conflict. We cannot continue this inaction. The United Nations expert panel, as well as the channel four documentary, Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields, show that there are serious allegations that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed during the final phase of the war. It is time for the global community to come together to fight for peace and justice in Sri Lanka.Representatives are meeting later this week in Perth, Australia for the Commonwealth leaders summit. With these allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, we know that Sri Lanka will be a topic of discussion as Sri Lanka is scheduled to host the next summit in 2013.When is the government going to fight for justice for Sri Lankans? What concrete steps will Canada take to ensure that Sri Lanka complies with and demonstrates human rights values consistent with those held by Canadians, members of the Commonwealth and the United Nations?

Deepak Obhrai Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, this issue is quite important for this government, a government that stands up for human rights.We are very much aware of the tremendous sacrifices made by the people of Sri Lanka during the civil conflict and the relief felt as a result of the successful end to this civil war.The Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and myself, on my visit to Sri Lanka immediately after the war, stated Canada’s position quite clearly.Canada is very concerned that the underlying sources of conflict are not being addressed and we are of the view that a political solution, including the devolution of power, is a critical component of sustainable peace in Sri Lanka.Canada urges the government of Sri Lanka to establish an independent investigation into the credible allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights committed by both sides of the conflict. We expect Sri Lanka’s lessons learned on the reconciliation commission will address these issues, including the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s panel of experts.Canada is of the view that the government of Sri Lanka must show tangible progress in the handling of political reconciliation and seriously address the credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law as reported by the UN Secretary-General’s panel of experts.To add to what the hon. member said about the Commonwealth conference that is taking place now in Perth, Canada is of the view that this issue must be addressed. We have made it very clear to the Sri Lankan government that we expect to see some tangible progress in Sri Lanka in terms of human rights, political reconciliation and accountability. The Prime Minister has made it clear that if he does not see any tangible evidence moving toward that direction, then he will not attend the next Commonwealth conference to be held in Sri Lanka.

Rathika Sitsabaiesan Scarborough—Rouge River, ON

Mr. Speaker, we all know the saying, “actions speak louder than words”. We can talk all we want, but nothing will change until we actually take action. We need action now, not just words.We need to call upon the United Nations to launch an independent inquiry into the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. We know that the reconciliation committee as created by Sri Lanka was deemed to be biased and not independent by the United Nations panel of experts.We need to take concrete action to ensure that Sri Lanka demonstrates respect for human rights and human dignity and complies with these values held by progressive democracies.

Deepak Obhrai Calgary East, AB

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague is a new member of Parliament, I would like to let her know that diplomacy works behind the scenes. We have been sending a message to the government in power that these are our concerns. That is how people can achieve results. That is what we have been doing since the civil war ended. I have visited there. If the government does not address the issues of what transpired during the reconciliation process, then we would be in a situation where possibly down the road the same conflict would start up again. In order for the country to move ahead, it is in the best interests of Sri Lanka to do that. We, as a Commonwealth nation, are willing to help Sri Lanka move down the reconciliation path.Sri Lanka must also address the credible concerns of the UN Secretary-General on the violation of human rights in that country.

Intelligence expanded into six battalions

The Sri Lanka Army has expanded the sole intelligence battalion of the Military Intelligence Corps into six battalions to face future threats and to make sure that a situation similar to what the country underwent in the recent past would not take place again.“If we have a stable and a strong intelligence network facing internal or external threats it will not be a difficult task. It can be from anybody but when our network is strong, we are more secure,” Military spokesman Brigadier Nihal Hapuarachchi said. He said that the Army is not 100 percent certain of some elements in the Tamil Diaspora as well as former LTTE cadres so therefore the threat comes from them also remain large. “We do not want to have the same situation we faced and dealt with in the past. The regiment commander is authorised to communicate with the intelligence officers under the directions of the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate,” he said. “We have placed these battalions in Security Forces Headquarters that we have covering the country,” Brigadier Hapuarachchi said. When asked about the strength of the newly formed battalions he said that he cannot give a specific number. The battalions are represented by personnel from all the regiments. Recently, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa also speaking at the opening ceremony of the new Security Forces Headquarters Complex in Kilinochchi said the military intelligence apparatus has been expanded for external and internal threats. “Some LTTE cadres escaped capture in Sri Lanka. Those LTTE members as well as the Diaspora have teamed up together and are working to destabilise the country and resurrect their ruthless organisation,” he said. “Because of these concerns, Military Intelligence Corps had to be increased to six battalions from the original one to two battalions. The surveillance therefore has to be sustained at all times,” the Defence Secretary noted.

28 October 2011

Samarasinghe questions UNHRC transparency

The Special Envoy of the President for Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe addressing the Third Committee meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today expressed Sri Lanka’s concerns about the transparency of the UN Human Rights Council.The Minister addressed “the issue of transparency and fair dealing in relation to its support structure and ancillary offices, including its special procedures and mechanisms.” He recalled the incidents that took place in Geneva last month.He vociferously called on the European Union not to refer to the Darusman report as a credible document, as it had done during the proceedings of the Third Committee. “I would urge the EU to go back and read the document because the authors of the document themselves say that they did not have any authority for investigations and that they did not do an investigation in arriving at the conclusions in the report,” he said. He warned nations of the dangers of breaches in procedure on themselves. “This is a very dangerous precedent. Today it could be Sri Lanka tomorrow it could be another country in this Committee. This is why I talked about adhering to principles and this is why such documents should be resisted,” he said.During his meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday the Minister had called on the international community and the UN not to point fingers at Sri Lanka but to give the country “time, support and opportunity” to achieve the countries post-war goals

Meaningfully implement 13th Amendment: Devananda

EPDP Leader and Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, Douglas Devananda stressed the need to meaningfully implement the 13th Amendment sans police and land powers for the time being as the initial step for the resolution of the national question. In an interview with the Daily Mirror on Wednesday, Minister Devananda said that there was political unrest among people in the south over any attempt to devolve land and police powers, and as a result, the devolution of such powers to the provinces could be shelved for the moment.“Once the understanding is built between the north and the south, we can consider the devolution of land and police powers. First, we have to implement the 13th Amendment. Then, we can go for the next step,” he said.Asked about the ongoing talks between the government and the TNA, he said that talking to the TNA alone would not suffice in this exercise. He charged that the TNA was not genuinely interested in resolving this problem once and for all. “They want to complicate the problem. As far as it is a prolonged problem, they can survive politically,” he said.

Weapons of LTTE shared between three groups : Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Dfence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced during the time of Karunas separation from the LTTE organization weapons used by the terrorist was shared between three group.Gotabaya Rajapaksa made this statement during an interview with a state media organization yesterday.While speaking at the interview Defence Secretary said a stock of weapons were hand over to the third party.However at present we have taken necessary steps to recover illegal weapons from all around the country, said the Defence Secretary.

Bharatha killing, drugs and CSE 'linked'

There seems to be a link between Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), illegal drugs and the recent murder of a presidential adviser, says the owner of a private media network. Shan Wickramsinghe, the owner of the TNL media network, told BBC Sandeshaya that he received death threats after his network discussed the alleged link in a talk show.The link was “exposed” after the killing of presidential advisor on trade unions, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra allegedly by the supporters of Duminda Silva, MP. Media reports said there has been a short supply of drugs after the incident in which Duminda Silva also received serious head injuries.“Reports said the stock market had collapsed while there was no illegal drugs in the market,” Mr Wickramasinghe explained.“When we were exploring this, we noted that there was a link between the illegal drug market and the stock exchange,” he added.The head of the private media network says they investigated how the CSE, which is hailed by the government as the best in Asia, suddenly falls due to short supply of illegal drugs such as heroin.“We found out that Duminda Silva, his brother Reno Silva, Waruni Amunugama, and Dilith Jayaweera share a suite in Intercontinental Hotel in Colombo and I revealed what they recently discussed in that suite,” said Mr Wickramasinghe.While Ms Amunugama and Mr Jayaweera are co-owners of the Ada Derana network, Reno Silva is the owner of ABC media network.After the revelation, says the TNL owner, senior officials at the TNL have received threats over the phone.“In a separate call, Waruni Amunugama has told my daughter that I will not be allowed to see the day light again,” said Mr Wickramasinghe.The TNL owner, who has lodged a complaint with the police regarding the death threats, has sent a copy of the complaint to the foreign embassies.There was no immediate response from the government for the allegations made.

27 October 2011

Australia wants UN rights body to probe S. Lanka

Australia on Wednesday assured Sri Lanka there were no plans to strip it of hosting rights to Commonwealth talks in 2013 over war crimes allegations, but called for a UN probe into the claims.Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised the accusations in bilateral talks with President Mahendra Rajapakse in Perth ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which opens Friday.Speaking ahead of the meeting, Gillard told reporters: "I have been clear about Australia's position in relation to allegations of human rights abuse in Sri Lanka. We believe that this is a serious question."As a lawyer's group said it had new evidence showing Sri Lankan troops committed war crimes in 2009, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the UN Human Rights Council must examine whether atrocities occurred. He also said Sri Lanka, which strongly denies any wrongdoing by government forces, should investigate the claims as part of its own Reconciliation Commission report, due out next month."It is of fundamental importance that the upcoming Reconciliation Commission report deal with various questions which have now been raised in the UN report on allegations of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka," Rudd said."Australia's national position is that the Human Rights Council also needs to revisit its earlier deliberations on this matter."The war crimes claims centre on Sri Lanka's final push against Tamil Tiger separatists in 2009, when it is alleged government forces killed tens of thousands of civilians.Commonwealth countries such as Australia and Canada have been vocal in their calls for Sri Lanka to investigate, placing the issue high on the agenda at the 54-nation grouping's two-yearly meeting.Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has threatened to boycott the next CHOGM summit, scheduled to be held in Colombo in 2013, unless Sri Lanka takes action.Gillard declined to back Harper's boycott call and said there were no plans to relocate the 2013 meeting."My understanding is there is no intention to revisit the question of hosting of the next CHOGM meeting," she said.Rudd said all countries attending the meeting of mainly former British colonies in Perth were free to raise concerns with Sri Lanka individually.The International Commission of Jurists' Australian chapter said Wednesday it had received fresh photographic evidence of atrocities, including the alleged execution and degradation of female victims."(It) deals with executions, it deals with (crimes) such as shooting through the forehead ... it deals with the exposure of women's bodies, presumably after death, and it deals with other evidence showing Sri Lankan army officials and officers," IJC Australian chief John Dowd told reporters in Sydney.Dowd said the photographs, collected by an Australian union official, had been forwarded to police.An ethnic Tamil living in Australia, Arunachalam Jegatheeswaran, this week tried to launch a war crimes case against Rajapakse in a Melbourne court, but officials quashed the action, citing laws that protect visiting heads of state.

Sri Lanka Team Calls UN Ban "Close," No "Darusman" Report Action For Year?

After Sri Lanka's special envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe met Wednesday morning with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Inner City Press asked him how the meeting had gone. Video here and below."Constructive," he called it, saying that the government's Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Commission report, due November 15, will be presented nearly a year later in October 2012 to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.Inner City Press asked Sri Lanka had again complained about the transmission to Geneva of the UN Report (or "Darusman Report," as the government insists on calling it, referring to Report Panel chairman Marzuki Darusman). Sri Lanka Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona answered that it's a separate issue. For this any other verbatim quotes, see video below.Multiple sources have told Inner City Press that in President Mahinda Rajapaksa's September meeting with Ban Ki-moon, Ban berated his staff for not having given sufficient notice to the Sri Lankan mission. On the other hand, the number of people the Report says were killed seems more important than technical niceties of notice.Before the meeting began, there was a photo opportunity. Entering before Ban were, among others, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights representative Ivan Simonovic, and Department of Political Affairs chief Lynn Pascoe and the staffer who accepted Tamil protesters' letter in the past.Then Mahinda Samarasinghe entered, accompanied by Kohona and his deputy, Shavendra Silva -- not accompanied by his recently hired lawyers. At the end, the talk turned to Diwali, which Kohona emphasized is a national holiday in Sri Lanka. And then they were gone. Watch this site.Update: Two hours after the meeting finished, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman to respond to the Sri Lankan delegation's description of the meeting. There will be a read out, he replied. Some two hours later, this came in:Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Special Envoy of the President of Sri Lanka on Human Rights, 26 October 2011 Earlier today, the Secretary-General received Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Special Envoy of the President of Sri Lanka on Human Rights.This meeting was part of the UN's ongoing dialogue with the Government of Sri Lanka as a follow up to the Joint Statement of 23 May 2009 between the Secretary-General and President Rajapaksa. The Secretary-General stressed the importance of dealing with accountability issues in the context of national reconciliation.The discussion also touched on the importance of an inclusive national dialogue aimed at achieving genuine political reconciliation, as well as ongoing progress with regard to recovery and resettlement efforts in the North.

WikiLeaks: “Fonseka could be assassinated” Basil said matter-of-factly

“Sampanthan also recounted a disturbing conversation he recently had with the president’s brother Basil Rajapaksa, who said matter- of-factly ‘ Fonseka could be assassinated.’” the US embassy wrote to Washington.A leaked US diplomatic cable says “ Sampanthan said this remark, coupled with the recent decree by nationalist Buddhist monks against Fonseka running in the election and the fact that a Rajapaksa/Fonseka contest would ‘split the army,’ were ‘dangerous trends’ and indicated that the election campaign would get ‘hot.’”A leaked US diplomatic cable recount details of a meeting the embassy had had with Tamil National Alliance Chairman R. Sampanthan on November 10, 2009. The Colombo Telegraph found the cable from WikiLeaks database. The cable written on November 13, 2009, classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” by the Deputy Chief of Mission Valerie Fowler.The US ambassador Patricia A. Butenis wrote “ Sampanthan said President Rajapaksa recently expressed a desire to meet and they did so privately.” “ Sampanthan said the president wanted elections as soon as possible before the ‘war crimes’ issue got any heated, GSP-Plus concessions expired, or the economy got any worse” she further wrote.“Sampanthan noted the president’s willingness to meet with Sampanthan and other Tamils, but overall he was not sanguine about the Rajapaksas’ commitment to reconciliation. They had stalled implementation of the 13th amendment and the election season would likely further reduce chances for putting the amendment into effect. Asked what other steps short of the 13th amendment would be important for reconciliation, Sampanthan noted the de-militarization of society and elimination – or at least reduction – of checkpoints, which particularly impacted young Tamil men. Sampanthan also urged the elimination of the Emergency Regulations. With the end of the war and complete defeat of the LTTE, Sampanthan thought there was no longer any justification for extraordinary measures.” the US ambassador wrote.The ambassador Butenis wrote “Sampanthan said he wanted to meet with the US diaspora to stress with them the need to be pragmatic and not extreme in finding a political solution to the plight of Tamils, and to encourage them to become more involved in reconstruction and economic development.” “We encouraged him both in making the trip and in pursuing these goals” Butenis further wrote.

Don’t be frightened , rally together against injustice and lawlessness : take a lesson from Libya- Gen. Fonseka

 ‘People must take the cue from the happenings in Libya . Don’t be frightened of corrupt and despotic regimes , underworld supporters of theirs and their convoys of vehicles surrounding them. Come forward casting away your differences for the future good of the country to fight against injustice and lawlessness which are reigning supreme now. Jayawewa ( victory) for the people’ . These were the welcome requests made by war Hero Gen. Fonseka to the people on the 25th.Gen. Fonseka made these terse comments during the limited time he had to speak when he arrived at a Colombo private Hospital escorted by prison guards for treatment of his wounds which he sustained when he was directly attacked by a LTTE suicide bomber at the time he was the Army Commander.The celebrated war Hero and an ex MP who somehow addresses the people and speaks on their behalf thus, whenever he gets time even while being imprisoned is in stark contrast to the parliamentary representatives who after entering Parliament on the votes of the people who voted for them solely for the sake of Fonseka and his party , remaining silent like stray animals which are satisfied digging garbages and eating from those bins , speaking nothing , doing nothing for the people or Gen. Fonseka’s freedom after knowing very well that he had been wrongfully imprisoned stemming from political vendetta. It is very unfortunate this country is now having a political breed who after winning on people’s votes and party leaders’ goodwill are ever ready to lose even their souls only to secure evil power among evil rulers and fulfill their selfish and private agendas.

No trace of inspector who braved the LTTE

Inspector N. M. Nilabdeen, who helped crack many a case against the LTTE and was responsible for arresting Tiger operatives in the South along with claymore mines, explosives and firearms, has disappeared without a trace since he went abroad owing to threats to his life.Police Headquarters said yesterday that they had lost contact with him and there was a Rs. 200,000 reward waiting for him for getting to the bottom of the suicide vehicle bomb attack on the Central Bank Headquarters in Fort on January 31, 1996, which killed nearly a hundred people and injured more than 1,000 others.On Tuesday, Inspector General of Police N. K. Illangakoon distributed rewards to those who had cracked the Central Bank bomb case and those responsible for major detections, but Inspector Nilabdeen was not there to collect his cheque.Police spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said they would now call on the inspector’s wife to collect the reward on behalf of her husband.

Sri Lankan Buddhist monks fast demanding the release of fishermen in Indian custody

Two Buddhist monks from Kalpitiya in Sri Lanka have commenced a fast demanding the release of Sri Lankan fishermen arrested by the Indian Coast Guard .Chief Incumbent of the Samdrasasana Temple in Kandakuliya, Ven. Bendiwewa Diyasena Thero and Ven. Yatimadura Manasalankara Thero have commenced the fast in Kandakuliya.They have called for the release of six Sri Lankan fishermen who are in the custody of the Indian Coast Guard.They claim that the fishermen are being held in the Andaman Islands.The monks claim the fishermen have been in custody for over one and a half years and the authorities have not taken any appropriate action to secure their release.In August the Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna said there were 104 Sri Lankan fishermen in Indian jails but there were no Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody.

SriLankan adds new Airbus 320 to its fleet

Sri Lanka's national carrier, SriLankan Airlines today added a brand new Airbus 320 to its fleet of aircraft.With the new A320 flown in from Toulouse, France, the number of its fleet of aircraft rose to 19.The new airbus has a configuration of 20 business class and 120 economy class seats and it is equipped with the latest in-flight entertainment systems.The SriLankan now has six A340s, five A330s and six A320s and two De Havilland Twin Otters seaplanes.The carrier says it has ordered another Airbus 320 that is expected to be delivered in November.In August the airline announced plans to expand its fleet to 28 aircraft in the next four years from the current fleet of 19, as Sri Lanka is experiencing a tourism boom following the end of the war in May 2009.

26 October 2011

Australia presses Sri Lanka over war crimes claims

PERTH, Australia — Australian leader Julia Gillard on Tuesday urged Sri Lanka to address claims of serious human rights violations as a man filed war crimes charges against President Mahinda Rajapakse.Sri Lanka has persistently denied that its troops committed atrocities while battling the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who were crushed in an offensive that ended in May 2009, bringing the 26-year conflict to a close.But Prime Minister Gillard said the allegations were a concern."Australia and like-minded countries have been urging and will continue to urge Sri Lanka to address the serious allegations that have been made of human rights violations," she told Perth radio.Rajapakse is due in Perth this week to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the issue is likely to be prominent on the agenda.Rights groups say CHOGM has a moral and legal responsibility to hold the Colombo government to account.Gillard's comments came as a Sri Lankan man who says he is "living testimony" to the massacre of Tamils in the conflict filed a war crimes case in Melbourne Magistrates Court against Rajapakse."I am a living testimony of the massacre that happened to the Tamil people in the final days of the war in Sri Lanka," said Arunachalam Jegatheeswaran, an Australian citizen."This alleged war criminal is coming to my country, Australia, and I want to make sure he is held accountable for the massacre of thousands of Tamils in 2009."Gillard made it clear that no case could proceed without the government's say-so."No such legal action can be taken on an issue like this without the consent of the attorney-general," she said. "And the attorney-general hasn't received any request in relation to this matter."She also noted that Australia has obligations under international law which extends immunity to visiting heads of state.But Jegatheeswaran's lawyer, Lucien Richter, said he did not believe diplomatic immunity was an issue in this case."There is some authority to suggest that where crimes are of a substantial and international nature, such as war crimes or crimes against humanity, then effectively the authority of being head of state doesn't grant him immunity from those things," he said."Certainly the ICJ (International Commission of Jurists) in their submission have come to a simple conclusion that immunity would not be a barrier to this prosecution." Australian police are reviewing a dossier submitted by the ICJ containing testimony from citizens who say they were attacked by government forces in the war's final days.Jegatheeswaran, 63, a retired engineer and ethnic Tamil, returned to his homeland in 2007 to volunteer in Tamil hospitals, schools and camps for displaced persons, where he claims to have witnessed attacks by government forces."Patients who were in the hospital were killed and there were other patients waiting for treatment, they were killed," he told ABC television.Rajapakse was not available to comment on the war crimes case, but in an interview with the official programme for CHOGM said his country was trying to build unity."This includes the Tamil people who were deprived of all democratic, fundamental and human rights by the terrorist organisation that claimed to be their 'liberators'," he said."Instead they caused such brutality to them, to our country, and also posed a threat to our region."

SriLankan President to meet British Prime Minister

SriLankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Australia to take part in the Common Wealth Conference is schedule to meet British Prime Minister. During the meeting president will explain about the investigations carried out on war crime allegations of SriLanka, Temple tree sources said.According to the sources during the time of discussion president Rajapaksa will hand over clear report on war crime allegation towards British Prime Minister.According to the political analyst this will be an important meeting because after assuming duty as the British Prime Minister for the first time David Cameroon is schedule to meet President Rajapaksa in Australia.During the time of discussion President Rajapaksa will explain about the rehabilitation and resettlement activities carried out in the country, sources said.Meanwhile both leaders will exchange views on political solution of the country and also it was expected British Prime Minister will also explain his stance on SriLankan issue, British diplomats said.However British government stress to carry out an independent international investigation and it welcomed the report released by the UN Expert panel.

Channel 4's Sri Lanka documentary cleared by Ofcom

Channel 4's controversial documentary Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, which featured graphic footage of alleged war crimes, has been cleared of breaching the broadcasting code.Ofcom said images featured in the documentary, broadcast in June, "whilst brutal and shocking", did not exceed what the Channel 4 audience would have expected, given the pre-transmission warning about the nature of the content and the programme's scheduling at 11.05pm, well after the 9pm watershed.The media regulator received 118 complaints about the documentary, about issues including impartiality, offensiveness and the broadcast of misleading material, but concluded it had not breached the broadcasting code on any of these counts.Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, which focused on a UN investigation into alleged war crimes during the final weeks of the country's civil war, included a number of images of murdered and tortured bodies, and also of partially clothed women who, it was suggested in the documentary, had been sexually abused prior to their death.The documentary featured mobile phone footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts gathered by programme-maker ITN Productions.The regulator said: "Channel 4 has a unique public service remit to provide programming that is challenging, diverse and likely to provoke debate. Consequently, the broadcaster has a history of broadcasting very challenging material from war zones (including graphic footage) and seeking out the voices and views of those who may not be represented."The images included in this programme, whilst brutal and shocking, would not have exceeded the expectations of the audience for this Channel 4 documentary scheduled well after the watershed with very clear warnings about the nature of the content."On the question of impartiality, Ofcom noted that Channel 4 had put all the significant allegations included in the documentary to the Sri Lankan government and broadcast the limited statement that was provided.The documentary also included previous Sri Lankan government statements relating to the final stages of the civil war against the Tamil Tigers, including a clip of an official claiming that the first video of an alleged execution shown in the programme was a fake.Ofcom also said the documentary was only required to maintain due impartiality on its specific subject – the government offensive against the Tamil Tigers in the final stages of the war – and not the conflict as a whole."Ofcom therefore concluded that overall Channel 4 preserved due impartiality in its examination of the Sri Lankan government's actions and policies during its offensive and there was no breach of [the broadcasting code]," Ofcom concluded.In response to complaints that the programme was misleading, Ofcom said Channel 4 had taken reasonable steps to establish that the material included in Sri Lanka's Killing Fields was not faked or manipulated, and had not materially misled viewers in the way it was presented on air.Last week Dorothy Byrne, the Channel 4 head of news and current affairs, told the Lords communications committee that programmes such as Sri Lanka's Killing Fields faced PR pressure from the Sri Lankan government.She said a demonstration held outside the Channel 4 headquarters in London was organised by the Sri Lankan ministry of defence.

Sri Lankan minister would contest as Chief Ministerial candidate for Northern PC

Leader of Sri Lanka's Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) and Minister Douglas Devananda says he would contest as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the government at the Northern Provincial Council elections.Devananda has told the media that he was confident that the governing United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) could win the provincial council elections.According to Devananda, the President had told the Indian Foreign Secretary who recently visited the country that there was a possibility of holding the Northern Provincial Council election by mid next year.Devananda has explained that the holding of Provincial Council election in the North has been delayed due to the ongoing resettlement programme."Elections would be held as soon as the resettlement programme is completed," he has said.

No bartering of war-crimes accountability for political concessions: TNPF

Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF), a post-war Tamil political formation in the island of Sri Lanka, in a press conference held Sunday morning 11:00 am at a Colombo residence, congratulated TNA leadership on the forthcoming visit to the USA, and said that the visit is a significant historic first where the US-State Department has extended invitation to a non-State Tamil political party, adding that the visit has potential for improving the political status of the Tamil people who have suffered within a majoritarian democracy for several decades. While pointing out that the TNA is carrying a tremendous burden on its shoulders to articulate clearly the aspirations of Tamils, TNPF cautioned that TNA, under no circumstance, should barter away Sri Lanka's accountability for war crimes for ‘political concessions.’ Equivalent to Minister of External Affairs, the Secretary of State in the US customarily invites only State parties for policy exchanges and discussions, said Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam, Vice President of TNPF and convener of its Foreign Relations Committee."What TNA does in this trip is of tremendous importance to the political future of the Tamil people," Gajendrakumar told TamilNet.Welcoming the gesture of the US State Department for inviting the TNA, and congratulating the TNA for rising to represent the Tamil people in this historic visit, the TNPF extended its best wishes and success for the Tamil people, the summary of the TNPF meet resolutions said. However, considering that success of this visit could be measured only by how effectively the TNA articulates certain issues that are paramount to the political destiny of Tamils, the TNPF outlined on the importance of observing the following in the US – TNA talk:TNA should insist that the US takes the lead in recognizing Eezham Tamils as a distinct nation having the national right to self-determination.International Community at present has been focusing on war crimes. TNPF's view is that Sri Lanka not only committed war crimes during the final phases of war, but also carried out systematic structural genocide for the last sixty years on the Tamil people. The genocide has continued unabatedly even two years after the war has ended.TNPF has information that the Sri Lankan state is carrying out a campaign among the International Community asking to put aside accountability for war-crimes for some unspecified political concessions to Tamil people. It is TNPF's firm view that TNA must take this opportunity in Washington to insist that accountability for the systematic genocide be seen as a totally separate issue from the political process. War-crimes accountability should in no circumstances bartered away for "political concessions."Tamil National Peoples Front is a post-war political formation founded by a section of former TNA parliamentarians and many civil society groups, who differed with the TNA over its hesitation to spell out the sovereignty of the nation of Ezham Tamils after the genocidal war.S. Kajendren, the General Secretary of TNPF, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, vice president, V. Mannivannan, leader of the Youth wing and a co-vice president, and K. Dharmarajah, treasurer, participated the TNPF meeting.TNA leaders, R. Sampanthan, Maavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran and M.A. Sumanthiran are expected to visit the US in the coming week.

Jaffna University student assaulted

Final year student of the faculty of Arts , Jaffna University was assaulted by an unidentified group last evening.A group of unidentified persons arrived in the three-wheeler carried out the attack in Paranthan-Poonagari road yesterday.However victim was rushed to the Killinochchie base hospital and later transferred to the Jaffna hospital for further treatment.Victim is identified as 26 year old Rajawarothayan Kavidas student of Jaffna University.Student Leader of the Jaffna University Thawapalan also attacked by an unidentified group earlier this month.

Solve Bharatha’s killing before questioning Gaddafi’s death – UNP

The Mahinda Rajapaksa regime was shouting from roof tops about the manner in which the Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi was killed by Revolutionary Forces backed by NATO, but had failed to conduct a transparent inquiry into the death of one of its own members, the UNP said yesterday.UNP media spokesman Gayantha Karunathillake, addressing a news conference in Colombo, said that the government was preaching to the world, while allowing the Sri Lankan underworld to grow at an alarming rate, that it can no longer be controlled.The Rajapaksa regime has woken up to reality only after Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, who was a presidential advisor, had been killed by his "very own party men" on election day, while President Rajapaksa, who boasts about defeating the LTTE, was pleading for support to eradicate the local underworld, which was nurtured and used by his government when required, he alleged.Karunathillake observed that the inquiry into Bharatha’s killing has raised several questions including the reluctance of the authorities to admit that Duminda Silva MP, who had fought with Bharatha immediately prior to his death, was not a suspect.The drug barons are roaming the country freely and unless stringent action was taken they would swallow up their political masters very soon, he warned adding that the failure to rein them in, would turn out to be a bigger menace than the LTTE.The killing of Bharatha at Mulleriyawa on October 8, 2011 while polls to 23 local councils was in progress, has proved what the UNP had said repeatedly, that elections held under the Rajapaksa regime had never been free and fair, Karunathillake said.He said that if ruling party members were subjected to the "killer treatment", it goes without saying what the Opposition had been subjected to, under Rajapaksa’s watch.

Pakistani De-mining team visiting Sri Lanka to share experiences

A de-mining team of officers from Pakistan Army Engineering Corps is currently visiting Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Sri Lankan Army to further enhance defense cooperation and friendly relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.The 10-member de-mining team led by Colonel Zaafir Nisar is visiting Sri Lanka from October 13 -28, Pakistan High Commission in Colombo said in a press statement. The team during their stay will be visiting Mullativu and Madu de-mining sites.All members of the team have extensive humanitarian de-mining experience during their employment at Sudan and Cambodia. According to the High Commission, the purpose of this friendly visit by the Pakistani de-mining team is to share experiences for mutual benefit of concerned departments and engineers of both the armies.During the visit of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Pakistan Army General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in January 2011, it was mutually decided by the two army's commanders to send a team of qualified engineers from Pakistan having experience of de-mining that may provide impetus to efforts of Sri Lanka Army for clearing the identified locations.Pakistan offers large number of courses to personnel of Armed Forces of Sri Lanka annually which includes training of personnel in de-mining.The Pakistani team beside their professional endeavors will also be visiting Kandy, Galle, Hambantota and Sigiriya. Since independence, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have consistently maintained close, cordial and mutually supportive relations especially in the field of defense. Both nations have assisted each other during testing times in their histories.Pakistan and Sri Lanka have comprehensive and mutually beneficial training collaboration for Army, Navy and Air Force. Over a period of time, a strong bond of commitment and mutual understanding has been reached between both the friendly armed forces. In future too, both countries are expected to work more closely in the field of defence to boost peace efforts in the region.

Sri Lanka frees over 350 rehabilitated Tamil Tigers ahead of Deepawali

The Sri Lankan government released another batch of rehabilitated Tamil Tiger cadres in to the society at a ceremony held Tuesday at the Ramakrishna Hall in Wellawatte in Colombo under the patronage of Sri Lankan Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne.Around 370 former LTTE cadres who have undergone the rehabilitation program were released Tuesday ahead of the Hindu festival of Deepawali.The former combatants receive training in vocational skills before their release through the programs organized by Sri Lanka military to earn a living on their own once released.The Prime Minister handed over the rehabilitated cadres to their parents and family members at the ceremony.The Rehabilitation Authority provides the released cadres with a concessionary loan of 275,000 rupees as a starter for a self-employment.

China seeks military bases in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - While Pakistan wants China to build a naval base at its southwestern seaport of Gwadar in Balochistan province, Beijing is more interested in setting up military bases either in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan or in the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) that border Xinjiang province. The Chinese desire is meant to contain growing terrorist activities of Chinese rebels belonging to the al-Qaeda-linked East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) that is also described as the Turkistani Islamic Party (TIP). The Chinese Muslim rebels want the creation of an independent Islamic state and are allegedly being trained in the tribal areas of Pakistan. According to well-placed diplomatic circles in Islamabad, Beijing's wish for a military presence in Pakistan was discussed at length by the political and military leadership of both countries in recent months as China (which views the Uyghur separatist sentiment as a dire threat) has become ever-more concerned about Pakistan's tribal areas as a haven for radicals. Beijing believes that similar to the United States military presence in Pakistan, a Chinese attendance would enable its military to effectively counter the Muslim separatists who have been operating from the tribal areas of Pakistan for almost a decade, carrying out cross-border terrorist activities in trouble-stricken Xinjiang province. There have been three high-profile visits from Pakistan to China in recent months; the first by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar; the second by President Asif Ali Zardari and the third by the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha. The Pakistani visits were reciprocated by the September 28 visits to Islamabad by Chinese Vice Premier Meng Jianzhu and Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu. This was prompted by two bomb blasts in Kashgar city of Xinjiang province on July 30 and 31 in which 18 people were killed. The explosions provoked senior government officials in Xinjiang to publicly claim for the first time in recent years that the attackers had been trained in explosives in ETIM/TIP camps run by Chinese separatists in the Waziristan tribal regions of Pakistan.The Chinese allegation was described by many in the diplomatic circles of Islamabad as a clear sign of the growing impatience of Beijing with Islamabad's failure to control radical groups operating within its borders.The Chinese charge was made on the basis of a confession by a Uyghur militant arrested by the Chinese authorities. Pakistan swiftly extended all possible cooperation to Beijing against the ETIM/TIP network. "Terrorists, extremists and separatists in Xinjiang province constitute an evil force," said an August 1 statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry after Chinese President Hu Jintao rang Zardari to express his grave concern over the growing activities of "terrorists" belonging to the Pakistan-based ETIM/TIP network. In a subsequent video released on September 7, ETIM/TIP corroborated earlier Chinese claims that it was involved in attacks in Xinjiang in July. The ETIM/TIP, run by natives of Xinjiang province, a Muslim-dominated region three times the size of France, is fighting against the settlement of China's majority Han ethnic group in the western province, describing its struggle as a freedom movement. The ETIM/TIP maintains that the Chinese are a colonial force in Xinjiang province - which it refers to as Turkistan - and emphasizes Islam over ethnicity. Though the ETIM/TIP network on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been much weakened in recent years in the wake of the killing of many of its top leaders in US drone attacks, hardcore Uyghur militants are still shuttling between China and Pakistan, mainly because Xinjiang province shares a border with Pakistan. The ETIM/TIP presence in Pakistan was first confirmed when one of its founding leaders, Hasan Mahsum alias Abu Muhammad al-Turkistan, was killed by Pakistani security forces in South Waziristan in October 2003. The next one to be killed by the Americans in a drone attack was Memetiming Memeti alias Abdul Haq al-Turkistani, the ETIM/TIP chief, who was targeted in North Waziristan on February 15, 2010. Abdul Haq was succeeded by Abdul Shakoor Turkistani, a Chinese Uyghur, who is well known for his friendly terms with major Taliban groups in Waziristan. He has taken control of overall command of Chinese and Uzbek militants in North Waziristan, due to his past association with the late Abdul Haq and late Tahir Yuldashev of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Beijing believes that the Chinese rebels operating from the Pakistani tribal areas are well-connected to al-Qaeda, which not only trains them but also provides funding. Thus, Pakistan and China, which have cooperated for a long time in the field of counter-terrorism, have intensified their efforts to nip the terrorism in the bud, especially after the Kashgar blasts.In fact, it was in the aftermath of the May 2 US raid which killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad hideout that Islamabad started playing its China card aggressively, perhaps to caution Washington against pushing it too hard. Shortly after the Abbottabad raid, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani traveled to Beijing. Accompanying Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar had stated on May 21 that whatever requests for assistance the Pakistani side made, the Chinese government was more than happy to oblige, including agreeing to take over operations of the strategically positioned but underused port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea on expiry of a contract with a Singaporean government company. He disclosed that Pakistan had asked China to begin building a naval base at Gwadar, where Beijing funded and built the port. "We would be grateful to the Chinese government if a naval base is constructed at the site of Gwadar for Pakistan," he said in a statement. Mukhtar later told a British newspaper in an interview: "We have asked our Chinese brothers to please build a naval base at Gwadar port." Knowledgeable Defense Ministry sources in Islamabad say that by having a Chinese naval base in the Gwadar area, Pakistan intends to counter-balance Indian naval forces. However, diplomatic circles in Islamabad say Beijing, which has no military bases outside its territory and has often been vocal in criticizing American moves for operating such bases, first wants to establish military bases in Pakistan, which could be followed by the setting up of the naval base. Therefore, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie promptly dismissed (on June 6) suggestions that Beijing was carving out a permanent naval presence in India's neighborhood. Answering questions at the 10th Asia Security Summit, organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, Liang disclaimed moves to build naval bases at Gwadar and at a Sri Lankan port. Emphasizing his credentials as a member of the Chinese State Council and Central Military Commission, he said:We will have a very serious and careful study of an issue of such importance to the government and the military like the reported move for establishing naval bases in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Indeed, we will have exact plans and set up a panel to discuss it if the move were for real. However, I haven't heard of it.Asked by Manish Tewari, the Indian Congress party's spokesman, to spell out China's core interests in South Asia and the Indian Ocean area, Liang said:The core interests include anything related to sovereignty, stability and form of government. China is now pursuing socialism. If there is any attempt to reject this path, it will touch upon China's core interests. Or, if there is any attempt to encourage any part of China to secede, that also touches upon China's core interests related to our land, sea or air. Then, anything that is related to China's national economic and social development also touches upon China's core interests.The Chinese desire to have military bases in Pakistan is not a new one and has been discussed in the past. An article published on the official website of the Chinese central government (www.gov.cn) on January 28, 2010, signaled that Beijing wanted to go the US way and set up military bases in overseas locations that would possibly include Pakistan. The obvious purpose would be to exert pressure on India as well as counter American influence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The article stated:Setting up overseas military bases is not an idea we have to shun; on the contrary, it is our right. It is baseless to say that we will not set up any military bases in future because we have never sent troops abroad. As for the military aspect, we should be able to conduct a retaliatory attack within the country or at the neighboring area of our potential enemies. We should also be able to put pressure on the overseas interests of potential enemies. With further development, China will be in great demand of military protection.Analysts say although it might not be politically feasible for the Pakistani government to openly allow China to set up military bases on its soil, Islamabad might allow Beijing the use of its military facilities without any public announcement as a first step. The Chinese demand to set up military bases in Pakistan has gained momentum at a time when the Indian military leadership is already raising a hue and cry over the alleged presence of People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir as well as in the FANA, which was earlier called Gilgit and Baltistan. In August 2009, the Pakistan government passed the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order to grant self-rule to the people of the area and create an elected legislative assembly. Gilgit-Baltistan thus gained de facto province-like status without doing so constitutionally. Gilgit Baltistan province borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor to the north, China to the east and northeast, Pakistan-administered Kashmir to the southwest, and Jammu Kashmir to the southeast. Although the supposed Chinese military presence in Pakistan's northern areas of Gilgit Baltistan has been a matter of intense speculation in India, it was on October 5 that Indian army chief General V K Singh went public for the first time with the Indian establishment's assessment of the kind of Chinese presence in the northern areas of Pakistan. "Around 4,000 Chinese including troops of the People's Liberation Army are present in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," Singh told journalists in New Delhi. However, senior Foreign Office officials of Xinjiang told this writer during a briefing in Urumqi, the capital of the province, that the Indian army chief's claim was fallacious and must be based on some misunderstanding.Despite the fact that diplomatic ties between China and India have improved in recent years, they are still at odds over territorial claims from both countries dating back to the India-China border war in 1962. While India and Pakistan control Pakistan-administered Kashmir (Azad) and Jammu Kashmir states respectively, China claims part of northeastern Kashmir that it says is a part of Tibet. Therefore, Beijing is highly critical of India's support for the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 and set up a government in exile in the northern Indian hill town of Dharmsala.The Indian army chief was not the first senior military official to have talked about the alleged Chinese presence in the northern areas of Pakistan. In April this year, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General K T Parnaik, while addressing a seminar in Jammu and Kashmir, said that the Chinese footprint in Pakistan-administered Kashmir was increasing steadily and its troops were actually present along the line of control (LoC) that divides the disputed Kashmir area. "The Chinese presence in Gilgit-Baltistan and the northern areas of Pakistan is increasing steadily. There are many who are concerned about the fact that if there was to be hostility between India and Pakistan, what would be the complicity of the Chinese. Not only are they in the neighborhood, but the fact is that they are actually present and stationed along the LoC," Parnaik said. Zhang Xiaodi, the director general of the foreign affairs office in Urumqi, told this writer in a meeting on October 10 that there is no truth in the allegations leveled by Indian military officials. "There are only Chinese construction teams working in the northern areas of Pakistan on certain development projects being carried out by Pakistan and China jointly. The presence of People's Liberation Army troops there is out of question." At the same time, there are those in the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing who view the Indian army chief's allegation against the backdrop of the Pakistan army's recent decision to include for the first time Chinese troops in military exercises along the border with the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan; the 101 Engineering Regiment of the PLA took part in exercises with their Pakistani counterparts in August this year. Analysts say China's deepening strategic penetration of Pakistan and the joint plans to set up not only new oil pipelines and railroads but also naval and military bases, are enough to set alarm bells ringing in New Delhi and Washington. The repercussions are particularly stark for India because both Beijing and Islamabad refuse to accept the territorial status quo and lay claim to large tracts of Indian land that could come under Chinese sway once Beijing is allowed to establish military bases in Pakistan. The fact that Gilgit and Baltistan is located in the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir presents India with a two-front theater in the event of a war with either country. By deploying troops near the LoC and playing the Kashmir card against New Delhi, Beijing is clearly signaling that Kashmir is where the Sino-Pakistan nexus can squeeze India.

24 October 2011

Concern over non-inclusion of TELO rep in TNA delegation to US

Dissension appears to be emerging within the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) over the exclusion of representatives of its alliance partner TELO from its delegation expected to undertake a visit to the United States tomorrow morning, former MP M. K. Sivajilingam said yesterday. Mr. Sivajilingam who is now a TNA member of the Velvettithurai Urban Council said only representatives of the Federal Party and the EPRLF had been included in the delegation that would leave the country early tomorrow .He said the TELO had two MPs namely Selvam Adaikkalanathan and Vino Noharathalingam elected under the TNA banner.“None of our members has been given a chance. We are planning to meet TNA leader R. Sampanthan on November 6, 2011 in Trincomalee to discuss these matters,” he said.The TNA delegation led by Mr. Sampanthan will undertake its ten-day visit to the US on an invitation by the US State Department. During the visit, the party is expected to discuss, among others, matters pertaining to the progress of the party’s talks with the Sri Lankan government on the evolution of a political solution, MP Suresh Premachandran said.In addition to Mr. Sampanthan, the TNA delegation will comprise Mr. Premachandran, TNA General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah and MP M.A. Sumanthiran. Mr. Premachandran is the leader of the EPRLF and the other three are members of the Federal Party.Asked whom they would meet apart from Foreign Secretary Hilary Clinton during the visit, Mr. Premachandran said, “We will try to meet all those concerned.  It does not mean that everybody will give us appointments”. He said the TNA intended to apprise the US government of the current issues of the Tamil people, in addition to progress on talks with the Sri Lankan government. Recently, the TNA raised concerns about ongoing land registration process in the north and the east, the alleged colonisation of areas in the two provinces and the militarisation there. “Everybody knows what the concerns of the TNA are. We will discuss these matters,” he said.Also, he said the TNA would meet representatives of the Tamil community living in that country. Besides, the TNA delegation will go to London and meet representatives of the Tamil diaspora there en route to Sri Lanka back.Asked whether they would meet LTTE activist Vishvanathan Rudrakumar during the visit, Mr. Senathirajah, General Secretary of the party, said it was not in the itinerary.  Mr. Rudrakumar is currently domiciled in the US. Also, he is the head of the so called Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam established outside the country. “This is a visit organised by the State Department. All the meetings are arranged by them. However, we will meet our friends there,” he said.

Sri Lanka calls for Gaddafi probe

The Sri Lankan government has called for an 'explanation' into the killing of former Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. Col Gaddafi was killed on Thursday after being captured by the rebels in his home town, Sirte.Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said Col Gaddafi had been shot in the head in an exchange of fire between Gaddafi loyalists and NTC fighters following his capture.Video footage showed that the former leader was alive at the time of capture."The Government of Sri Lanka is of the opinion that the circumstances surrounding the death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi require an explanation," a one sentence statement issued by Sri Lanka External Affairs Ministry on Sunday said. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa toured Libya in 2007 and his son Namal, a government parliamentarian was also received by the late Libyan leader last year in Tripoli.

Britain refused to give funds directly to the SriLankan government

Britain refused to give funds directly to the SriLankan government for the humanitarian work carried out in Sri Lanka.Concerns were raised by some British opposition members over reports that the funds given for Sri Lanka are diverted to the Sri Lankan government.The British House of Commons was informed on Friday that the Department for International Development (DFID) had allocated large amounts of money for Sri Lanka over the past 10 years. The Department for International Development closed its bilateral programme with Sri Lanka in 2006 but continued contributing towards humanitarian work The British House of Commons was told that the funds were however contributed bilaterally to humanitarian work through the UN, Red Cross and NGOs and was not going directly to the government of Sri Lanka.Britain has been very vocal about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and has supported calls for an independent investigation in the country into alleged war crimes.The British government has also supported the work of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission.

Ruling party mayoral candidate for Colombo to be re-appointed as President's adviser

The opposition leader of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Milinda Moragoda who lost his bid for mayor post at the recent local government elections is to be re-appointed as a senior adviser to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, presidential sources say.Moragoda held a President's senior adviser position before he resigned to contest the election for the Colombo Municipal Council as the mayoral candidate of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance.He is slated to be given responsibility regarding international affairs and urban development, sources said.Although the ruling alliance implemented a very ambitious plan to win the Colombo Municipal Council, the major opposition United National Party secured the Council, its stronghold for over 50 years.

23 October 2011

US concerned about growing Chinese military influence on Sri Lanka

The United States of America was concerned about the growing Chinese influence including military ties with Sri Lanka, visiting US Republican Congressman Jack Kingston said in Colombo on Thursday.Asked at a press conference in Colombo, as to how the USA which was earlier one of Sri Lanka’s closet allies felt about being distanced due to improved Sri Lanka-China bilateral relations including trade and military cooperation, Kingston who represents the State of Georgia admitted that America viewed the situation with a great deal of concern.The growing Chinese military presence in the Indian Ocean was the most worrying, he noted.Questioned as to how the USA planned to neutralise the increasing Chinese prescence, the congressman said that the historic ties between Sri Lanka and America which had encompassed many areas including trade, politicial and military cooperation should be strengthened.Sri Lanka’s geographical location was important from a military standpoint and it was imperative that America does not lose sight of that fact, he observed.Kingston, said that even though the LTTE had been physically defeated, it was still active in various parts of the world through front organizations and needs to addressed.Kingston, was part of a three member US Congressional delegation comprising Republican Party members headed by Albert Benjamin Chandler and Joseph Heath Schuler who were here on fact finding tour, to assess the Sri Lankan governments post war rehabilitation, reconstruction and reconciliation efforts, on the invitation of Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Mexico and the US Julia Wickramasuriya.Chandler, who represents the North Carolina State said that human rights issues were important, but a balanced view had to be taken following the end of a near thirty year old war, during which a deadly terror outfit had been defeated.There was no easy solution to a conflict that had lasted so long, but it was imperative that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation process was implemented, he observed when questioned about war crimes allegations that had been levelled against the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime."We understand that the Sri Lankan government is to submit its reply to the UN in November, but that is not a matter that concerns us at this point in time."They had visited the North and several other areas and also met President Mahinda Rajapaksa, government and opposition leaders and the Defence Secretary and discussed a whole range of issues including rehabilitation, housing, fishing and other livelihood measures, Chandler said."We were impressed with the post war development that is taking place", the delegation members said adding that they would individually submit their views and suggestions to the American government including the potential for trade and investments.The USA, he said would continue to assist and also invest in Sri Lanka, while continuing the ban on the LTTE.Jaliya Wickremassuriya said that the Sri Lankan government having defeated the LTTE would secure the rights of the Tamils and the internally displaced people.

India in visa row with Lanka

India has expressed concern over Sri Lanka's new visa rules, particularly the US$ 50 processing fee, and urged that it be reduced. India's is Sri Lanka's biggest inbound travel market, followed by Britain.During a meeting with Immigration Chief Chulananda Perera and an official of the Indian High Commission on Thursday a request was made to reduce the rate of the visa processing fee as a reciprocal arrangement for member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC).Mr. Perera told the Sunday Times the Indian official had observed that the new visa processing fee of US$ 50 was "too high". Asked about the government's response to this request, Mr. Perera noted that as this was a government policy decision the department was unable to take a stand on the matter. But he believed that the government was likely to be flexible.Several SAARC member states charge nationals within the grouping reduced rates for visa fees and entrance fees at places like museums and tourist spots.SAARC nationals are offered this concession to promote people-to-people contacts. In this respect, India's visa fee charges from SAARC countries are considered nominal as in the case of a tourist visa for Sri Lankans being LK Rs 650.

PC polls for North mid next year?

Speculation was rife last week that the election for the defunct Northern Provincial Council would be held mid next year after the Traditional Enterprises and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda’s statement. Minister Devananda told the media that the President notified the Indian Foreign Secretary during his Sri Lanka visit that the provincial council elections for the North would be conducted in mid 2012. He also said the issue had been taken up at the Cabinet meeting and the necessary approval had already been given to hold the elections in the middle of next year. He also said that the Cabinet had come to that decision tentatively hoping that the resettlement process in the province would be completed by that time. Questioned about the electoral system to hold the elections in the province, the Minister said that it was not yet decided.Elections for the provincial council have not been held for the Northern Provincial Council since the Northern Province was de-merged from the Eastern Province. Provincial Councils were introduced in terms of 13th Amendment to the Constitution and elections were held to all the eight Provincial Councils for the first time in 1988. The elected North East Provincial Council (NEPC) was constituted on December 05, 1988 and was dissolved in June 1990. However, the Supreme Court judgment to de-merge the two provinces came only on October 2006.Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrama was the Governor to administer the province at that tme and Dixon Dela Bandara and Major General G.A. Chandrasiri took the chair later.Northern Province includes Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts.

TNA To File FR Petition

The TNA is to file a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court tomorrow (24) challenging the registration of lands in the North and East.TNA parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran told The Sunday Leader that the TNA has decided to file legal action against the registration of lands given the government’s failure to respond to the request made by the TNA.Parliament last Friday (21) debated the issue related to the lands in the North and East.Sumanthiran said the government justified the land registration during the debate in parliament.The TNA last week held a protest in Vavuniya against the registration of lands in the North and East.TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran said the TNA has made three requests to the government namely to stop the registration of lands in the North and East, stop the setting up of a new Sinhala division by allocating Weli Oya under the Mullaitivu District and to stop the appointment of a Sinhala GA to Mannar.Premachandran explained that the government first needed to find a political solution to the ethnic issue and look at reconciliation before making such decisions.“It would otherwise result in creating new problems,” he said.

EU team in Colombo for GSP Plus talks

A delegation from certain European Union countries was in Colombo last week to hold talks with authorities here on the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Plus imposed on Sri Lanka a few years ago under which the country has to pay an enhanced tax on certain exports especially on garment exports to EU countries.Under the GSP concessions the country was exempted from paying enhanced taxes as a measure of relief for the tsunami devastation of December 2004. However, following certain political developments, exports to the European Union were burdened with additional taxes under what was termed as GSP Plus that had mainly affected the local garment exports.According to well informed sources the delegation’s visit was to revive the tax structure in view of the economic stability the country is presently enjoying which sources said would benefit the export sector.Garment exports, the main foreign exchange earner suffered due to these enhanced taxes under the GSP Plus. However under the concessions granted after the tsunami, exporters paid only a nominal tax which was a marginal deduction from the traditional GSP.When contacted by The Nation, the Department of Commerce neither confirmed nor denied that an EU delegation was in the country to hold talks with local authorities.
           
AIADMK Sweeps Civic Polls, Wins 7 Mayoral Posts

Replicating its success in the Assembly polls five months ago, ruling AIADMK today put up an impressive show in the civic polls bagging mayoral posts in seven out of ten corporations and surging far ahead of arch rival DMK in a majority of the local bodies seats.In the direct election of Mayors, introduced by the AIADMK government after it returned to power, the party's candidates triumphed in Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur, Tiruchirappalli, Tuticorin, Tiurunelveli and Vellore and established unassailable leads in Chennai, Madurai and Salem.Over 1.3 lakh posts were at stake in the October 17 and 19 polls, the first acid test of popularity for Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa after the assembly elections.According to the latest State Election Commission figures, AIADMK has won 6,505 civic posts out of the 14,854 for which results were declared. DMK was at a distant second with 3,315 posts and independents (2885).It was yet another jolt for DMK after being handed down one of its worst electoral defeats in the assembly elections which saw it even lose the status of the principal opposition.Congress, which had faced a poll on its own in the state after a long gap, has won a paltry 663 posts.The drubbing to DMK comes a day after it lost the assembly by-election from Tiruchirappalli (West) to AIADMK.Both AIADMK and DMK faced the electorate at the grassroot level without any alliance unlike in the assembly polls when they had formed combines.In her reaction, Jayalalithaa said the outcome was along expected lines."The results are a proof that my government has won the goodwill of the people by implementing AIADMK's poll promises within a short period of five months," she said pledging to make Tamil Nadu as a model state.DMK chief M Karunanidhi down played the party's poor showing, saying it was nothing new for a ruling party to win the civic polls.The battle for civic bodies had assumed triangular proportions after AIADMK's jilted allies DMDK and Left parties which formed a Third Front to face the polls. DMDK and CPI (M) won two Municipal Chairmen posts each besides others.AIADMK's remarkable show came amidst allegations of violence and irregularities by opposition parties with some of them even approaching the High Court.

Now Trinco-Batti road journey sans ferries

Five bridges built over five tributaries of the Mahaweli Ganga on the Trincomalee-Batticaloa A 15 Highway were declared open on Wednesday by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.These bridges were constructed at a cost of Rs. 995 million and eliminate the need to use the ferry transport system that existed for so long.The longest of the five bridges is 315 metres, the second 245 metres, the third is 175 metres and the fourth and fifth 105 metres and 85 metres respectively. The road between Trincomalee and Batticaloa which now joins the main national highway network is 138 km long taking about two and a half hours for the journey.Highways Deputy Minister Nirmala Kothalawala, Deputy Minister S. Punchinilame and French ambassador Ms. Christine Robichon were also present on the occasion.

Dutch court sentences five for backing Tamil Tigers

Five ethnic Tamil men were given up to six years in prison by the District Court in The Hague. They were found guilty of helping finance the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) with millions of euros, as part of their battle for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka. The court was packed with Tamil supporters as the three judges read out the verdict. Family members left the courtroom crying.Prosecutors had accused the five men, all of whom now have Dutch citizenship, of raising funds for the separatist group LTTE (Tamil Tigers) by extorting money from the Sri Lankan disapora in the Netherlands by blackmail and under threat.

Other charges?

Prosecutors also alleged money laundering and incitement to violence. The men were charged of overseeing an international criminal and terrorist organisation involved in arson, bombings and murder, and prosecutors had demanded sentences of up to 20 years in prison.But on Friday, the court convicted the men, all in leadership positions in the Dutch branch of the LTTE, of supporting a criminal organisation. By raising funds for it while they knew the organisation was on a EU ban list.Therefore, the court ruled that the five violated a Dutch law that prohibits the support of banned organisations. Besides, the men ran illegal lotteries to raise money on violation of Dutch gambling laws.

The heart

At the heart of the case was the question whether the LTTE could be labelled as a criminal or terrorist organisation, as charged by the prosecutors. Despite the fact the Tamil Tigers are on the EU ban list for acts of terror, the Dutch court said the Sri Lankan conflict should be labelled as a civil war.The public prosecutor was astonished by the verdict, saying it surprising, strange and unexpected that the court came to the conclusion that the LTTE was not considered a terrorist, but a criminal organisation. Viktor Koppe, a lawyer for one of the defendants, said he will appeal the judgement, saying it is full of contradictions.

WikiLeaks: LTTE defeat upsets Asian drug trade – says US embassy

“The military defeat of the LTTE in May, 2009, may have changed the dynamics of the drug trade in Asia. Since 1983, the LTTE was involved in bulk delivery of heroin and cannabis from producing areas in Asia to consuming countries. Mumbai was the key link in the LTTE drug trade. While Sri Lanka’s coast remains highly vulnerable to transshipment of heroin moving from India, observers expect a dramatic reduction in drug-related activity in the region.” the US embassy wrote to Washington.A leaked US diplomatic cable details the narcotics control strategy in Sri Lanka. The Colombo Telegraph found the cable from WikiLeaks database.Police note that the Ecstasy found in Colombo social venues in believed to imported from Thailand. Malaka Silva, is suspected of trafficking the drug “ecstasy” in Colombo.The cable written on 17th November 2009 says “The GSL does not, as a matter of policy, encourage or facilitate the illicit production or distribution of any controlled substances or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. A government commission established to investigate bribery and corruption charges against public officials that resumed operations in 2004 continued through 2009, although with little activity. There are unconfirmed reports of links between drug traffickers and individual corrupt officials. However, since late 2007, there have been no arrests of government officials on bribery or corruption charges related to drugs.”“Sri Lanka has a relatively small-scale drug problem. The Government of Sri Lanka remains committed to targeting drug traffickers and implementing nation- wide demand reduction programs since early 2005. The US government has fostered a strengthened relationship with Sri Lanka on counternarcotics issues by offering training for Sri Lanka Police. The Police Narcotics Bureau continued to cooperate closely with the Customs Services, the Department of Excise, and the Sri Lankan Police to curtail illicit drug supplies in and through the country as a result of these efforts, over the last 12 months GSL officials arrested 4,346 persons on charges of using or dealing heroin and 8,540 persons on cannabis charges. This represent an enormous drop from last year’s 9,825 and 33,848 arrests respectively, most likely a result of the GSL’s single-minded efforts to end the thirty-year war against the LTTE.” the embassy further wrote.Three months after the above mentioned cable, in 24ndFebruary 2010, under the sub-heading “SRI LANKA NABS DRUG TRAFFICKERS”  the US ambassador Patricia A. Butenis wrote that “ the recent arrest of narcotics traffickers and heroin seizures paint a disturbing picture. She further wrote  “ according to a former Sri Lankan security services official, drug kingpins in Sri Lanka have political patrons in the government, chief among them Dr. Mervin Silva, a Member of Parliament and the Minister of Labor. His son, Malaka Silva, is suspected of trafficking the drug “ecstasy” in Colombo.

21 October 2011

CHOGM must deal with war crimes in Sri Lanka - ICJ       

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Australia says the forthcoming meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting cannot be allowed to ignore the serious breaches committed in Sri Lanka."Those responsible for war crimes at the end of the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009 must not be allowed to go unpunished”, said John Dowd AO QC, the President of the International Commission of Jurists, Australia.

Credible allegations

ICJ says that the expert committee established by the United Nations Secretary-General found credible allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law."The Expert Panel called on the Sri Lankan Government to immediately commence genuine investigations into the conduct of military commanders and civilian officials on both sides. This has not happened” said Mr Dowd.

Reverse decision

“The next meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth should reverse the decision that the next Heads of Government Meeting in 2013 be held in Sri Lanka”, said Mr Dowd.The International Commission of Jurists, Australia has advised the Members of the Commonwealth that it believes that the Commonwealth should suspend Sri Lanka from the Councils of the Commonwealth. Sri Lanka must be told that unless it establishes a war crimes tribunal as proposed by the UN Secretary-General’s Expert Panel, and carry out the Panel’s other recommendations, Sri Lanka should be suspended from the Commonwealth, said Mr Dowd.

Obligation

The Commonwealth Heads of Government have an obligation to enforce human rights and to consider suspension as it has done in the past where there have been breaches of the Commonwealth principles of membership, ICJ said.It says the Commonwealth will lose all credibility if it simply refuses to deal with the events published by the UN Secretary-General’s Expert Panel."It means that no one on either side of the civil war who has committed breaches has been tried and Sri Lanka has made it clear that there it has no intention to pursue the offenders. Countries have been suspended for less reprehensible breaches than what is occurring in Sri Lanka”, said Mr Dowd.“In continuing violation of international human rights law, there are many people still held in Sri Lankan detention camps who have not been identified or accounted for, some two and a half years after the end of the civil war” added Mr Dowd.

Sri Lanka woos Solheim in Norway

In the wake of the LTTE targeting Sri Lanka over accountability issues, the government has sought the support of one-time Norwegian peacemaker, Erik Solheim to counter those trying to haul the Sri Lankan leadership up before an international war crimes tribunal.Solheim holds the Environment and International Cooperation portfolio in the current Norwegian government.Government sources told ‘The Island’ that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s special representative, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva had met Solheim and Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, separately. Responding to a query, sources said that a lengthy GoSL statement on Minister de Silva’s confab with the Foreign Minister didn’t refer to his meeting with Solheim. Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa accompanied de Silva, Leader of the House and President Rajapaksa’s choice as his chief negotiator for two rounds of talks in Geneva, in early 2006.Sources said that President Rajapaksa authorised the visit as part of an overall strategy to counter LTTE propaganda in the run-up to the much awaited release of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), report by Nov. 15, 2011. External Affairs Ministry sources said that the recently concluded ministerial visit had attracted the attention of the Norwegian media, particularly due to Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik publicly admiring the LTTE’s strategy. Norway TV 2 News quoted Ministers de Silva and Yapa as having told FM Store that Norway should proscribe the LTTE for inspiring the 32-year-old Norwegian. Breivik killed almost 80 men, women and children in two separate attacks on the same day, last July.Sources said that Norway was under LTTE pressure not to give into Sri Lanka’s move, amidst preparations for Heroes’ Day celebrations abroad.The two ministers visited Oslo Cathedral, where they placed flowers for the terror victims, soon after arriving in Norway. In the wake of the Oslo massacres, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Oslo, Rodney Perera, wrote to several parliamentarians and the media urging a special prime ministerial committee inquiring into Breivik’s actions to investigate Breivik’s references to the LTTE.Sources said that the ministerial visit to Oslo followed External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris discussing the post-war scenario with Minister Solheim on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York late last month. The External Affairs Ministry said that the two ministers explored ways and means of enhancing bilateral cooperation. An EAM (External Affairs Ministry) missive to the cabinet quoted Minister Solheim as having said" that it would be difficult for Norway to ignore the views of the rest of the international community on Sri Lanka and in order to dilute such pressure, it would be important to engage the TNA in a political dialogue. Prof. Peiris told Minister Solheim that the GoSL would continue political consultations with all elected political parties, including the LTTE.Prof. Peiris led the then Wickremesinghe’s team of negotiators who worked with Solheim.The Sri Lankan Embassy in Oslo told ‘The Island’ that there had been a significant change in the Norwegian mood, vis-a-vis terrorism, following the July massacre. Sources said that the mainstream Norwegian press had given coverage to the Sri Lankan point of view, in spite of various interested parties attacking the country citing the controversial ‘Darusman report’ and ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ as evidence of war crimes allegedly committed by the Sri Lankan military.

Sri Lanka warns on $500 mln hotel deal with China firm

Sri Lanka's economic development minister on Thursday warned a $500 million deal to build a hotel, shopping and entertainment complex would be abolished if the Chinese state firm involved did not meet the government's terms.The deal, one of the largest single investments announced since the end of a long civil war in 2009, has been delayed by an internal government row over whether to sell or lease on a long-term basis the prime land involved.Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, President Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother, told parliament discussions with the China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) were ongoing."The deal will go through, if (CATIC) agrees to the government conditions. Otherwise the deal will be abolished," Basil Rajapaksa told the legislature.The plan, as announced and approved by the cabinet in January, was originally to sell the land just off the historic Galle Face Green in Colombo to CATIC.The land is part of the current army headquarters, and adjacent to a plot where Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Asia Ltd plans to open a luxury hotel in 2015.Local media in July reported that President Rajapaksa ordered the deal be reviewed after expressing concern such prime land was being sold and not leased.An opposition legislator said the deal highlighted the lack of transparency and infighting over large foreign direct investments."From the start, this has been a stealthy deal," United National Party parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayaka told Reuters. "The government should do things that shouldn't upset the investment." While Sri Lanka has seen foreign direct investment nearly double to $413 million in the first half of the year, on a year-on-year basis, it has been less than forecast since the end of a 25-year war in May 2009.

China to set up Confucius Centres, TV channel here

China is hoping to establish Confucius Centres and a TV channel in Sri Lanka to popularise the Chinese language and telecast educational programmes, train teachers and school principals, an Education Ministry spokesman said yesterday.The move comes after Education Minister Bandula Gunawardene had several rounds of talks with his Chinese counterpart Yuan Guiren and Deputy Minster Hao Ping during Mr. Gunawardene’s recent visit to China.The ministers discussed how bilateral links in education, culture and IT could be strengthened and agreed to set up Confucius Centres in Sri Lanka to launch training programmes by way of a TV channel.Mr. Guiren responded to a request by Minister Gunawardana to renovate the Lumbini Theatre.He pledged to increase the number of scholarships offered to Sri Lankan students by the Chinese government. Minister Gunawardana who visited China on an invitation by Mr. Guiren visited several educational institutions and got a first-hand experience of education methods in China. He also met Sri Lankan students who are studying at Chinese educational institutions.

Sri Lanka Marxist party dissidents to take over the party headquarters

A member of Sri Lanka Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Gamini Madanayaka has lodged a complaint in Thalangama police station that the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva fraudulently took over the party headquarters from him.Madanayaka says that the land the party headquarters situated was purchased in his name in 2003. He complains that Tilvin Silva fraudulently got him to vest in the ownership of the land to him through a gift deed.JVP has built a five story headquarters building in this land.Madanayaka now supports the JVP dissidents and the sources close to them say that they are in an attempt to take over the ownership of the headquarters from Somawansa Amarasinghe faction.

Tamil Tigers' Dutch day of judgement

The trial of five Dutch-Sri Lankan Tamils, accused of raising funds for the separatist group LTTE (Tamil Tigers), is expected to end in The Hague on 21 October. If the men are found guilty as charged of overseeing an international criminal and terrorist organisation involved in arson, bombings and murder, they will face up to 20 years in prison.The prosecution claims the men were responsible for a climate of fear and brainwashing, coercing young Tamils into supporting a murderous regime in Sri Lanka. The defence says they were nothing short of freedom fighters; heroes working in the cause of an oppressed minority struggling under a brutal and genocidal government.

Fear

The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora (9000-13,000 people) is awaiting tomorrow's decision with bated breath. How many of them were coerced into donating 2000 euros per year to the LTTE, as the prosecution maintains happened to each family, is difficult to know – few were willing to give testimony. Unsurprisingly, equally few were prepared to talk to the media – those who have spoken claim to fear the Dutch police, who earlier this year sent letters to all Tamils living in the Netherlands informing them of their investigation, and warning they were under scrutiny. ‘Many of us felt intimidated, so most people don’t really dare to show up here together in public,’ one Tamil supporter told RNW outside the court.

Sri Lankan army

Also watching keenly for tomorrow's verdict are sectors of the ruling Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka. Most eagerly anticipate a conviction and with it an inference that the Tamil Tigers are the sole criminal party in the country's bloody conflict, not the state military. The Sri Lankan government has come under intense international pressure this year to fully investigate allegations of genocide and war crimes committed by its army in the closing months of the conflict in 2009. It welcomes any foreign judgement of its arch foe the LTTE, instead of itself.The Netherlands has used its laws of universal jurisdiction to prosecute the case. This happens only once or twice a year in the country's specialist war crimes court, as such The 'Tamil 5' represent a rare case of an international prosecution in The Hague taking place in a Dutch court.

Macro vs micro

Some voices in the international legal community have expressed distaste for the case being taken up at Dutch national level in the first place. The Paleis van Justitie (Palace of Justice) is a Dutch criminal court, which according to the defence team from the Böhler Advocates group, was ill-equipped to understand the complexities of a 30-year civil war waged 8000 km away. The case should be decided on a question of definition, they argued: If one sees the Tamil Tigers as a liberation movement then raising funds for it or being a member of it cannot be criminal.Prosecutors have taken a more honed perspective, focussing on the documents and testimony relating to the individual behaviour of the men on trial. They maintain, for example, that there are or have been, 20 classrooms across the Netherlands educating Tamil children. There is nothing unusual in that for a strong expat community, but these, according to the prosecution, were used to “brainwash (children) with the violent ideology of the LTTE,” by teaching them to “make pictures of bombs and grenades,” said Prosecutor Ward Ferdinandusse.The men ran organisations like the Tamil Youth Organisation and the Dutch Tamil Arts and Culture Organisation, which seek municipal subsidies. This is money that, according to the prosecutors, has been used to lubricate the war machine.

Judgement

The final hearing is scheduled for 13:00 CET Friday, if found guilty sentencing will follow immediately for the five.

Air Canada announces codeshare agreement with SriLankan Airlines

MONTREAL - Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) has announced a code-share agreement with SriLankan Airlines that will make it more convenient to fly between Canada and the island country in the Indian Ocean.Canada is home to Sri Lanka's largest expatriate community with hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan immigrants living primarily in the Toronto area.Travel between Canada and Sri Lanka has been growing more than 10 per cent.The agreement will allow passengers to travel to Sri Lanka on a single ticket itinerary by connecting with SriLankan Airlines at Air Canada's European gateways of Frankfurt, London and Paris.Yves Dufresne, an Air Canada vice-president, said checked-through baggage and other benefits that will create a "seamless travel experience."SriLankan Airlines chief marketing officer said the agreement between the two national carriers opens up other Canadian cities for Sri Lankan tourists, beyond Toronto and Montreal.Montreal-based Air Canada is the country's largest domestic and international airline and 15th largest commercial carrier in the world. It serves more than 32 million passengers annually.The national airline of Sri Lanka was launched in 1979 and is expanding to drive the country's boom in tourism and economic development. From its hub in Colombo, it provides service to 51 destinations in 32 countries in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Far East, North America and Australia.

Sri Lanka AG indicts two associates of LTTE leader KP

Sri Lanka's Attorney General Mrs. Eva Wanasundara has indicted tow associates of Former international wing leader and chief arms procurer of the LTTE, Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP.Colombo High Court Judge Deepali Wijesundara had ordered to hear the case against Ponniah Anandarajah, head of KP's financial section and Subramaniyam Sivakumar alias Rajan (42) on Thursday (20).The two suspects have reportedly collected funds for LTTE for two and half years, since 2007, the incitement says The suspects have been charged with collecting money for the LTTE, directing people for the purpose, giving instructions and conspiracy.Another five suspects in the case have been summoned to the courts.

Lankan authorities probe Sultan Park bomber's contact list

The focus of the investigation into the recently arrested Sultan Park bombing suspect has turned towards his Sri Lankan contacts he had established during his time in hiding. Sleuths from Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have ascertained contact details of his associates and friends who had been hiding him in Sri Lanka.The suspect Mohamed Ameen, 27, who was one of Interpol’s wanted men, had fled Maldives days before the 2007 Sultan Park bombing, which injured 12 tourists.A senior officer attached to the CID told Haveeru that they have questioned few persons, who had been associated with Ameen, and that the detectives are trying to establish if the suspect had received assistance from any Sri Lankan nationals or any Maldivian expatriates in planning the bombing."We have gathered vital information from Ameen during the past few days. We suspect that he might have been linked with other terrorist outfits in Pakistan. We are trying to establish who his contacts are in Sri Lanka and whether there was a Sri Lankan hand in the bombing," he said."We are also tracing his call records and probing into his financial details as well. By this we will be able to ascertain details on who would have been assisting him during his time he was hiding in Sri Lanka," he said.Ameen was arrested at a level crossing in Sri Lanka’s southern town of Payagala on October 13. At the time of the arrest, he had possessed a fake Maldives and Pakistan passport.

Army build 1790 new houses for war victims

The Army has built houses for 1,790 war affected  families in Jaffna  district.Jaffna security forces commander Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe said each house was built at a cost of between Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 300,000.These houses have been constructed at several locations, on an idea by defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Army commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, and under the supervision of Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe.

Tractors donated to the Mullathive war victims to be distribute among Welioya people

Steps have been taken to shift 10 tractors towards Sampath Nuwara area in Welioya Divisional Secretary . According to the sources all these tractors were donated by the Indian government to war victims in Mullathieve.This order was made by the Agricultural Director of Mullathieve district.Within few weeks time government will send an approval letter towards the Director of the Mullthieve Agricultural Department to distribute all these tractors among the people in Welioya divisional secretary.Sources further said a similar incident was reported in Vavuniya district.

Muammar Gaddafi dead of wounds following capture

According to Reuters, ousted Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has been captured by Libya’s National Transitional Council.According to the report, National Transitional Council official Abdel Majid told Reuters’ Samia Nakhoul that “”He’s captured. He’s wounded in both legs … He’s been taken away by ambulance.”Later, Reuters reported that Gaddafi had died of his wounds.Gaddafi has been at large since the fall of Tripoli in August that saw Libyan rebels end the 42 year reign of the dictator, but was finally captured as the rebel forces took Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte.At this time, the US State Department has not confirmed Gaddafi’s capture or killing.According to the BBC, the dictator shouted, “Don’t shoot!” as he was mortally wounded.Gaddafi’s capture and reported killing comes almost eight months to the day after President Obama publicly called for his ouster.

20 October 2011

Tamil people in SriLanka facing many difficulti​es: Tamil Nadu governor

Its painful to ear the problems of Tamil people in SriLankan said the Tamil Nadu Governor Rosaia.Speaking to the kournalist in Nallur district he said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram need to educate central government Ministers on the problems of Tamil people in SriLanka and also she need to carry put discussions with them this regard said the governor.He also said that he is always ready to help the people and added he will request the state government to make special attention towards the problems of Tamil people in SriLanka.Rosaia finally point out equal rights was given to the Tamil people and Telugu people in Tamil Nadu state.

Sri Lankan government extends development to North and East

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa says it is the objective of his government to extend the development that was limited to Colombo to other areas of the country including the country's Tamil-dominated areas Northern and Eastern provinces as well.Inaugurating the Vavunathivu water supply scheme in the Batticaloa district the President said that his government would treat the people of the north and east as same as people from other regions of the country and people's support is required for extending the development to the villages.The Vavunathivu water supply scheme will provide drinking water facilities to 250,000 people in 106 Grama Niladari Divisions. The daily output of the project is 41,000 cubic meters and it has been constructed at a cost of 11 billion rupees.The President said under the Eastern Awakening Programme, all infrastructure facilities in the Eastern Province will be developed to provide equal facilities and rights to all people without any discrimination.

US government extends GSP plus towards SriLanka

The US GSP Programme, which came to a temporary halt at the end of 2010 due to some domestic concerns, has now been extended till the end of 2013 and the US President is expected to sign the Reauthorization Bill into law shortly, the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka, under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said.“The Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka is happy to stress that the GSP Programme will be officially reinstated 15 days after the US President signs the bill,” a statement by the department said.

Sangaree questions himself about purpose of living

TULF leader V. Anandasangaree says he questions himself about the purpose of his living after an 8,000 acre area between Pudukudirippu and Nandikadal in Mullaitivu was declared as belonging to the Air Force and seeing the other irregularities pointed out by Shivashakthi Anandan.He was speaking at a fast on October 17 against north land registrations and alleged Sinhalese settlements.The TULF leader said he was reminded about a similar protest at the same venue they had held 30 years ago when Sirimavo Bandaranaike introduced the Sinhala only policy.The then government sabotaged our protest and our own people joined with it and betrayed us, he said, adding that even now most people wanting to attend the fast were turned back by some.Commenting on a remark made reportedly by a retired land officer that the ongoing land registration was excellent, the politician asked him to spend his final years with his family without saying anything detrimental to their people.Thousands of our people who had been killed in the past 30 years were not paupers, but had everything, he said, adding however, that no one knows about their land ownerships now.People who had managed only to save their lives have lost land deeds and around 100,000 people in India are wanting to return home.In this situation, the land registrations should be prevented, he added.

Tennakoon offers to meet TNA over land issues

Lands and Land Development Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon yesterday offered to meet the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to explain the modalities of the land allocations in the North and the East.Minister Tennnakoon dismissed TNA allegations that the government was carrying out a clandestine operation at the expense of the Tamil speaking people. He emphasised that the on-going land allocations were legitimate and in accordance with the wishes of the people of the North and the East. Tennnakoon said that it was only part of a countrywide programme.The TNA raised the issue with the government of India and is expected to discuss it with US authorities during a forthcoming visit to Washington by a senior party delegation. Responding to a question whether any discussions ad been conducted with the TNA, the Minister told a news conference, at the Ministry office yesterday morning, that he had tried his best to invite the TNA membership to a meeting but to no avail.A tense situation had arisen as the TNA was unable to see the real situation and their staging satyagrahas and protest campaigns did not help them realise the reality. The Minister denied that 8,000 acres of land at Kilinochchi and 1,200 acres at Mullaitivu had been allocated to the Sri Lanka Army for agricultural farming for the military. He said that no State land could be allocated to any State agency without the formal approval of the Lands Ministry. Responding to another allegation that the government had stopped the resettlement of residents on either side of the A-9 road, Ministry Secretary Asoka Peiris denied it, adding that neither the government nor the ministry had stopped the settlement of residents in the areas in question. If any individual could genuinely prove that the land he claimed to be his is his, the government and the Ministry would have no issues whatsoever in allocating that land to him, he said.There was absolutely no legal or operational restriction in the allocation of land on either side of the A 9 highway to anyone who owned it, he said.When pointed out to the Minister that there could be instances were residents or owners of the land had lost their documents during the thirty years of war, the Minister said that the names and addresses in the electoral registers and documents relating to the National Identity card could be used to prove their identities and regain their lost properties. Ministry Secretary Peiris said that a two-year period had been allocated to sort out the locations and the ownership of the lands which had been owned by Tamils in the North who were now living overseas having fled the country while the LTTE controlled some parts of the North and the East.

India Axis Bank to start Sri Lanka operations

India's No.3 private lender Axis Bank has been granted a banking licence in Sri Lanka and will start operations at its first branch this week, the island nation's central bank said on Wednesday.Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard confirmed Axis Bank is the fifth Indian bank licensed to operate in Sri Lanka."They are starting on Friday and they will do all banking business. Initially they will open one branch and then they will have to make an application for anything they will want," Cabraal told Reuters.The bank posted a net profit growth of 27 percent to 9.4 billion Indian rupees ($191.2 million) in the June quarter.Axis Bank is the fifth Indian bank to enter Sri Lanka, hoping to catch a piece of the growing economy after the end of a three-decade civil war in 2009. The State Bank of India , Indian Bank , ICICI Bank , and Indian Overseas Bank are already in Sri Lanka.Earlier this year, Indian Bank opened a branch in Sri Lanka's northern city of Jaffna, in the former war zone, aiming to get a piece of the growing post-war reconstruction lending pie.

19 October 2011

State Dept. says no judgement on LLRC report until its release

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Tuesday (Oct. 18) the United States would not have any kind of judgment on the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report until its release in mid-November. The US would wait until the report is released to view whether it as sufficient, he told the media, adding, “We likely wouldn't have any kind of judgment until it’s released. “The State Department spokesman also said it was the Sri Lankan government’s responsibility to investigate war crimes allegations.Failure to fulfil that obligation will result in international pressure for an independent mechanism, he said.

Sri Lanka's High Court to deliver verdict of White Flag case in a month

The High Court Trial at Bar has said today the verdict in the controversial White Flag case against former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka would be delivered on November 18th.A case was filed against Fonseka for making a statement to a weekly English newspaper during the last Presidential election campaign that the Defence Secretary had ordered the shooting of LTTE members who were trying to surrender to the government forces carrying white flags during the final stages of the war.Fonseka was accused of making a false statement to the newspaper, inciting communal sentiments among people and for building an anti-government sentiment among the public.Fonseka's counsel, Attorney Nalin Ladduwahetty ended his submissions yesterday and the judges informed that the verdict would be delivered on November 18th.

Sri Lanka raises defence spending

Sri Lanka on Tuesday announced it would raise defence spending by over five percent in 2012, more than two years after the government ended a decades-long ethnic conflict with Tamil rebels.The government allocated 230 billion rupees ($2.1 billion) for the calendar year 2012, up from 215 billion rupees ($1.92 billion) estimated for defence expenses in 2011, according to official figures tabled in parliament Tuesday. Sri Lanka has maintained that it needs to keep defence spending high, to repay hefty instalments on military hardware bought to fight the separatist Tamil Tigers.Government forces crushed the rebels in May 2009, ending what had become Asia's longest-running ethnic conflict that claimed up to 100,000 lives since 1972, according to UN estimates.According to figures tabled in parliament, nearly half of the 2012 defence budget will be spent on the army to maintain its 200,000 personnel. President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is also finance minister, is due to unveil the full 2012 budget on November 21, when he is expected to announce new revenue raising proposals to meet state expenses.The government's 2012 expenditure was estimated at 2.22 trillion rupees ($20.1 billion), while revenue was estimated at 1.115 trillion rupees, resulting in a budget deficit of 1.105 trillion rupees.

Indigenous people protest over lands grab
 
Indigenous people from the remote village of Bakmeegama in the Trincomalee District have complained to authorities that their ancestral lands being grabbed by an influential Buddhist monk in the area.The village community who claim to be descendents of earliest settlers in Sri Lanka say that a Buddhist monk is in the process of acquiring agricultural land and irrigation tanks.

Earliest settlers

They held a protest on Tuesday opposite the official bungalow of the governor of the eastern province in Trincomalee.It was organised by Sandun Gomarankadawela, the councillor of Gomarankadawela local government body, Pradesheeya Sabha.

President's attention

He said that the protest was organised to draw the attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa due to arrive in Trincomalee on Tuesday as the plight of these people was ignored by the governor and the Divisional Secretary. However, the president did not arrive.The president of the Bakmeegama, Farmers Organization, P.M.Appuhamy said that they are put into a vulnerable situation by powerful forces.“Uppuveli Hamuduruvo (monk) grabbed an agricultural tank earlier and we kept quiet but now he is going to go for another one. This can not be allowed” he said.Many villagers said that they defied the threats they had even during the war with the LTTE and continued with their agricultural activities.

Sri Lankan government minister to be quizzed by the CID

A Sri Lankan government minister is to be quizzed by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) over comments allegedly made by the minister about the killing of Presidential Advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra.The CID is to question National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara today at his office over comments allegedly made by him at a press conference about Premachandra's murder, soon after the shooting incident.Nanayakkara had said during a press conference that there was a 'conspiracy' surrounding Premachandra's killing and that it may have also been the outcome of a personal grudge.Premachnadra was fatally shot by supporters of MP Duminda Silva on the day of local government elections on October 8 during a shootout in Mulleriyawa.

Euro Police warns SL on LTTE activities

The Euro Police had warned Sri Lanka about increased LTTE activities internationally, and a Paris court alone had imprisoned 21 LTTE operatives in recent times,   Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said in Parliament today.External Affairs Minister Prof. Peiris said that the government, therefore, could not relax security attached to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at any cost under such circumstances.The Minister was responding to a question by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara who asked about the cost sustained by the government for its delegation that participated in the 2010 UN Summit, and for the security personnel who accompanied them.For the entourage of 30 members, he said, Rs.49 million was spent. However, he said that details about the security personnel could not be revealed.“Today, the Euro Police has warned about increased LTTE activities outside the country. The organisation has been decimated locally. But, they sustain a rigorous and vicious campaign against Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is impossible for the government to reduce security accorded to the President,” he said  However, MP Jayasekera confronted the Minister saying that he only intended to know the amount sent by the Sri Lankan Mission in the US for security personnel and others who accompanied this entourage to the summit.Prof. Peiris only said in response that security personnel are not normally counted as part of the official delegation. Though he said that an additional cost was borne for such personnel, he did not reveal the exact amount.Meanwhile, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake asked about the resignation of British Foreign Secretary Liam Fox and the allegations made against him in connection with his visit to Sri Lanka.The Minister declined to comment about it saying that it was totally irrelevant.

Sri Lankan President inquires police raids in Negombo

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning made a surprise visit to Negombo area to look into the police raids conducted in the area houses including the residence of a Western Provincial Council minister.The President met Western Provincial Council Minister of Road Development Tourism, Housing and Fisheries Nimal Lanza at his residence on a request made by the minister about the raids conducted by the elite Special Task Force (STF) police.The police have searched some residences of wealthy businessmen in the area on information received by the police that drugs and illegal items have been hidden in the residences.However, according to Lanza the Police came and checked their identity cards, driving licenses and other personal documents.The search did not find any drugs or illegal items.Minister Lanza has complained to the President that the search made him inconvenient and requested the President to conduct an impartial investigation as the incident is being used by the political opponents to tarnish his image.Ministers Basil Rajapaksa and Lasantha Alagiyawanna accompanied the President.

18 October 2011

TNA: Looking North, Turning West? By N. Sathiya Moorthy
 
Reports that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leadership is planning to visit Washington, for follow-up discussions after the recent visit of US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake could invite mixed reactions from their Sinhala counterparts, both in Government and outside. For some, it would be an attestation of their claims about increased intervention by the international community (read: West) in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. For others, it could mean a compatriot/competitor from Sri Lanka, for western patronage – in terms of politics and ideology, that is.American altruism in wanting the still-festering ethnic issue resolved in the context of its selfstyled role as a ‘global guardian’ – and not just a ‘global policeman’ -in the post-Cold War era should not be misunderstood. At the same time, the US should not overlook domestic criticism in Sri Lanka. It would not focus also on the presence of the LTTE rump on its soil, when the organisation is still banned in the country. Topping the list should be Viswanathan Rudrakumaran, the self-styled ‘prime minister’ of the ‘trans-national government of Tamil Eelam’ (TNGTE), who is both a US citizen and resident.Flowing from what critics in Sri Lanka would naturally see as ‘excessive American intervention’ will be a tilt towards China, when some of them otherwise might not have justifiable reason to doing so. They would tend to see the US involvement in the ethnic affair as an extension of revived American interest in the geo-strategic locale of Sri Lanka. Some would contextualise it to the US withdrawing/ having to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, and thus wanting a new foothold and activity in South Asia.Either way, the TNA could be blamed for ‘internationalising’ what to many in the Sinhala polity and almost all in the Sri Lankan Government remains an ‘internal issue’. Terms like ‘national question’ are comprehensive enough to exclude international involvement. In the past, Sri Lanka’s northern neighbour India and the far-away Norway could not take the peace process forward, after a point. It is not only the Sri Lankan Government that is a slippery customer. Their inadequate understanding of the stake-holders was a contributing factor.The Tamils, moderate or otherwise, are equally not uni-focussed. They are divided, too. India became a signatory to the 1987 accord because the Tamil moderates would not have the LTTE on board. Now, some in the TNA are talking tough, through and through. Others like Federal Party General Secretary Maavai Senathiraja have been working on what looks like a realignment of Tamil parties in a small way, in the name of organising mass protests on specific issues like land-registration in the North.Senathiraja’s party leader and TNA’s moderate face Sampanthan has contested one-time compatriot, Anandasangaree’s claims to being elected General Secretary of the near-defunct TULF recently. Sampanthan used to hold the position long ago, when the Front was united -and remained relevant before the LTTE intervened.The TNA fielding leaders of the four member-parties in most, it not all meetings and negotiations, could be described as being democratic. It is also a reflection of suspicions and egos. Whenever held, elections to the Provincial Council in the Northern Province will divide the TNA more than dividing the Tamil voters.The TNA’s reported visit to the West, including the US, could draw the finer lines for them, deeper than already. Meetings with US officials, top-down, and possible engagement with LTTE’s Rudrakumaran and company can have message(s) not only for the Sri Lankan Government and the Sinhala polity. It could have stronger ones for the Tamil community back home.After meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, TNA’s Suresh Premachandran reportedly said that New Delhi’s current suggestion for the fishers from the two countries to take up multiday, deep-sea fishing may not work on the ground. Given the competitive nature of Tamil politics in the North (as in Tamil Nadu, already) and rival EPDP Minister Douglas Devananda’s fishers-centric politics of the past year(s), the TNA’s constituency-centric interest in the fishing issue could have other implications, too.Following the meeting with Secretary Mathai, some TNA leaders also spoke about their Alliance, and also India, losing credibility with the Tamils if they did not deliver. If the idea for the TNA leadership to visit the US is to further the international pressure on the Sri Lankan State and the ruling polity in particular, it could cut both ways. While Governments cannot resist global pressure after a time, the global community can only take the horse to the water! The Tamils in Sri Lanka and the TNA otherwise should remember the dictum as much! It is they who have to live with the Sinhala community and society back home.

Welioya goes to Mullaitivu

For administrative purposes the government has placed the Welioya Divisional Secretariat under the purview of the Mullaitivu District Secretariat and separated it from the Anuradhapura District, officials said yesterday.They said this was done as part of a plan to re-demarcate the boundaries of all the Grama Seva Divisions and the Divisional Secretariats in the country.Welioya is an area occupied by a Sinhala population of 9004 and during the war it was administered by the District Secretary of Anuradhapura because Mullaitivu was not accessible to the people at the time.The Public Administration Ministry has appointed a committee comprising several former District Secretaries to make recommendations for the re-demarcation of boundaries of all the Divisional Secretaries and the Grama Seva Divisions in the country and the creation of new ones if and where necessary.Ministry Secretary P.B. Abeykoon said the committee would submit its report with all necessary recommendations before the end of this year. He said the committee was expected to visit all the districts and to identify the areas to be demarcated with new boundaries.When asked whether a new district would be created, he ruled out such a possibility at this time.A Welioya Divisional Secretariat official said the District Secretary of Mullaitivu had been overseeing the administrative affairs of Welioya for the last two months.  Vavuniya District Secretary P.S.M. Charles said she had asked for the establishment of two more Divisional Secretariats in her district for administration purposes.“Re-demarcation of boundaries is needed everywhere in the country. For example, there is a divisional secretariat for 100 Grama Seva Divisions in one particular area whereas there is one for 50 Grama Seva Divisions in another area. These disparities exist all over the country, not in the north and the east alone. We have to sort them out,” she said.   Batticaloa District Secretary S. Arumainayagam said the committee would meet him on October 24 to discuss on the changes and requirements in his district in this respect. He said that some local politicians had put forward their proposals asking for new divisional secretariats.

Tamil parties stage protest fast

A group of Tamil politicians staged a fast in Vavuniya focusing on three main issues. The fasting politicians were from the TNA, TELO, TULF,ACTC,PLOTE, EPRLF and National Public Front.The protest began around 7.00 a.m. and continued till 4.00 p.m. yesterday.TELO political wing leader M. K. Sivajilingam said that the new Assistant Government Agent Divisions were being created within the Welioya AGA division in the Mullaitivu District and attempts were being made to settle a majority Sinhalese in them. The other two issues he claimed were that people from the South were being settled in the North and East, without resettling IDPs in those areas, and the requirement to re-register North-East lands against the wishes of the people there.

European Union (EU)Shocked By Video

Member states of the European Union (EU) were shocked by the contents of the video “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” which was screened at the EU parliament last week.The Sri Lankan government had last week raised strong objections to the airing of the video at the EU saying the contents are false and misleading.However the South Asia Director for Human Rights Watch Meenakshi Ganguly told The Sunday Leader that it was important to ensure that diplomats are informed about the reality of what happened during the war. The screening of the video at the EU was organized by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and a few members of the EU parliament.“We, together with other human rights groups, organized screenings and talks in a number of cities. The audience was left shocked by the brutality that was documented. We have worked for a long time on Sri Lanka. When we documented abuses by the LTTE, whether it was forced recruitment, the use of children in combat, or the extortion from the expatriate Tamil community, the Sri Lankan government acknowledged our findings to be fair. Unfortunately, that changed during the military campaign, when we found excesses by government forces,” Ganguly said.She said that the documentary, produced by Channel 4 television in Britain, together with the report of the panel of experts appointed by the UN Secretary General, provides rather a strong and indisputable account of the violations.“Contrary to what the Rajapaksa administration might suggest, efforts to address human rights violations are not directed at criticizing a nation, but a government that might be responsible for great wrong doing. The violations that occurred during the military campaign will impact on the future of the Sri Lankan people, who have already suffered years of violence and a divided community. For effective reconciliation, there has to be accountability,” Ganguly added.

India to provide assistance of SLR 326 million for restoration of Thiruketheeswaram Temple

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today in Colombo between the High Commission of India and the Board of Trustees of Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society, for restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar, Sri Lanka. The MoU was signed by H.E. Mr. Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India and Mr. V. Kailasapillai, Chairman, Thiruketheeswaram Temple Restoration Society in the presence of Hon’ble Basil Rajapaksa, Minister for Economic Development, Government of Sri Lanka. The Indian assistance for the restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple is about SLR 326 million. The signing ceremony was also attended by Hon’ble Major General G. A. Chandrasiri, Governor, Northern Province, Mr. Millinda Moragoda, Dr. Senarath Dissnayake, Director General, Department of Archaeology, Government of Sri Lanka, Director, Department of Hindu Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka, Trustees of TTRS and other office bearers. The MoU signed today is pursuant to the Joint Declaration issued during the State Visit of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka to India in June, 2010, which had welcomed the proposal for restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple at Mannar to be undertaken with the assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India and the College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram. A team led by the Superintending Archeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle and consisting of representatives from the College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram had visited Sri Lanka in August, 2010. A detailed report on the restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple was prepared, based on discussions with the Department of Archaeology, Government of Sri Lanka and TTRS, in addition to inputs from their field visit to the Thiruketheeswaram temple. The signing of the MoU today will result in the re-initiation of the restoration work which was being carried out in the years 2005-2006 at the Thiruketheeswaram Temple, but had to be abandoned due to the then prevailing security situation. The historic temple of Thiruketheeswaram is one of the holiest shrines in Sri Lanka and an important symbol of Sri Lanka’s cultural Heritage. The restoration of the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar, Sri Lanka is symbolic of India’s commitment to assist in the rejuvenation of the social, cultural and spiritual life in the Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. India has also been supporting projects for rehabilitation, resettlement and well-being of displaced persons in the Northern Province in the areas of shelter (through roofing sheets and cement bags), health-care (providing emergency medical relief, organizing artificial limbs refitment camps and equipping hospitals), livelihood generation (provision of fishing equipment, tractors, agricultural equipment and seeds), education (repairs of schools and setting up of vocational training centres) and infrastructure development (restoration of Northern Railway lines, rehabilitation of Palaly Airport and KKS Harbour).

India changes its war strategy, will fight battlesin enemy territory

India has made fundamental changes in its war doctrine after the military restructured its fighting capacities. The aim from now on will be to wage all future battles only in enemy territory.The new concept was discussed in tri-services Commanders’ Conference last week. It will be used during military exercises in south Pokhran in Rajasthan close to the border with Pakistan this winter.The Hindustan Times today quoted top government sources as saying that, having learnt a brutal lesson from the Kargil war in the Himalayas of fighting within Indian territory, the new doctrine is actually a step ahead of ‘Cold War Start’ concept, with scope only for aggression and not passive resistance.The Cold Start concept was developed post Operation Parakram in 2002, with designated groups prepared to go into war theatre from the word go without long drawn out preparations.During the October 10-14 Senior Commanders’ Conference here, top army commanders discussed the "restructuring of pivot and strike corps" and theatre-based "combat support and combat service support."In simple language, this means that the army has done away with the concept of holding (defensive) and strike (offensive) corps-level formations.Under the new scheme of things to come, holding corps have been re-designated as "pivot corps" with the task to secure objectives in enemy territory and lay the foundation for launching strike formations.For example, the Bathinda based X Corps in Punjab will no longer hold the intruding enemy but launch across to build a platform for strike by the designated II Corps in Ambala, also in Punjab. The Indian state of Punjab shares its international border with Pakistan’s Punjab province.Each formation will have pre-designated support structures, including air support, so that the battle group will function with synergy rather than last-minute creations.This has been described in military parlance as theatre-based combat support and combat services support. The new concept was used in the Vijayee Bhava exercise last May with the Army and Air Force enacting the land-air battle plans.It is going to be tested again in Sudarshan Shakti exercise this winter, 75 miles or 120km off the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan.Keeping the changing Indian war strategy in mind, the Pakistan army has also developed a counter strategy called the "Early War Offensive." This means that 25% of its army reserves will be deployed on its eastern border to take on the Indian offensive at the first sign of war.The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has upgraded its forces on the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) through technology and equipment enhancement and the capacity to deploy through huge infrastructure in Tibet.With the China-Pakistan theatres now linked up, the Indian army’s proposal for raising first mountain strike corps has been sent to the finance ministry for approval. The armed forces have asked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for an early decision as forces have to be raised through recruitment and purchase of military hardware.

17 October 2011

TNA (TELO,TULF,EPRLF,PLOTE and ITEA )on massive hunger strike

The Tamil National Alliance has organised a massive hunger strike and agitation campaign in Vavuniya today (Monday) against what it termed as the government grabbing of lands belonging to Tamil residents in the Mullaitivu district in an attempt to demarcate new boundaries to establish a new Pradeshya Sabha in Welioya.“The agitation and hunger strike is planned from 7 am onwards at the Vavuniya Urban Council grounds against this land grabbing without consulting the people’s representatives like parliamentarians and local government representatives, ”TELO president and Vavuniya District parliamentarian Selavam Adikalanathan told The TELO web news. He said that the TNA’s pleas to the government to stop this illegal land grabbing and consult them on projected moves had fallen on deaf ears hence today’s hunger strike and agitation campaign. All TNA parliamentarians and local government representatives would participate in today’s campaign and the TNA has distributed hand bills to the public calling for their participation in today’s campaign to make it successful. Selavam Adikalanathan said that this move by the government to carve out a new Pradeshya Sabha would alter the ethnic component of the district and could lead to bitter misunderstanding and prevent peaceful coexistence between communities. Today’s agitation and hunger strike campaign would urge the government to stop this move forthwith without further aggravating the livelihood of the people in Mullaitivu who have already suffered immensely due to the war. He also said this tantamount to depriving the Tamils of Mullaitivu district of their fundamental rights to live in their places of origin..

Sri Lanka minister urges Norway to ban LTTE

A Sri Lankan government minister has urged the Norwegian government to ban Sri Lanka's defeated terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the government said.Sri Lanka Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management Nimal Siripala de Silva, who is now visiting Norway, has met with Norwegian Development Minister Eric Solheim and other Norwegian government officials in Oslo yesterday.During the meeting, the government says lasted over an hour, the Minister has apprised the Norwegian officials of the current situation in Sri Lanka and urged the Norwegian Government to impose a ban on the terrorist group.The Minister has also discussed the resettlement of the displaced persons and the development work in the resettled areas. Minister of Environment Anura Priyadarshana Yapa accompanied Minister de Silva at the meeting.

Bharatha's family slams SLFP           

The ruling party in Sri Lanka should take the responsibility for the recent murder of a presidential advisor, his family members say.In an exclusive interview with BBC Sandeshaya, Swarna Guanaratne, elder sister of slain Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra said that the family is not satisfied about the progress in the murder investigation.The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has failed to even send a reply to an appeal sent by the family in February this year seeking more security to her brother, she said."So I accuse the SLFP of being responsible the murder of my brother," she said, adding that the family does not believe that the police investigation into the murder is impartial.When journalists in Colombo asked Minister Keheliya Rambukwella on the letter written by the Premachandra family, the miniser said the late politician was provided with adequate security.

'No security provided'

"We were not simply asking security; we were asking the government to raise two security guards to six," was the response by Mr Premachandra's sister."But when I asked my brother after sending the letter, he said Duminda's security has been increased to 14, instead."Mr Premachandra, the presidential advisor on trade unions was shot dead in Kollonawa allegedly by supporters of ruling party MP, Duminda Silva.Saman Shantha Perera, an eye witness driver has testified to the police that it was Duminda Silva who first shot at Mr Premachandra after beating him.Mr Silva then ordered his men to shoot Mr Premachandra, the driver of the slain politician has told police investigators.Driver Perera's statement was produced before the Colombo magistrate's court by the police on Thursday.But defence spokesman Lakshman Hulugalle earlier told BBC Sandeshaya that the young MP is not a suspect in the murder investigation.

'Organised murder'

MP Silva, who was also shot at, is still being treated in the intensive care unit in the hospital following a brain surgery.A supporter of Mr Premachandra has been taken into custody on suspicion.Swarna Guanaratne blamed the government of not informing the family members of the slain politician on the progress of any investigation."President did not even speak to us at least to express his condolences. And none of the ministers spoke to us, the family, regarding my brother's death," she told BBC Sinhala.Duminda Silva was appointed as the monitoring MP for the defence ministry."We understand that senior officials at the defence ministry have been supporting Duminda Silva otherwise how could he get that many weapons? And why did he go there with that many weapons if not for the killing?" Mrs Guanaratne questioned."This was a pre-planned murder."Several attempts by BBC Sandeshaya to reach the SLFP general secretary and the United Peoples Front Alliance (UPFA) secretary general failed.

UNP calls for Fox fund probe

The main opposition in Sri Lanka has called for an investigation into the activities of Sri Lanka Development Trust (SLDT) set up by former British Defence Secretary, Liam Fox.The United National Party (UNP) said it regretted the resignation of Dr Fox.But it is now important that the government investigate the role of Sri Lanka officials in setting up the Trust with Dr Fox, says Dr Harsha de Silva, UNP’s secretary on economic affairs.“There must be an immediate investigation,” he told BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya.He called on the investigation to focus on, in particular, the alleged role of Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the governor of Sri Lanka Central Bank.

NGO activities

The MP recalls that Sri Lanka government, which is highly critical of activities of the NGOs, launched an investigation into the funding of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).“Mr Cabraal and others investigated TISL and made serious allegations against it,” Mr De Silva said.Dr Fox on Monday told the House of Commons that he had worked with people in business, banking and politics in Sri Lanka since 2009 to set up the "Sri Lankan Development Trust" to help with reconstruction of the country after its civil war.The defence secretary has been under pressure after it emerged that his friend, the lobbyist Adam Werritty, was present on 18 overseas trips including Sri Lanka."The aim was to use a proportion of profits made to fund development projects in Tamil communities. Neither myself, Mr Werritty nor others sought to receive any share of the profits for assisting the trust," Dr Fox said.

Central Bank governor

UNP’s international affairs secretary Ravi Karunanayake told BBC Sandeshaya that he met Mr Werritty “at least five times with Dr Fox,” in his interactions with the British politician."I was under the impression that Mr Werritty was Dr Fox's political assistant," said Mr Karunanayake, MP.The Financial Times quoting Lord Bell says the Trust consists of two funds, the "Sri Lanka Infrastructure Development Fund" and the "Sri Lanka Charitable Fund".Lord Bell, Head of the Bell Pottinger Public Relations Company which represented the Sri Lankan government until last December told the Financial Times that neither fund is up and running.“The issue is whether there is any under the surface activity in this case,” says Dr Harsha de Silva, MP.“If it has spent £7000, how much money is in the Trust? Where is that money? Who is aware of it?”It is imperative a government that accuses many NGOs including National Peace Council and Centre for Policy Alternatives of wrongdoings investigate its own official’s role in a yet undisclosed activities of the SLDT, he added.“According to British media, Lord Bell of Bell Pottinger has said that it was Nivard Cabraal who discussed with Dr Fox and Adam Werritty to set up the Trust,” he said.“But the issue here is nobody knows what this NGO is?” said Dr Silva adding that it seems that the Trust is not registered anywhere according to British media.Mr Cabraal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

University student leader attacked in Jaffna

Suspected Sri Lanka Army intelligence personnel armed with sharp iron rods followed the Jaffna University Student Union leader K. Thavapalan and attacked him at Kantharmadam in Jaffna seriously wounding the student leader who has been mobilizing students in democratic protests against the grease-devil threat recently. Mr. Thavapalan has been admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of Jaffna Teaching Hospital. This is the third iron-rod attack on prominent persons of the civil society in Jaffna after the Vanni war. Suresh Premachandran's secretary Ramesh, who now heads the Valikaamam East Piratheasa Chapai (PS) narrowly escaped from the attackers first. Later, in July 2011, the chief news editor of Uthayan daily, Gnanasundaram Kuganathan, was attacked by the motorbike squad. Mr. Thavapalan was elected as the leader of the JUSU in 2010. The Student Union has held a remembrance event on 18 May 2010, paying tribute to the thousands of victims of Vanni war. The event was held amid harassment by the occupying SL military and its paramilitary group, EPDP, which is headed by SL Minister Douglas Devananda. The EPDP, exerting control on the administrative affairs of the university in Jaffna, has been opposing the election of Mr. Thavapalan. The Vice Chancellor of Jaffna University, Vasanthy Arasaradnam was forced not to recognize the election Mr. Thavapalan. However, following the protests by the students, the Vice Chancellor had to finally accept the election of Mr. Thavapalan, but there has been no formal engagements between the JUSU and the University administration, which is under the pressure and influence of the occupying SL military and its agents. The protest against the grease-devil attack drew thousands of participants from the students of Jaffna. Despite the disruptive efforts by the SL military intelligence and the EPDP, the student leaders have managed to reflect their voice in meeting foreign envoys visiting Jaffna and in organising public protests. “The attack on Thavapalan is an attack on the entire student society in Jaffna” said a JUSU representative who met journalists after visiting the attacked student leader at the hospital.

16 October 2011

Rift in TNA citing dissatisfaction in struggle spirit

TULF politician Mr. Anandasangaree, who was earlier supporting Rajapaksa’s war, has born again now, being furious at the TNA’s lack of spirit in fighting against Rajapaksa over the land re-registration issue. He publicly accuses the TNA leaders, particularly Mr. Sampanthan and Mr Premachandran for not leading a people’s struggle against the issue. Mr. Anandasangaree and the PLOTE of Mr Siddharthan, both who earlier backed the genocidal Colombo, have joined the TNA in contesting the last civic elections and they were successful in capturing three local bodies. This week, Mr. Anandasangaree has convened a ‘general body’ meeting for the TULF in which he and Mr. Kanagaraja have respectively been named as General Secretary and President of the TULF. Sampanthan has responded by protesting to the election commission that the meeting was illegal and was breaching earlier court rulings. Returning the protests of Mr. Sampanthan claiming the nametag TULF, Mr. Anadasangaree said that in the last several elections his party in practice had been using the TULF tag without Sampanthan. If he could, let him try legal action, Anandasangaree challenged.The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) once again faces a crisis.Inside the Ilankai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), the main constituent of the TNA, Mr. Sampanthan and Mr. Mavai Senadhiraja face a lot of criticism from veteran party activists. The criticism is related to pawning Eezham Tamil polity with New Delhi and related to some newly planted elements misleading the fundamentals of party ideology. The recent news about TNA choosing to visit the US is also viewed with a lot of suspicion in the Tamil political circles that allege that it is a conspiracy of Colombo, New Delhi and ‘friends’ of Colombo in the US Administration, to barter war crimes investigations for promises on pre-emptive political deceits. The ‘elements’ cited above and some ‘fund-receiving’ outfits were already engaged in a campaign in this regard, especially in the diaspora.“Why do they go to the US; to end up in another Mu’l’livaaykkaal,”- even the common Tamil folk ask the question in the island, after seeing the war and after seeing the post-war refusal of those who continue to handle the matter in the US Administration, refusing to accept the truth of genocide, colonisation, structural genocide and the Tamil justification in asserting to the full right to self-determination. The political forces that claim representing Eezham Tamils undermine their own authority at a crucial time by hooking themselves to various Establishments; by not standing firmly and transparently for the aspirations of the people and by not concentrating on mobilising the power of their own people, lament many political and social activists in the island and in the diaspora.

I DECIDE ON PROTECTION, NO ONE CAN QUESTION ON

Drug dealers, armed robbers and extortionists have to be wiped out from the country and everyone should join together to achieve this purpose, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. Addressing heads of Local Authorities won by UPFA in the election he also stated that nobody, who made countless sacrifices in the name of the party’s victory, will be chased away.The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) secured 21 institutions in Phase 3 of the 2011 Local Government election which was held on October 8.The heads and deputies appointed for those LG bodies and also for the Kalmunai Municipal Council, which was won by the SLMC, were sworn in today (October 16) in the presence of the President.Emphasizing on that there should be no more conflicts amongst party members, the President advised the heads of the Kolonnawa electorate to cooperate with one another and to forget past differences.The unfortunate incident which occurred in Kolonnawa should not happen again; President Rajapaksa pointed out and added that the Kolonnawa incident tarnished the entire victory of the UPFA.Former MP and Presidential adviser Baratha Lakshman Premachandra and another three persons were killed in a shooting in Kolonnawa on Election Day. MP Duminda Silva was also wounded in the shooting incident.“Even though anyone is able to request for security, I am the one who decides how that protection is provided. And no one can question it.” the president sternly stated.

Sri Lankan envoy 'war crimes'

SRI Lanka's high commissioner to Australia, former navy Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, should be investigated for war crimes, a brief before the Australian Federal Police says.The submission, from the International Commission of Jurists' Australian section, has compiled what a source has told The Age is direct and credible evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.Witnesses - former Sri Lankan residents now living in Australia - can attest to the crimes, the source said. Admiral Samarasinghe was the commander of the Sri Lankan navy's eastern and then northern areas, as well as naval chief of staff, during the final years of the country's bloody civil war with separatist terrorist group the Tamil Tigers.In the final months of fighting in 2009, according to the United Nations, up to 40,000 civilians caught in the north and east of the country were killed when government forces moved against the insurgent army.Separate and independent allegations have been made, to the jurists' commission and other investigators, that naval ships fired directly on unarmed civilians as they fled the conflict.There has been no evidence Admiral Samarasinghe was involved in shelling, or gave direct orders to that effect, but the submission before the AFP states military superiors hold a responsibility for the actions of those under their command.A spokesman told The Age that ''the AFP is currently evaluating the submission. Therefore it is not appropriate to comment further.''Admiral Samarasinghe told The Age that all of his - and the navy's - actions during the conflict were legal. ''There is no truth whatsoever of allegations of misconduct or illegal behaviour,'' he said.''The Sri Lanka Navy did not fire at civilians during any stage and all action was taken to save the lives of civilians from clutches of terrorists.''The commission submission has been sent to the AFP and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, as well as to the offices of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. It calls for investigations into Admiral Samarasinghe and other key military and political figures, including President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is commander-in-chief of Sri Lanka's armed forces, with a view to issuing arrest warrants against those responsible. The International Commission of Jurists is an independent international law body, based in Geneva. It holds consultative status with UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the African Union.The Australian section made a similar submission over allegations of war crimes during East Timor's struggle for independence - and evidence it gathered was used by that country's Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation, the official body set up to investigate human rights abuses.President of the Australian section is former NSW Supreme Court justice and attorney-general John Dowd. He declined to comment.But independent of the commission dossier, another member of Sri Lanka's diplomatic corps with links to Australia is already under investigation by the AFP for his alleged role in possible war crimes.In May, The Age detailed allegations against dual Australian-Sri Lankan citizen Palitha Kohona.Dr Kohona, who was an Australian diplomat in the 1980s, and is now Sri Lanka's representative to the UN, is accused of sending, via intermediaries, text messages to defeated Tamil Tigers and civilians, telling them they could surrender, unarmed and under a white flag, to government troops.About 20 followed the instructions. Eyewitnesses report they were loaded into army trucks. They were later found, shot dead, nearby.The AFP has confirmed it is evaluating the allegations against Dr Kohona ''with a view to determining any potential breaches of Australian law''.Dr Kohona has denied the allegations, admitting he sent the messages, but saying they were never a guarantee of safety, only advice on how best to surrender. ''I never had the authority to issue orders to troops or to discuss surrender terms of any terrorists, either directly or indirectly.''Admiral Samarasinghe enjoyed a distinguished 37-year-career in the Sri Lankan navy. He was commander of the Eastern Naval Area, then commander of Northern Naval Area between 2007 and 2009. In May 2009, the final month of the war, he was made navy chief of staff, before being promoted, two months later, to navy commander.Admiral Samarasinghe resigned his commission in January to take up his diplomatic post in Canberra. At the time of his appointment, foreign affairs officials reportedly saw his nomination as ''problematic'', in light of his command role in a military accused of serious human rights violations. But his appointment was not opposed.Since the end of the war, allegations the navy fired on civilians have been raised inside Sri Lanka and out. The country's reconciliation tribunal heard from a woman that in May 2009 she tried to escape the war zone in a boat.''We held two white flags and on seeing the Navy we called them 'Aiya, Aiya' [Sir, Sir]. There was sudden shelling and eight died on the spot . . Navy hit; Navy attacked and many people died.''Part of the commission submission is further testimony from Tamils now living in Australia that shelling came from the sea in the final weeks of fighting.Admiral Samarasinghe said this week: ''All conduct of the Sri Lanka Navy was within the rules governing domestic and international laws.''There were no orders given to fire by anyone to Sri Lanka naval vessels. Rules of engagements were clear to all commanders.'' He said the accusations levelled at him, and at other members of the Sri Lankan military and political establishment, were politically motivated.''I was part of the Sri Lankan military which prevented the most brutal terrorist organisation from dividing my country. Those that still have aims to divide Sri Lanka continue to hurl baseless, unsubstantiated allegations.''A UN report this year found it was ''unable to accept the version of events held by the government of Sri Lanka''.It said the government deliberately shelled no-fire zones where it had encouraged civilians to shelter, as well as attacking the UN, food distribution lines and Red Cross ships rescuing the wounded.''The government systematically shelled hospitals on the frontlines … [and] deprived people in the conflict zone of humanitarian aid, in the form of food and medical supplies, particularly surgical supplies, adding to their suffering.''The report was equally condemnatory of the separatist Tamil Tigers, known formally as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. It said they used civilians as hostages and human shields, forcibly recruited children as young as 14 to fight, and shot - point-blank - any civilians who attempted to escape the conflict.

15 October 2011

Defence Secretary Liam Fox quits

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has resigned after a week of pressure over his working relationship with friend and self-styled adviser Adam Werritty.Mr Fox was being investigated amid claims he broke the ministerial code.In a letter to David Cameron, Mr Fox said he had "mistakenly allowed" personal and professional responsibilities to be "blurred".Mr Cameron said he was very sorry to see him go. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond will replace Mr Fox.Labour said Mr Fox had not upheld the standards expected of ministers and his departure had been "inevitable".

Business cards

The defence secretary has been under pressure since it emerged that Mr Werritty, a lobbyist, had met him on 18 foreign trips despite having no official role.Mr Werritty, a former flatmate of Mr Fox and the best man at his wedding, handed out business cards suggesting he was his adviser and was present at meetings Mr Fox had with military figures, diplomats and defence contractors. Questions were also raised about who paid for Mr Werritty's business activities and whether he had personally benefited from his frequent access to the defence secretary.No 10 sources said that the prime minister had been willing to give Mr Fox time to stay in his job - at least until the details of a report by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell into his conduct was published early next week.Mr Fox has been replaced by Transport Secretary Mr Hammond. In a mini-reshuffle caused by Mr Fox's departure, Treasury minister Justine Greening has replaced Mr Hammond - becoming the fifth woman in the Cabinet.In a statement released on Friday night, Mr Hammond said his predecessor had done a "brilliant job"."I look forward to picking up the baton from Liam and working closely with the prime minister, foreign secretary and international development secretary to ensure that our defences are robust and that the finances that lie behind them are equally robust," he added.

National interest

In his resignation letter, Mr Fox said he had "mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my government activities to become blurred"."The consequences of this have become clearer in recent days," he added. "I am very sorry for this."I have also repeatedly said that the national interest must always come before personal interest."I now have to hold myself to my own standard. I have therefore decided, with great sadness, to resign from my post as secretary of state for defence." Responding to Mr Fox's resignation, Mr Cameron said: "I understand your reasons for deciding to resign as defence secretary, although I am very sorry to see you go."We have worked closely for these last six years, and you have been a key member of my team throughout that time."He said Mr Fox, MP for North Somerset for 19 years, had "done a superb job in the 17 months since the election, and as shadow defence secretary before that" and had overseen changes that would allow the armed forces to "meet the challenges of the modern era".The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said the prime minister had given Mr Fox time to defend himself but the defence secretary had struggled to stem the tide of questions about his dealings with Mr Werritty.No 10 had come to the conclusion on Thursday that Mr Fox's position was becoming untenable, he added, and Mr Fox had reluctantly reached the same view.

'Inconceivable'

Mr Fox apologised to MPs earlier this week about how his links with Mr Werritty had been perceived but he maintained there had been no impropriety.Labour said Mr Fox had "fallen foul of the standards expected of ministers and broken the rules"."The facts have caught up with Liam Fox and he had to resign," shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said. "It was inconceivable that once a minister had been seen to break their own code of conduct on so many occasions that he could survive."And former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said recent events had undermined Mr Fox's authority and morale at his department."Mr Fox has bowed to the inevitable," he said. "It had become impossible for him to draw a line under the story."But Conservative MPs rallied behind Mr Fox, saying he had made a major contribution in his time at the Ministry of Defence and some suggested he could, one day, return to government. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former defence secretary, said Mr Fox had done an "extremely good" job and his departure was "very, very distressing" as it would lead to further upheaval at the MoD.Conservative backbencher Peter Bone told the BBC Mr Fox had made errors but they did not constitute a "hanging offence"."He said he made mistakes and with hindsight he wouldn't have done it but I didn't think that was enough to require him to resign," he said."But when the story, every news item, isn't about what's happening in Afghanistan and what's happening in Libya but who said what to who then he put his country first and resigned."David Pasley, a Tory councillor in Mr Fox's North Somerset constituency, described the MP as "hard working" and "diligent", and said he was "deeply saddened" by Friday's events.But he added: "He's someone who you can't keep down."He has got such experience in his political career that I'm sure it will just be a question of time before he's back, and I hope he's back very soon in a high profile position."

Police ignored orders from Polls Chief: CAFÉ

Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFÉ) today accused the police of having ignored the instructions given by Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya to provide adequate security in Kolonnawa and this had resulted in tragic events on the polling day.AFÉ Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon said Mr. Deshapriya had instructed the Elections DIG to provide adequate security in the area after he received several complaints about the growing tension in the area.The instruction sheet sent by the polls chief had said a Colombo District United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP applying undue pressure on the voters at several polling stations including Kadulla, Wadulwatte, Jana Sabha, Kelanipura and Kambi Kotuwa on the polling day. Mr. Deshapriya had also instructed the returning officer in the area to take this matter into consideration before the counting.Mr. Tennakoon said the Mulleriyawa tragedy could have been avoided if the instructions given by Deshapriya was followed.

New DIGs appointed with immediate effect

Thirteen new acting DIGs have been appointed with immediate effect.Police Media Spokesperson SSP Maxi Proctor said that these appointments have been made by the Public Service Commission.The Police Media Spokesperson said that the new DIGs have been appointed to thirteen districts.He went on to say that the names of the acting DIGs which were recommended by the Public Service Commission have been sent to the IGP for the appointments to be made.

SLMC local body dispute ends in compromise

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has decided that the two candidates who received the highest number of votes during the recent Urban Council election will be offered the Chairmanship of the Council for two years each.Accordingly the person who received the highest number of votes Siraj will be the Chairman in the first two years followed by Nizam Kariappar holding the post during the balance two year term of the council.The party hierarchy’s attempts to settle the matter amicably failed and finally the politicians in the area and the two candidates had discussions and arrived at this decision.One of them will be the Deputy Chairman while the other holds the office of Chairman.

Dutch court announced LTTE active in Europe

Evidence surfacing in a courthouse in the Netherlands shows that the cause of Tamil independence is still alive in Europe, and an assessment from counterterrorism authorities says supporters of the LTTE remain engaged in extortion, human trafficking and other crimes to raise money for their brethren in Sri Lanka, the Associated Press reported today.While the Tigers have been defeated in Sri Lanka, “here in Europe they are very much alive,” Dutch prosecutor Ward Ferdinandusse told The Hague District Court during the trial of five Tamils accused of being members of the outlawed organization, running illegal lotteries and laundering money.A USB stick found in a tea cup at the home of one of the defendants revealed him to be the international bookkeeper for the worldwide Tamil diaspora, prosecutors allege. The data disclosed a financial plan for 2010, and indicate that Tamil exiles remain faithful to the goal of independence in northern Sri Lanka for the country’s Tamil minority, the prosecution claims, the Associated Press reported.That analysis is echoed by the latest assessments published by Europol, the EU’s police coordination organization.In its 2011 “Terrorism Situation and Trend Report,” Europol says Tamil Tigers still extort money from Tamils and are “actively involved in drugs and human trafficking, the facilitation of illegal immigration, credit card skimming, money laundering, and fraud for the purpose of funding terrorist (support) operations.”The twin assessments by Dutch authorities and Europol raise worrying questions about the possible regrouping of the Tigers, formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE. The LTTE is still listed as a terror organization by the European Union, United States and other countries.Judges are expected to deliver their verdicts in the Tamil Tiger trial later this month, the Associated Press reported.

Lanka-Vietnam sign eight MoUs

Sri Lanka and Vietnam tyesterday (Oct. 14) signed eight MoUs for bilateral cooperation in the political, defence, investment, finance, education and training, machinery manufacturing fields.Following talks between president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his visiting counterpart Truong Tan Sang, the agreements were signed at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.M. Sang is currently on a three-day official visit.

The MoUs signed are:

Memorandum of understanding on political consultations was signed by Minister of External Affairs, Prof. G.L. Peris and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam Doan Xuan Hung.

Memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Ministry of Finance and Planning of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam was signed by Senior Minister of International Monetary Cooperation, Dr. Sarath Amunugama and Minister of Finance of Vietnam, Prof. Dr. Vuong Dinh Hue.

Memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam was signed by Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Le Duong Quang.

Agreement on educational cooperation between the Ministry of Higher Education of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam was signed by Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Nandimithra Ekanayake and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Doan Xuan Hung.

Memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam on petroleum sector was signed by  Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry of Vietnam, Le Duong Quang.

Memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam was signed by Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Deputy Minister of National Defence Nguyen Chi Vinh.

Memorandum of understanding on two way investment promotion cooperation between the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and the Foreign Investment Agency of Vietnam was signed by Chairman/Director General of the Board of Investment, M.M.C. Ferdinando and  Director General Foreign Investment Agency of Vietnam, Do Nhat Hoang.

TERM Gasoil Sales Agreement, No. 01-GO/PVOSN-CPC/2011 was signed by Chairman, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, B.H.S. Jayawardena and Managing Director, P.V. Oil (Singapore) Pvt. Ltd, Mrs. Hoang Tai Minh Nguyet.

Mulleriyawa Suspects Who Fled to India Nabbed

Two suspects involved in the Mulleriyawa shootout and had fled to India have been arrested.Addressing the media at the briefing on Cabinet decisions, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Mass Media and Information Keheliya Rambukwella said the two suspects were placed under arrest with the assistance of the Indian Government.The quick positive response of the Indian Government enabled the capture of the two suspects who had fled Sri Lanka after the shootout. The Minister added that the two suspects are now being brought to Colombo.The Mulleriyawa shootout on Saturday (08 Oct ) killed four, including former UPFA Parliamentarian Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and severely injured Parliamentarian Duminda Silva.Another suspect, a Police Constable of the Mirihana Police who was identified as the person who shot Former MP Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra was arrested by the CID on Monday (10 Oct). He was produced in court and was placed under remand custody until 18 October.

Indo-China War in the Offing?

China has for long been building maritime and other linkages with eastern Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia, among others t o assert its authority in the Indian Ocean. Apart from regular tensions between India and China, along Himalayan Mountain borders, the strain at sea regained momentum recently when China decided to leave its footprints in Maldives, a strategic location in Indian Ocean. India was among the first countries to recognize Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with this country. China has now sought to undertake various development projects in Maldives islands to challenge Indian Supremacy in the island nation. There are also reports of Chinese planning a secret naval submarine base in Marao (one of islands), as it is close to India. Moreover, China is building a fully fledged embassy in Male. India has also been taking a step by step approach to counter Chinese measures. It has intensified its defense engagements with countries like Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. Indian warships now help Maldives in maritime patrol and surveillance. New Delhi is also helping Male set up ground radar networks in all its 26 atolls, linking them to Indian military surveillance systems. In 2006, India had also provided Maldives with Tillanchang, a 260-tonne fast-attack craft designed for fast and covert operations against smugglers and terrorists. Apart from assisting many small nations in Indian Ocean, India has now begun to make its presence felt in Chinese frontiers. India seems to say, 'If you do it in Indian Ocean, we will do it in South China Sea'. This is where an agreement has been signed between India and Vietnam for oil exploration in China Sea. India has also been sending naval warships to China Sea. An Indian naval warship sailing in South China Sea was last month stopped by China, which accused India of intruding into its Waters, and was asked to return. India was not intimidated. Foreign Minister S M Krishna asserted that India will continue to send more and more war ships to Vietnam ports in China Sea, angering China. In what may rattle China more, Defense Minister A K Anthony yesterday went on to acknowledge the benefits of holding joint exercises with regional and global powers like U.S., Japan and Vietnam in South China Sea and West Pacific. As in 1962, these provocations targeted against each other might turn into a huge scale war between the two Asian giants. The oil rich South China Sea has suddenly become the global focal point where interests of major global players like the United States and Japan meet, leave alone rising Asia n giants like China and India. It has the second busiest sea lane in the world. There are also unsolved territorial disputes between China, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei, with China claiming most of the South China Sea as well as the twin oil paradises, Paracel and Spratly islands. With China and Southeast Asian states disputing claims to the energy rich South China Sea, there is a potential for huge conflict in future involving countries like Japan, U.S, China and India, and the other smaller countries, leading to world war. Whether an Indo China war will begin such a conflict is another question. For now, the probability is bleak, but the possibility remains.

14 October 2011

Sampanthan queries legality of TULF convention

A fresh dispute has arisen between the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Leader V. Anandasangari and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan who has threatened to legally challenge the TULF convention held in Jaffna recently, political sources said today. The TULF was held to appoint a new set of officials. Subsequently, Mr. Anandasangari informed the Elections Commissioner in writing about the new resolutions adopted by the party at its annual convention. However, Mr. Sampanthan who was with the TULF earlier had requested the Commissioner in writing not to accept the decisions taken at the TLUF convention. Both Mr. Sampanthan and Mr. Anandasangari were in the TULF prior to 2001. Later, Mr. Sampanthan broke away from the TULF and formed the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with a few other Tamil parties on a request by the LTTE. The dispute arose after Mr. Anandasangari opposed the idea to bring the TULF under the banner of the TNA, which he identified as the political wing of the LTTE. This led to a legal wrangle between Mr. Sampanthan and Mr. Anandasangari and eventually Mr. Anandasangari was able to hold on to the TULF along with its rising sun symbol. When asked about the latest crisis, Mr. Anandasangari said Mr. Sampanthan left the party a long time ago, and therefore, he had no right to reclaim the party by challenging the convention. “There must be something wrong with him. He left the party and teamed up with the LTTE at that time. I reorganised the party. Now, he cannot reclaim it,” Mr. Anandasangari said. When Mr. Sampanthan was asked about it he said it was an entirely private matter, and therefore he would not make any comment. And on the allegations made against him by Mr. Anandasangari, he said, “Mr. Anandasangari can say anything. I won’t comment. I do not want to make a mountain out of it.”

Sri Lanka Estimates 2012 Budget Deficit of 1.105 Trillion Rupees

Sri Lanka’s government expenditure in 2012 is estimated at 2.22 trillion rupees ($20.1 billion) and revenue at 1.115 trillion rupees, resulting in a budget deficit of 1.105 trillion rupees, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on its website.Capital investment for 2012 will be about 540 billion rupees and recurrent expenditure is estimated at 1.1 trillion rupees, it said. Sri Lanka on Oct. 18 will table in parliament the Appropriation Bill, which outlines spending estimates ahead of the annual budget announcement on Nov. 21.

Liam Fox faces fresh questions on Sri Lanka links

Liam Fox faced fresh accusations of running a shadow foreign policy after it emerged he was involved in setting up a private investment firm to operate in Sri Lanka in apparent contravention of UK government policy, with his controversial friend Adam Werritty as its key contact.The defence secretary was intimately involved in negotiations with the Sri Lankan regime as recently as last summer, according to Lord Bell, his friend of 30 years, agreeing a deal that allows the Sri Lankan Development Trust to operate in the country in the same period in which he now says he withdrew his involvement. The trust was a venture designed to rebuild the country's infrastructure using private finance with a sideline in charitable projects for Tamil communities.Labour urged the government to come clean on Fox's work in Sri Lanka and whether it might have contravened the government's official policy, while a senior Whitehall source said the minister had been operating a "maverick foreign policy" and it is this that will ultimately decide his political fate.The government has adopted an arm's-length policy on Sri Lanka, calling for an independent inquiry into alleged war crimes. Since 2006 it has also had a policy to limit development work to urgent humanitarian assistance and "de-mining" areas affected by the civil war.Fox told the Commons on Monday he had worked with "a number" of business, banking and political contacts to establish the trust in Sri Lanka.He named only Werritty, his close friend who is at the heart of the scandal over his unofficial role as Fox's adviser. "Neither myself, Mr Werritty nor others sought to receive any share of the profits for assisting the trust," he said.In June 2010, he met the Sri Lankan foreign minister in Singapore, along with Werritty and MoD officials. "The purpose of the meeting was to make it clear that although I would no longer be able to participate in the project, the others involved would continue to do so," he said on Monday. But Bell told the Guardian on Thursday that discussions took place last summer in which Fox agreed with the governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka that the trust would invest in roadbuilding and other infrastructure projects using private investment.Bell, whose PR firm Bell Pottinger was employed by the Sri Lankan government until last year to improve the country's reputation abroad, said the deal had been struck between Fox and the head of the Sri Lankan bank: "In order for these funds to operate they would need an agreement with the country. The financial interests of Sri Lanka come under the governor of the Central Bank. My understanding is that the infrastructure development fund would be set up and have an agreement with the Sri Lankan government to invest in Tamil communities in Sri Lanka. It's a fine idea with a good sense of purpose."He added that "of course" part of the strategy was to improve the regime's reputation abroad.Kevan Jones, shadow defence minister, said: "Liam Fox told the house about the trust on Monday. It's clearly not a full explanation. If he was still striking deals with the Sri Lankans last summer, how does that fit with official UK foreign policy? He has to explain these negotiations. You can't have a situation where a government minister is appearing to run a completely separate foreign policy from that of the government."Fox's parliamentary and private offices both said last night that Fox ceased to have any involvement with the trust on entering government. The only activity the Sri Lanka Development Trust appears to have engaged in has been the payment of up to £7,500 of Fox's travel expenses, incurred on three trips to the country in 2009 and 2010.The trust was originally registered to an address close to the Houses of Parliament in London, 40 George Street, which is also the offices of 3G, the "Good Governance Group", which is chaired by Chester Crocker, a former US politician. He also sits on the board of Bell Pottinger LLC, the US wing of Bell's publicity firm. Bell denied that there was any connection between his firm or its US subsidiary and Fox's Sri Lankan operation.The trust has since transferred to the Lothian Road in Edinburgh, giving its address as No 50, a substantial granite and glass-fronted office block where a number of firms including the HQ of the Scottish oil exploration firm Cairn Energy and corporate offices for Clydesdale Bank are based. When the Guardian visited the building there was no sign of any physical presence of the organisation.Two legal firms also based in the building are not believed to be connected. As a legal trust, it does not have to register either with the Charities Commission or on the register of businesses at Companies House. It does not have to publish the names of its trustees, it purpose or its beneficiaries.Bell said that the trust consisted of two bodies, the Sri Lanka Infrastructure Development Fund, which was intended to raise money abroad from investors who would then share in the profit of ventures on the country, and the Sri Lanka Charitable Fund which would undertake charitable projects in Tamil areas in the north and east.Inquiries in Colombo could not establish any activity the trust or its subsidiaries have so far carried out. Aid experts, senior politicians and officials in Sri Lanka said they had no knowledge of the trust. Nether the trust nor its subsidiaries are registered by the National Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organisations, a prerequisite for any such project.On a trip in March 2009, shortly before the end of the bloody but successful government offensive, Fox called for the creation of "a special fund with the help of international partners ... to help the Sri Lankan government in handling the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the war ravaged areas in the north and east [of the country]."Fox told local journalists he was suggesting "a new, independent, Sri Lanka construction fund". One aim of the fund, he said, would be to divert cash that had been flowing from ethnic Tamils overseas to the LTTE into reconstruction. No activity on the ground appears to have occurred. "I have my ear pretty close to the ground and I doubt a major new reconstruction project in the north [of Sri Lanka] could get going without my knowledge and I have never heard of this trust," said one senior aid official in Colombo, the commercial capital.The source of the trust's money for the transport to Sri Lanka for Fox is unknown. Contributions to the cost of the trips were also received from the Sri Lankan government via its London embassy.Human rights groups have been critical of Fox's outspoken support for the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is now in his second term of office and has been accused by campaigners of repressing the press and opposition.WikiLeaks cables revealed American diplomats' concerns at alleged government complicity in human rights abuses committed by troops and paramilitaries during the latter stages of the civil war. The United Nations has repeatedly pressed Sri Lanka for greater accountability and transparency.

China assures Sri Lanka military assistance in training

The Chinese Army has assured Sri Lanka military assistance, on request, in several areas of professional training including military exercises.A visiting high-level delegation of China's People's Liberation Army has called on Sri Lanka Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya on Thursday at the Army Headquarters in Colombo.The six-member Chinese delegation headed by Major General Qian Lihua, Chief of Foreign Affairs Office, Ministry of National Defence has assured the Army Commander of his Army's fullest cooperation to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in several areas of its professional training, exercises and further promotion of military assistance to Sri Lanka on request, a statement issued by SLA said.The Chinese military delegation was accompanied by China's Ambassador in Colombo Ms. Yang Xiuping.The Chinese Commander has promised to offer more training opportunities for Sri Lankan trainee officers in military academies in China in the future when officially requested through the Defence Ministry.The visiting Army official has also offered further assistance using advanced technology in China to improve the infrastructure facilities at the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) at Diyatalawa.The visiting Chinese Chief of Foreign Affairs Office during talks has offered to train 100 more Sri Lankan Army de-miners as a goodwill gesture. At present, Sri Lanka's army de-miners were the only foreign contingent trained in China.

Some newspapers got money from LTTE

It was evident that some newspapers had taken money from the LTTE to run screaming headlines on the summons served on Sri Lanka’s political and military leaders, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.A section of the press was advancing the LTTE’s interests and it had helped the enemies of the State with their propaganda against the country and its leaders, the President said. Wide publicity for the summons was part of that campaign, he alleged.

Sri Lanka's ruling party hit by deadly factional division

A fatal shootout between rival factions of Sri Lanka's ruling party in a Colombo suburb, has trained the spotlight on the island's gun culture in politics.Police said four people were killed in the gun battle in Kolonowa.Concerned citizens have petitioned the government to take action, noting that the gun culture is a hangover from Sri Lanka's protracted civil war.Presenter: Sen Lam ,Speaker: Kusal Perera, political correspondent and columnist, the Sunday Leader, Sri Lanka

PERERA: Over the years, elected MPs to the parliament, provincial councillors were provided official security, in the face of the sudden insurgency from 1987 to 1990 and also because of the protracted war, which had its own life threats on elected politicians. As you know, in Sri Lanka, so many were eliminated by suicide bombers. So therefore, there evolved a culture of armed security being taken all over by these elected MPs, the provincial councillors, leading top officials who were very much part of the regime. And that provided an opportunity for most politicians, who got involved in business dealings, wheeler dealings, to carry with them, an unknown number of army deserters and underworld thugs, as their personal security. So this was something that was not checked before. They were just taken for granted by the regime, as well as the society. The society also just gave into that culture.

LAM: And I understand that now, a group of concerned citizens have written a petition, calling for these armed security details to be dismantled?

PERERA: Yes, I'm one of the initiators of that public appeal, because we believe that the context in which armed security was provided for politicians, for elected members of parliament, for provincial councillors and also for top bureaucrats, is no longer there. There is no rationale, no logic anymore to continue with this armed security for elected politicians. During the last thirty years or so, allowing these politicians to go about with armed security has created an unnecessary, unwanted, undemocratic culture. And we have to get back to the free political climate that was there, pre-83, and the best way for this society to get demilitarised and disarmed, is to first remove this armed security provided for the elected members, since now, the factors that made it necessary for the security is no more.

LAM: And now that peace has prevailed and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and no more a threat, why do you think this kind of gun culture still persists in Sri Lanka?

PERERA: Alot of these politicians, more from the ruling government, to use these armed security, their own escorts, to distance themselves from the citizens, from the voter, and also to use these security people during election campaigns. So it became not only an escort for their own life safety, but a tool in manipulating elections and manipulating voter sentiments and to distance themselves from the voters and get their own wheeler-dealing done.

LAM: As part of the petition, you've also called for members of parliament with a criminal past, to be thrown out of the House. Are there many of those, in the Sri Lankan parliament?

PERERA: Not very many. There are one or two, but there's a trend, where this regime, now in power, keeps promoting from the local government election levels, from the provincial council levels, into the parliament. There's a trend where this type of local hooligans, local thugs are being promoted. So if you don't stop that right now, in time to come, we would have more hooligans in parliament than respected legislators.

13 October 2011

TNA plans fast in Vavuniya

The TNA has decided to conduct a fast in Vavuniya to bring problems in the north and the east to the attention of the government. The daylong fast will take place at the Vavuniya Town Hall stadium on October 17, starting at 7.00am, TELO and TNA Vavunia M .P. Vinotharathalingam said .The TNA said the main objective is to halt the land registrations, demarcation of the districts, setting up of Sinhalese settlements and militarization of the two provinces. The TNA said the decision was reached at a meeting in Vavuniya on Tuesday (Oct. 11), also attended by the TELO,TULF, PLOTE,EPRLF (Suresh wing) and EPRLF (Naba wing) and several other council members. Parliamentarians, local council members, party representatives and general public also schedule to participate in this fast, sources said. Leaders specially request the people to be present at this fast. A press conference was held at 2.30 pm on Wednesday in TELO Vavuniya office by The TNA constituent parties.

Mano’s DPF to remain independent

The Democratic People’s Front (DPF) led by Mano Ganeshan has yet not decided whether to extend their co-operation to the UNP in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) or any other party in the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinina Municipal Council won by the UPFA or the Kolonnawa Urban Council also won by the UPFA.A source for the DPF told The Island yesterday (12) that no final decision had been reached since the UNP approached them soon after the CMC results were announced. UNP bagged 24 seats to win the CMC with the DPF obtaining six.The DPF also won one seat each in the UPFA controlled Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia MC and Kolonnawa UC.DPF sources say that no unconditional support would be extended to either the UNP or UPFA and they (DPF) would cooperate with either of them on case-by-case basis.

GTF says its president refused entry by India

The Global Tamil Forum says its president Fr. S.J. Emmanuel was refused entry on arrival in India yesterday (Oct. 11).In a statement, it said the Tamil community around the world was disheartened and disappointed to know about the incident.It said that the 77 year old was refused entry on arrival in India at the Chennai International Airport, despite having a valid entry clearance - visa to India, issued by the Indian High Commission in Germany.Tamil people as a community regret this incident and expect India as the regional superpower to play a significant role in finding a negotiated political settlement for the legitimate grievances of the Tamil people and to the ethnic conflict in the island of Sri Lanka, GTF says.As the global leader of Tamil people, we look upon Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha Jayaram to champion the Tamil cause of the Tamil people of the island nation, it adds.

Will lead the struggle against the injustice done: Hirunika Premachandra

Hirunika Premachandra, the daughter of slain presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachndra yesterday pledged she would lead the struggle against the injustice that had been done to her father and would continue the services he had rendered during his political career.Speaking at Mr. Premachndra’s funeral at Umagiriya Park yesterday she requested the people of Kolonnawa to join her in her struggle of seeking justice to her father. “Join me in this struggle for the sake of your loving Lucky Aiya,” she told the crowds, filled with emotion.She questioned as to whether her father who was a fearless and honest person should face such a cruel end.Ms. Premachandra also paid tribute to the others who were killed in the Election Day incident.She thanked the large crowds who flocked in to pay their last respects to her father. “I salute you loving people of Kolonnawa for coming in numbers to show gratitude to my father,” she finally said.The late Presidential Advisor’s son Randiv Premachnadra said their door would always be open for the people in Kolonnawa just as it was during the days of his father. “We will always be there to help you whenever you want,” he told the crowd.

TNA MPs rights  application dismissed

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the fundamental rights violation application, filed by TNA Member of Parliament for the Jaffna District Mavai S. Senathirajah, against the recently gazetted Prevention of Terrorism Act Regulations.Senathirajah challenged the regulations pertaining to the Extension of Application, surrendees care and also the Regulation pertaining to detainees and remandees.The Court said that there was no basis to grant leave to proceed. The application was dismissed without costs.The Deputy Solicitor General Shavindra Fernando, who appeared for the State, took up the preliminary objections on locus standi of the petitioner, He said the actions complained of were not of an executive or administrative nature, but decisions taken by judicial officers, the necessary parties to this application on the basis of gazette extraordinary, dated August 29, 2011, had not been added.The Court heard the Deputy Solicitor General on the preliminary objections and the counsel for the petitioner on the main contention of the petitioner, and dismissed the petition.The petitioner had alleged that the regulations numbered 3, 4 and 5 of 2011, pertaining to the aforesaid matter pertaining to Applications.Surrendees, detainees and remandees were in violation of the fundamental rights of the persons detained on remanded, mostly in the Northern Province. The petition wanted those three new PTA regulations declared null and void.M. A. Sumanthiran appeared for the petitioner.The Deputy Solicitor General Shavindra Fernando appeared for the Attorney General and the Secretary Defence, cited among respondents.The Bench comprised the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake, Justice P. A. Ratnayake and Justice S. I. Imam.

WIKILEAKS – “RAJAPAKSAS ARE UNEDUCATED AND UNCULTURED RASCALS” – CBK

“President Kumaratunga found the Rajapaksa family involvement in politics very distasteful and called them ‘uneducated and uncultured rascals.’ She worried that the political climate since her term had become “vindictive and threatening” and that Rajapaksa had ‘muddied the thinking’ of masses.” The US ambassador wrote to Washington.The Colombo Telegraph found the leaked cable from the WikiLeak database. The cable classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and recount details of a meeting ambassador Patricia A. Butenis has had with former President Chandrika Kumaratunga on 14th December 2009.The remarks by Washington’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, are revealed by the Wikileaks leaked cable. The Colombo Telegraph found the cable classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” by ambassador Butenis.The cable said “Former President discussed President Rajapaksa’s abuse of power and said that under his leadership, the economy, the political climate, health care, education and international relations had spiraled down reaching a new low in the country’s history. Kumaratunga remarked that governance had broken down and corruption was appallingly bad. She noted that while she was responsible for nominating President Rajapaksa for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, he had a detrimental impact on the party.”In response to Ambassador’s query on elections and General Fonseka’s candidacy, Kumaratunga said, while she was surprised by Fonseka’s entry in to politics, if ‘free and fair’ elections were held today, Fonseka would win. “While Fonseka came from a Buddhist extremist background, he seemed more honest than Rajapaksa and might not go back on his promises.” Butenis wrote.“Kumaratunga acknowledged the mood and the thinking in the country was changing. People were hopeful of changing and were interested in moving ahead. Although Kumaratunga was no longer directly involved in politics, she remarked that President Rajapkasa feared her influence and had restricted her movements.” the ambassador further wrote to Washington.

JVP rebels’ bank accounts under probe

State intelligence services are investigating allegations that the JVP dissidents led by Premkumar Gunaratnam are receiving funds from the LTTE activists overseas, according to sources.The LTTE had channeled funds to the JVP rebel group from Canada and Scandinavia, an intelligence operative told The Island yesterday. "We have so far traced a bank account operated by two JVP dissidents, Dimuthu Attygalle and Waruna Rajapaksa at the Homagama branch of a State bank," he said. Refusing to mention the exact amount, he said it had over two million rupees.Since the dissidents challenged the JVP leadership openly at a party Central Committee meeting on Sept. 19, they have spent over Rs. 6 mn on their propaganda and other activities, according to sources. Besides Rs. 3 mn spent on the launch of its propaganda organ, the recent Che Guevara commemoration the dissidents held at the Janakala Centre in Battaramulla and the country wide poster campaign to announce the event had cost at least Rs. 1 mn, according to intelligence sources.Some of the dissidents had the JVP accounts operated under their names and after they broke ranks, the part was left with only Rs. 637,000 lying in its official account at the Bank of Ceylon’s Nugegoda Branch. The amount of funds the JVP trade union wing has in its bank accounts is not known.A spokesman of the dissident group admitted they spent around six million rupees out of party funds. He said the dissidents needed at least Rs. 1.5 mn a month. He said the key JVP fund raisers had sided with the dissident group and people regardless of their ethnic and religious backgrounds were contributing funds to the JVP.The ‘We are Sri Lankans’ movement launched by the JVP sometimes back to fight for the rights of LTTE suspects in custody and the missing northern youth received a great deal of funds from LTTE sympathisers living overseas. The movement led by former IUSF convener Udul Premaratne had directed funds to some bank accounts without the JVP’s concurrence, a Somawansa loyalist said adding that the matter had been raised at the Central Committee level sometimes ago but in vain.

Jayalalithaa trains guns on Sri Lankan navy
 
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to look at the Sri Lankan Navy attacks on Indian fishermen hailing from the state as a national issue and not as a problem of Tamil Nadu alone.In a letter to the prime minister Monday, copies of which were released to the media Tuesday, she said: "I would also like to emphasise that the harassment of the fishermen of Tamil Nadu should be viewed as an act of provocation and aggression against India by Sri Lanka, similar to acts of firing across the borders of India by neighbours such as Pakistan and China.""The attacks on the fishermen belonging to Tamil Nadu should be viewed as a national issue and not as an isolated problem of Tamil Nadu alone," she said.She urged Manmohan Singh to intervene on the issue and requested the Indian government to convey its serious objection to the Sri Lankan government with regard "to the continuous incidents of harassment and attacks on the fishermen of Tamil Nadu who seek to eke out their living peacefully in their traditional areas of fishing in the Palk Bay area".Jayalalithaa said Indian fishermen were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy Oct 8 - the very day when Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai called on her before leaving for Colombo."I brought the various incidents of attacks and harassment to his notice and requested him to take up the issues with the Government of Sri Lanka who, on the one hand, were participating in various Indo-Sri Lanka meetings in order to resolve the fishermen's problems and, on the other, were resorting to violence against our fishermen," the letter noted."...Even before the foreign secretary reached Colombo, the Sri Lankan Navy again chased away our fishermen in the sea by firing in the air, off Mandapam coast of Ramanathapuram district, and this incident has been widely reported in the print and electronic media," noted the letter.According to her, there have been 16 incidents of attacks or harassment and apprehension of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan authorities."There is a uniform pattern of either the personnel of the Sri Lankan Navy harassing or attacking the fishermen of Tamil Nadu fishing in the Palk Bay area or miscreants from Sri Lanka committing such acts," she said."A number of Indian fishermen have been injured in such attacks and there have been a number of instances of theft of their fish catch, damage to their fishing nets and snatching away of the personal belongings of the fishermen," the letter noted.

Employing thugs as Presidential advisors

An advisor to the President is dead and a Member of Parliament is critically injured.  Also amongst the dead and injured are supporters of the Presidential advisor and the parliamentarian.This incident, where the politicians and their henchmen openly resorted to a shoot-out in broad day light, only proves a common known fact; that Sri Lanka’s politics has, for the past several decades been taken over by thugs, criminals and drug dealers.What is interesting though, is that in this incident the two opponents belong to the governing alliance.  Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra a long time UPFA member and former Member of Parliament was the Presidential Advisor for Trade Unions while relative newcomer to the UPFA, Duminda Silva, is the monitoring MP for the Defense Ministry.It also is evidence that some of the closest advisors to the President and those holding high office are after all men such as these.  For far too long have many politicians and leading businessman acted as godfathers to underworld criminals and treated the electorate as their personal fiefdoms.   Are members of the government security forces so incompetent that these individuals deem it essential to surround themselves with gangsters and drug dealers for protection? The number of civilian killings, assaults and abductions has been quite high under this regime.Yet, there has been no genuine endevour by the regime to arrest this trend.  Each incident has resulted in the launch of sham investigations by the police and the appointment of presidential commissions with no tangible results.  We are still awaiting the outcome of investigations into the Lasantha Wickramatunga murder and the assault on Poddala Jayantha to name just two.   Mervyn Silva who has been captured on camera on numerous occasions, intimidating journalists and even tying up a Samurdhi employee, continues to roam free and carry out his thuggery.    Alleged suspects held in police custody have died and there is also the death of Roshen Chanaka who was protesting the government’s pension plan, as well as the mysterious serial killing of beggars as reported by Asian Human Rights Watch. All these incidents continue to be met with indifference or lack luster investigations which have resulted in a frustrated people.It would appear that in these incidents of violence perpetrated against the perceived opponents of the government the Police did not seek to prosecute the perpetrators.This latest clash was between two men who have used their powers to eliminate each other and gain the upper hand in the same electorate.  It seems that Premachandra was close to President Rajapaksa while de Silva also known as “kudu Duminda” has the ear of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.  Both factions would no doubt seek answers and justice.In the past several weeks there have been many incidents where an erosion of confidence in law enforcement has resulted in the people taking matters into their hands to seek justice.  Non-mainstream media has reported that even as the two factions fought and fell victim to the shooting, members of the police force simply looked on.  As has been in previous cases where the law enforcement authorities have been slow to act, this time too, public property came under attack by an angry crowd.While media quoted police spokesperson Maxi Proctor as saying initially that they were unaware of the background for the incident, he now claims that 37 statements have been recorded.   A search operation has resulted in the arrest of one individual, and the discovery of 12 pistols, 2 revolvers and 2 T-56 weapons.  Will the government tell us how, in country where until August this year Emergency Rule prevailed and the Prevention of Terrorism Act is still in force, such weapons are in circulation amongst civilians? Non mainstream media also reports that the old guard of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is disgruntled with the Rajapaksa’s obvious favoritism of relative newcomers or UNP deserters.So how would the Rajapaksa’s extricate themselves this time?  They thump their noses at any one who calls for accountability on human rights abuses, and whip up the “conspiracy against sovereignty” bogey amongst the public each time their repressive actions are questioned.The Rajapaksa’s have watched askance while innocent civilians have been murdered and those who raise a voice against injustice have been assaulted and termed traitors.  They have taken no action to allay the fears of villagers over the “grease yaka’s”.  Rather, the country has been witness to the steady decay of law and order, an impotent police force and an equally ineffective judiciary.But this time around they will not be able to hide behind a presidential commission, the report of which may never see the light of day, as those before, to inquire into the matter.  The police cannot remain inactive.  After all, the leader of one faction as well as several of those involved in the bloody incident are hospitalized.  They would not be going anywhere for a long while.  The police would not be able to tout their usual excuse that the investigations are continuing or that they cannot locate the culprits.  Witness statements would not be all that difficult to obtain in this instance.Two members of the regime were involved. One is dead, the other injured.  The dead man’s supporters are baying for blood and the government will not be able to hide behind lame excuses, unless of course it would prefer that the two factions continue with the killing spree and hasten the country into anarchy.

Canadian PM hopes to meet MR at Commonwealth Heads of Govt. Meeting

Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper hopes to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Western Australia, and discuss the reconciliation process and allegations of human rights abuses.“The Prime Minister will be participating at the Commonwealth meeting in Perth, and I hope he will have the opportunity to discuss some of these issues directly with the President,” Canadian High Commissioner said yesterday.In an interview with Daily Mirror, Canadian High Commissioner Bruce Levy also clarified that the Canadian Prime Minister will not boycott the 2013 CHOGM due to be held in Sri Lanka, contrary to some media reports.“Let’s be absolutely clear on what the Prime Minister said. He did not say that he will boycott the summit. What he did say is that he will find it difficult to attend the summit if there is no progress in terms of political reconciliation and some of the issues surrounding the closing months of the war. That’s a two year time frame. It is important to note that he is not reaching a conclusion based on events that may or may not have occurred in Sri Lanka,” Mr. Levy said. “The Canadian position is that the human rights allegations remain unproven, and I have seen references saying that Mr. Harper will boycott the meeting. He has not said that.”Asked whether an international, independent investigation into these allegations was necessary as urged by Human Rights Watch, High Commissioner Levy said, “It might be useful to have an investigation with international elements but that is for Sri Lanka to decide. We believe it is important for Sri Lanka’s own future that there is a credible process on what, at the end of the day, are some quite dreadful allegations.”Mr. Levy said Sri Lanka’s growing ties with countries such as China and Iran need not imply distancing herself from old friends.“Sri Lanka is a mature country with every right to decide on who she should be friends with, but this need not be an ‘either or’ game,” he said and added that Canada had maintained relations with Cuba despite the United States being Canada’s closest neighbour and biggest trading partner.

11 October 2011

India keen on resolving national question through dialogue

Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai who met President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stressed the need to work out a political solution in a timely and progressive manner through dialogue with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the proposed parliamentary select committee, informed sources said today. Mr. Mathai who arrived in the country on Saturday wrapped up his visit today after meetings with the President, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Opposition United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Mr. Mathai said India was keen that the dialogue between the government and the TNA continued in the pursuit of a political solution. On Sunday, he visited various Indian-funded development projects, monitored the progress on the Kankesanthurai Harbour, the northern railway tracks and the housing project.Mr. Mathai, told Indian journalists based in Colombo that though the progress on the harbour and railway projects was satisfactory, the work on the housing project was proceeding at snail’s pace and emphasised the need to speed up the work. During his visit to the north, he met some of the beneficiaries of the housing project at Palai in Jaffna where 50 houses were ready for occupation. He said in addition to these 50 houses, 600 housing units were in different stages of construction. The 200 housing units to be built in the Vavuniya district were awaiting buildable land. Altogether, India has pledged to construct 50,000 houses in the north for the use of the war-affected people. When asked about the fishermen’s issue, Mr. Mathai said it should be resolved through engagement between the representatives of the fisheries associations of both the countries since it was a livelihood issue. However, he stressed the need for a peaceful atmosphere in the fishing areas.

Sinhalese moving into Tamil areas, India told

Three Tamil politicians Monday complained to India that the government was settling Sinhalese in Sri Lanka's dominantly Tamil north without resolving the festering "ethnic problem".The submission was made to Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai when he met V. Anadasangaree, D. Siddharthan and T. Sritharan at the India House as part of his interactions with political players in Sri Lanka.The three accused the government of Mahinda Rajapaksa of trying to pit one ethnic group amidst another following the end of the military conflict in May 2009, "to change the demographic pattern of the (northeast)".They said Tamils were "highly perturbed" that the armed forces were busy building army villages, mini army camps and war memorials in the middle of Tamil settlements."The government has no plans for demilitarization, contrary to which the forces are involving more and more in civil administration."The people cannot (hold) any function without the participation of some army personnel. The people are terrified over the presence of army personnel in every nook and corner of the north."They criticised the government's move to have all lands re-registered as "unjustifiable"."Why should the government do it in areas where people have not yet properly settled, some have not yet identified their lands, and some had gone aboard?"Above all, a lot of people died during the war. What and what property and where these lands are, is still not known. The government must abandon the move.""All this mess is created due to the government's failure to find an early solution to the ethnic problem. A solution acceptable to the minorities should be found."Anandasangaree, Sitharthan and Sritharan represent the Tamil United Liberation Front, People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam and the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front respectively.

I'm prepared to testify before any internatio​nal court: V.Muralith​aran

Deputy minister Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman says he will expose Vathsala Devi, the widow of LTTE eastern leader Ramesh, who has filed war crimes cases against Sri Lankan leaders.During a interview with a Sinhala news paper the Minister said that he was prepared to testify before any international court on behalf of president Mahinda Rajapaksa and soldiers-turned-diplomats Shavendra Silva and Jagath Dias, both of whom are major generals.Complainant Vathsala Devi is a resident of London, and not of South Africa, and it is Prabhakaran’s lawyer Rudrakumaran who is behind all these cases, he has said.The deputy minister has added that he has evidence to prove that several Swiss banks were holding a massive sum of money deposited by the LTTE.

SC to hear Rajiv killers plea Oct 19

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned hearing on a petition seeking transfer of a case pending before Madras high court in which the execution of death sentence awarded to three assassins of late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was stayed. It listed the plea for October 19. An apex court bench of Justice GS Singhvi and Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya directed the listing of the plea on Oct 19 when it would also hear a petition by Davindra Pal Singh Bhullar, seeking commuting of his death sentence.Bhullar was convicted in 2001 for his involvement in the 1993 car bomb blast at the Indian Youth Congress headquarters in New Delhi.However, the plea by Chennai-based lawyer IK Venkat, seeking transfer of the case from the high court to the apex court, was opposed by senior counsel Ram Jethmalani who appeared for the three assassins.The Tamil Nadu government also opposed the plea for transfer.

USS Ford to call on Sri Lanka's Southern port of Galle today

The United States Navy ship, USS Ford (FFG-54), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate will call on Sri Lanka's southern port of Galle Oct 11-14, the U.S. Embassy announced on Monday.In a press statement, the Embassy said the visit is a routine port visit and is intended to provide the American sailors an opportunity for engagement with the Sri Lanka Navy and for cultural exchange."This visit promotes peace and stability in the Western Pacific region, and demonstrates the US commitment to regional partners such as Sri Lanka," the Embassy statement said."Sri Lanka has historically been a strong partner of the US in addressing common security challenges in the region including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness," the statement said."This strong relationship between the US and Sri Lanka also helps advance many common interests including mutual security, prosperity and the promotion of freedom," It added.The 453-ft guided-missile Frigate arrived in Cochin, India for a port visit Oct. 1. The ship can provide defense in-depth against air, surface and sub-surface threats for military and merchant shipping.The USS Pearl Harbor, a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship was the last US Navy ship to visit to Sri Lanka calling port in Trincomalee in July 2010 en route to Pakistan for flood relief.

India to repair of 79 schools in Sri Lanka's Northern Province

The Government of India will undertake a project to repair 79 schools in Sri Lanka's war-torn Northern Province at a cost of 187 million rupees.Following a process of open tendering carried out locally, the Indian High Commission in Colombo has awarded the contract to a Sri Lankan construction company to repair 79 war-damaged schools in three districts of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya in the Northern Province.The signing of the contract agreement was signed today in the presence of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the High Commissioner of India in Colombo Ashok K. Kantha, a press statement issued by the High Commission said.The project is a part of India's development partnership with Sri Lanka and in response to requirements projected by the Sri Lankan government.The High Commission said the repairs to the selected schools will range from Rs. 0.5 million to 7.0 million depending on the size and number of buildings and the total cost the project is estimated at Rs.187 million.The project is expected to be completed in nine months from the award of contract.The project has been conceived and finalized in partnership with the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Education, Northern Province.The technical monitoring and quality inspection during the construction process will be carried out by engineers and technical officers of Zonal Education Offices under the Provincial Ministry of Education.The project aims to assist early restoration of educational activities for children of resettled IDPs in the Northern Province and deliver a facelift to basic educational infrastructure of the region.The project will directly benefit a community comprising about 42,000 students and 2,400 teachers and educational officers."It will help families send their children to schools, provide students with a decent learning environment and offer them a better future," the High Commission said.India has been supporting projects for rehabilitation, resettlement and well-being of displaced persons in the Northern Province in the areas of shelter (through roofing sheets and cement bags), health-care (providing emergency medical relief, organizing artificial limbs refitment camps and equipping hospitals), livelihood generation (provision of fishing equipment, tractors, agricultural equipment and seeds), education (repairs of schools and setting up of vocational training centres) and infrastructure development (restoration of Northern Railway lines, rehabilitation of Palaly Airport and KKS Harbour).

I receive complaints on sexual harassment in Palali teacher training collage: Imelda Sukumar

Jaffna district GA Imelda Sukumar announced that she have received many complainants on sexual harassment against female teachers who receive training at the Palali teacher training college.She made this statement when the journalist questioned about the steps taken against the women sexual harassment in the district at the media briefing which is organized at the Secretariat last evening.While speaking this regard GA blame high ranking official at the Palali teaching college are engaging in such activity when the teachers visited him to obtain leave or monthly salary from him.GA also added this respective official have threat the teachers not to inform this regard towards the female lecturers in the college.GA said if this officers fail to stop this illegal activity in the future then she will be force to take legal action against him.Imelda Sukumar also went n to say that some people are blaming the the GA has fail to take necessary steps this regard I can act according to the complaint it takes time to take legal action because its important to carry out investigation against the suspect.

Sri Lanka visas: Tourist industry concerned

A stream of visitors arrives from London or Dubai, Frankfurt or Hong Kong. They meet their tour guides or drivers and are whisked out in air-conditioned vehicles into the tropical greenery.Visitor numbers to the island have risen, and most of these new arrivals from overseas will have just been given visas-on-arrival, free of charge, which are available for 84 countries.But that will soon change.Ambassadors and other VIPs were recently invited to an opulent ceremony in Colombo at which it was confirmed that the system would be altered.To the accompaniment of folk-dancing and drumming, a new system was unveiled. From 1 January, tourists or business travellers will need to apply in advance, usually online via new site, www.eta.gov.lk and pay a processing fee of $50 (£32) for tourists, $60 for business travellers or $25 for transit passengers. Only those from Singapore or The Maldives will be exempt. This will secure them what is called an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation), which will give tourists a double-entry month-long permit, business people multiple-entry, and transit passengers seven days. Most will get it but those who are turned down will not be reimbursed. The process will take a few days.Third parties or registered agents can also apply.For visits longer than a month, additional visa fees are payable, varying from country to country.The government says it will be a simple and quick system."A processing fee to get a visa is already in operation in many other countries including Europe and the American continent," Rumy Jauffer, the managing director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, told the BBC."So that's not going to be a major problem at all. Welcome to Sri Lanka."Asked whether he thought Sri Lanka might lose out to destinations such as Malaysia and Thailand, which levy no visa fee, he pointed out that India had strict visa regulations.He also denied that security was a motivating factor in introducing prior approval of visitors. At the launch, however, a senior immigration official said that the system arose from the need to balance "facilitation and regulation", as advised by Sri Lanka's defence secretary, and many believe security is an issue.

'Anxious'

Not all tourism entrepreneurs are happy with the change.Hiran Cooray, chairman of a highly successful Sri Lankan luxury chain, Jetwing Hotels, worries that the timing is not right."We have been a country where people just came in and went out," he said. "And that was a very, very healthy way of running our tourism. So this is new to Sri Lanka. So we are anxious to see how it works."He does not expect a massive fall in arrivals but says the numbers of last-minute visitors from India will definitely drop.In early 2011 some tour operators said they feared a drop of as much as 30% to 40% in visitor numbers if free visas were scrapped. Those concerns prompted a delay to the new system but it is now going ahead.At the coastal resort town of Negombo, tourists dip a toe in the Indian Ocean, bask in the sun by hotel pools and admire the traditional fishing catamarans on the golden beach.Would the advance permit system put them off revisiting? All say no, though some have reservations. Francesca Anthony, from Wales, honeymooning with husband Simon, said it would be "one more thing to think about."It wouldn't put us off completely because obviously if you want to go to a destination that's where you're going to go. But you might think twice, especially if travelling between different countries or destinations in one trip."Gaetano Guzzardella, from Bologna in Italy, says he is enjoying Sri Lanka's nature, people and cuisine, and that if the cost of a visa was low he would still return, although he thought it an unnecessary bureaucratic measure.But Ashok Talwar, visiting from Mumbai in India with his wife, Indu, sees no problem."Fifty dollars, if you look at other [places], it's not that much money," he said. "People can afford to pay and come to Sri Lanka and enjoy their holidays."With its war still a fresh memory, the Sri Lankan government wants more control over who enters the island. The new visa system seems to be as much about that as about revenue. The authorities are also mindful of Western nations' strict visa rules.But the tourism sector hopes its needs will be balanced against those of the security establishment.

Thamilini remanded further

Women’s leader of the LTTE political wing Subramaniam Sivathai alias Thamilini was further  remanded upon being produced before Colombo chief magistrate Rashmi Singappuli today (Oct. 10).She was sent into remand custody until October 29,The CID informed the court that the attorney general was yet to advise on the case despite several reminders.Thamilini was arrested in Kilinochchi in May 2009 by the CID.

Re-dedicate for Nation-Building

Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, Commander of the Army delivering his address to the troops attending the 62nd Anniversary & Army Day parade at CR & FC grounds Monday (10) morning called upon all in the Army to work harder towards nation-building while protecting our dignity and pride we won without leaving space for any treacherous act to re-emerge. Here is the full text of his message to the troops; "It is with a sense of humble pride I address you today when the undeterred Sri Lanka Army celebrates its 62nd anniversary and Army Day.First of all, let me extend my sincere thanks to all those who organized this parade of high standards and colourfulness.Bringing our discipline, nurtured through our great cultural ethos as a leverage and a nation rich with a proud history to the fore, we all worked towards creating a united Sri Lanka. We passed so many eras in our history and managed to resurrect again as a nation, despite various hardships, invasions and obstacles. Defeating maniac passion for terrorism, we contributed lavishly towards unification of the country and the nation, following on the footsteps of our ancestral royalties and their commanders. We, as an undeterred Army stunned the whole world through this move.Unflagging and invaluable contribution made in the span of past 62 years by former Army Commanders, all senior officers, non-commissioned officers and all ranks, enabled the Army to muster all energy, needed to lead the Army to victory, setting aside their personal considerations, despite dangers posed to their valuable lives. On the occasion of our 62nd Anniversary, they deserve our gratitude and tribute of the highest degree.It is obvious that our Commander-in-Chief His Excellency, the President Mahinda Rajapaksa with his firm determination and commitment, derived from our past cultural ethos and ancient grandeur eradicated terrorism from our soil which was sometime not possible even for some overseas professional armies. Now, we are a free and independent nation. Those of us who gave life to this land again, I need not remind you, have a bigger share of responsibility now. We have never been a communal-minded group. We should tell this truth to pro-terrorist world-wide elements who continue to spread malicious allegations and distortions. During Humanitarian Operations, we gave pride of place to the notion of country’s national consciousness and never worked as communal-minded people. We opposed only the cycle of terrorism. Today, all of us, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers enjoy this spirit of freedom since we prioritized national consciousness concerns more than anything else. Time has come to regenerate the country’s development and rebuilding of our nation. Dividends of peace as well as benefits of the development belong to all of us, we should not forget.Identical to the role played by the Army for liberation of the country, the Army as at present is rendering a similar service as far as government’s war for development is concerned. Under the direction of Hon Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence, our troops are engaged in a variety of assignments like resettlement, infrastructure building, field constructions, agricultural projects, engineering tasks, etc across the country while providing collective labour to various other governmental development efforts.What a wealth of experience we have in the past connected to our numerous national relief roles in times of natural disasters and catastrophes, and how we effected those measures on behalf of our people? We take pride in that notion of Sri Lankan-ness, away from communal-mindedness.We as a nation replete with dignity, a rich history and a unique culture are well conscious of traits of gratitude as a community of humans. Never have we forgotten our soldiers who defended the nation at the risk of their own lives in the battlefield. Nor can I forget them either. Two years have passed since I assumed office as Commander of the Army. Since I myself personally witnessed the degree of their sacrifice in the battlefield, I concentrated fully on welfare roles related to our soldiers during this period after I assumed office.Unprecedented and unheard in any country, the ‘Mihindu Seth Medura’, a well-equipped modern wellness resort, built from the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ project funds under the auspices of Secretary Defence Hon Gotabaya Rajapaksa is now in operation at Attidiya, and another similar resort, Abimansala at Anuradhapura under ‘Brave Hearts’ project which takes care of dependent War Heroes for the rest of their lives has been established. The project to be spread to provincial areas receives the full patronage of His Excellency, the President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the government. In addition, special attention has now been focused on possibilities of acquiring artificial limbs of the highest technical standards, through the budgetary allocations, made for Ranaviru Rehabilitation work.Projects such as financial support for War Hero house construction, increase of housing loans, sale of motorbikes and three wheelers on credit basis, etc are some of the welfare projects that have been so far launched. Parallel welfare projects, initiated both by Ministry of Defence Seva Vanitha Unit and Sri Lanka Army Seva Vanitha Branch for land purchase, housing, grant of loans, scholarships, surgical operations, interest-free loans and several other large scale supporting schemes are already at work offering dividends.While safeguarding all inherent characteristics of a professional Army, we have been able to organize tattoos, sports events, colours nights, victorious parades and introduce new technology, time spearing practices, recovery of traveling expenses, etc to the Army while minimizing transport difficulties.  These are privileges, all of us have received.We all during physical training as well as in battlefields are used to work under one command for a collective purpose while showing the pride of the Army which is unique. Presence of trained instructors in all the Regiments would no doubt promote the image of the Army more and more as it would also raise our disciplinary standards. The numbers of senior non-commissioned officers that go to attend the drill training course in UK are to be increased in the future and it is to be shared among all the Regiments. That was another achievement we gained.By organizing mammoth international forums in order to counter vicious allegations leveled against us at international sectors by those who support skeletal remains of terrorism, we provided effective mechanisms as our responses. Joint military exercises with foreign participation, conduct of training and academic courses with foreign students, our UN deployments for peacekeeping assignments, etc helped immensely to boost the image of the Army both at local and international levels.It is our bounden duty therefore to protect the dignity and pride we won without leaving space for any treacherous act to re-emerge, let me underline at this occasion.Sports in the Army as well as all your achievements in the field of sports have brought the Army to a unique platform which we can be proud of. In the future too, all support and facilities for promotion of sports would be given to all of you on behalf of the Army. Your personal commitment to the sports is also equally essential, I would like to note here.In conclusion, I recall unparalleled sacrifices made by fallen War Heroes as well as by those who became disable and my thoughts go to members of their families at this moment of our anniversary. I also acknowledge with gratitude the contribution of the civil staff in the Army performing various types of services.At the time, we mark our 62nd Anniversary with a wealth of experience, let me, as Commander of the Army ask all of you to be more determined to elevate the Army to better standards in all spheres. For that, may you all have courage and strength. The Army will then inevitably receive the nation’s highest tribute.Let me wish all of you a prosperous future !"

10 October 2011

Britain’s Liam Fox under further pressure

British defence secretary Liam Fox is facing renewed political pressure after emails and video footage emerged appearing to contradict his explanation of his working relationship with a close friend, Adam Werritty.BBC reports that video revealed Mr. Werritty, who has no official role, attended a meeting with Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.And emails suggest a meeting with Dubai businessmen was not a chance encounter, as claimed.Prime minister David Cameron has demanded answers. The defence secretary is facing a Ministry of Defence inquiry into his working relationship with Mr. Werritty, and the preliminary findings are to be examined by the prime minister today (Oct. 10).The investigation will examine whether Mr. Fox broke the ministerial code over his working relationship with Mr. Werritty, 34, a former flatmate and best man at Mr Fox's 2005 wedding, by giving him access to the MoD and allowing him to go on official foreign trips.Video images appear to show Mr. Werritty at a meeting Mr Fox had with the Sri Lankan president in a London hotel last year.The MoD said the meeting had been a private one and no special advisers had been in attendance.The video footage adds to the pressure Mr Fox has been under over revelations that Mr. Werritty made regular visits to see him at the Ministry of Defence.Mr. Werritty is also said to have brokered a meeting with businessmen in Dubai as Mr, Fox was returning from a visit to British troops in Afghanistan in June. The British defence secretary has responded to the controversy by saying he has "absolutely no fear of complete transparency in these matters"

Bharatha Lakshman’s body now at his Kolonnawa home

The remains of presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, who was killed in a political gunfight, was brought to his Kolonnawa home on Sunday (Oct. 09).Earlier, the body was kept briefly at his Summit Flats home, where president Mahinda Rajapaksa paid his last respects.Reports say that large crowds of mourners have gathered at the former parliamentarian’s private home at Kolonnawa.Mr. Premachandra, two of his bodyguards and a supporter were killed in a shooting incident, also involving MP Duminda Silva in Kolonnawa yesterday.The parliamentarian is in critical condition at hospital.Police continue to keep a strengthened security in the Kolonnawa area, with support from the STF and the Army.

GA Threatens To Sue US Ambassador

The Government Agent of Ampara Sunil Kannangara has threatened to take the US Ambassador in Colombo Patricia A. Butenis to court over the comments attributed to her in a cable published by WikiLeaks.The cable quotes the US Ambassador as saying she met with about ten business representatives in Ampara just after the 2010 Presidential elections and also made a separate call on the Ampara Government Agent Sunil Kannangara.The cable goes on to quote Butenis as saying that Kannangara had told her that eight Government Agents had been told to send the results of the 2010 Presidential elections to Temple Trees.Kannangara, who is also mentioned in the cable, said the claims are false and malicious and that he was never told to send the election results to the President’s office as claimed by Butenis.Kannangara said that he met Butenis before the elections and at that time they had only discussed USAID programs and preparations for the elections.He insisted that at no time was there a suggestion that the polls may be rigged with the support of the President’s office.Kannangara has now threatened to file legal action against the US envoy over the reports appearing on the WikiLeaks website.He says the results had the authorization of several people including political party representatives before they were faxed from each district to the Election Commissioner’s office and so on that basis there was no way that the results could have been altered.Eastern Province opposition leader Daya Gamage, meanwhile, confirmed that the US Ambassador had indeed told a group of businessmen that she was going to inform the US government about malpractices which took place during the 2010 Presidential Elections. Gamage told The Sunday Leader that the US envoy told the businessmen that she was informed by eight government agents that results of the election had been sent to Temple Trees before they were sent to the Elections Commissioner.Gamage, who had also attended the Ceylon Chambers of Commerce business meeting with Butenis, said the details reported in a controversial cable regarding the meeting and published by WikiLeaks recently are accurate.When we contacted the spokesman of the US Embassy in Colombo Christopher Elms for a comment, he said the US government has a policy not to comment on contents appearing in WikiLeaks.

09 October 2011

UPFA wins all but 2 of 23 LG bodies

The ruling UPFA, led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, won all but two of the 23 local government bodies that went to the polls yesterday (Oct. 08).The main opposition UNP claimed the key Colombo Municipal Council, while the SLMC retained its hold on Kalmunai Municipal Council in the East.The UNP lost control of the municipal councils of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Negombo, Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia and Gampaha.According to final results, the UPFA has secured 245 seats in all the 23 LG bodies, followed by 131 seats by the UNP, 11 seats by the SLMC, five seats by the JVP and 28 seats by independent groups.

UNP wins Colombo Municipal Council

The UNP won the Colombo Municipal Council at yesterday’s (Oct. 08) local government elections.The main opposition party obtained 101,990 votes to secure 24 seats.The UPFA came second, receiving 77,089 votes and getting 16 seats.The DPF polled 26,299 votes for six seats.Other parties that won seats are the SLMC (9,979 votes and two seats), DUA (7,830 votes and two seats) and the JVP (3,162 votes and one seat) as well as independent group one (2,962 votes and one seat).

Fresh call for Mannar oil bids faces Indian obstacle

Following the discovery of natural gas deposits in the Mannar basin in Sri Lanka’s sea off the northwest coast, the government’s plan to call for more competitive international bids for oil exploration in the remaining five blocks faces obstacles from India.Diplomatic sources said the obstacles had come up due to a delay in establishing a proposed joint information exchange mechanism and the determination of the new maritime boundary with India.According to the Joint Declaration issued after President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official visit to India in November last year, it was proposed that early talks be held to determine the new maritime boundary before offering blocks for international bids for oil exploration in the Mannar basin.Last week, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Cairn Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cairn India Ltd., announced the natural gas discovery at a depth of 1,354m in the first well that was drilled. Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha told the media they would soon call for international bids to explore for oil in the remaining five blocks.Diplomatic sources said this call without talks on the maritime boundary issue with India ran contrary to the proposal in the joint declaration made last year.The Joint Declaration says, “The Sri Lanka side proposed discussions on establishing a joint information mechanism on the possibility of oil and gas fields straddling the India-Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary. The Prime Minister of India assured the President of Sri Lanka that this proposal would receive the Government of India’s attention and the matter could be discussed further between the two sides”.When asked for comments on the issue, Minister Premajayantha said he was unaware about such proposal would receive the Government of India’s attention and the matter could be discussed further between the two sides”.When asked for comments on the issue, Minister Premajayantha said he was unaware about such a proposal made by India last year. However he noted that India was given a block in the Mannar basin to carry out oil exploration, but it had so far not started work.
There was no agreement to exchange details of oil exploration with India and it was only a proposal, he said. The minister said the Petroleum Resources Secretariat coming under the purview of the President was entrusted with the task of oil exploration and related matters. Sri Lanka as a sovereign country had the liberty to call for international bids for oil exploration, he said.But he noted that as friendly neighbours Sri Lanka had no objections in exchanging information with India on the progress of oil exploration. Mr. Premajayantha said the discovery was a great boon to Sri Lanka and the country would be able to utilize its natural gas to produce electricity, LP gas for domestic purposes, urea at lower costs, and also as an alternative fuel to run vehicles.The minister said the government was optimistic that the project would be commercially successful but it would take 18 to 24 months to start commercial production. Officials said Cairn had set aside more than US $100 million as commitment towards exploration in Sri Lanka and had already spent about $50 million.The diplomatic sources said non-consideration of the maritime boundary agreement could cause a serious dispute with India if commercially exploitable oil or gas deposits were located on the Sri Lankan side of the maritime boundary.The non-resolution of this boundary issue vis-a-vis offshore oil exploration was the main reason why the major international oil exploration companies did not respond to the earlier call for bids although they attended roadshows to promote oil exploration in Sri Lanka.There are nearly 30 operating wells on the Indian side of the Cauvery Basin, and Calgary-based Bengal Energy has exploration rights for 1,362 sq km there. Sri Lanka was hopeful that oil exploration would be successful on its side of the field.

Elections not Free and Fair CaFFE

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said today that the concluded Local Government elections, was not free and fair. Speaking to the Daily Mirror online Executive Director of CaFFE Keerthi Tennakoon said that there was heavy violation of election laws in the run up to the elections. “There was heavy misuse of state property and the law enforcement authorities did not act as was expected. There was also illegal propaganda and campaigning which marred the polls," he said. He went on to note that despite the Department of Elections taking all necessary measures to curb illegal activity during the run up to the elections many politicians flouted the law.However, he went on to note that overall there was a peaceful atmosphere prevalent during election day, October 8. "Except for the very unfortunate incident that occurred in Mulleriyawa the other parts of the country where the election was held saw a very peaceful atmosphere in the overall context. There were 86 violations of election laws and five reported cases of intimidation and assault but we saw a very peaceful environment in which the voter was not afraid to go to the booth," he said.Commenting on the shooting that took place in Mulleriyawa today, Tennakoon said this was the boiling point for which there was a build-up. "During the run up to the elections there were many cases of assault and intimidation in the area, these went unreported, due to the prevalent violence. During the run up to the elections there were extra monitors put on duty to areas. Even the Elections Department was aware of this situation and today’s extraordinary incident summed up the election in the area which was marred by violence throughout," he said.

Ranjan Mathai calls on Jayalalithaa

Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Saturday met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa ahead of his visit to Sri Lanka, where he will review developmental projects being undertaken in various parts of that nation with Indian government’s assistance.During the visit, his first to Colombo since he took over as Foreign Secretary two months ago, Mr. Mathai is scheduled to call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and other senior leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe and representatives of the Tamil National Alliance.The visit assumes significance in the backdrop of concerns being expressed by political parties in the state over increasing attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy.Mr. Mathai did not talk to the media after his meeting with the Chief Minister.The External Affairs Ministry earlier said Mr. Mathai would hold discussions on bilateral relations, regional and global issues with his Sri Lankan counterpart Karunatillake Amunugama.The Foreign Secretary, who will return on October 10, would also review the progress made during the meeting of the fourth India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries.

Liam Fox's role in the politics of Sri Lanka

Liam Fox is a well-known figure in the corridors of power in Sri Lanka. For decades, a vicious civil war between the two main ethnic groups – Tamils and the Sinhalese majority – had meant daily life in the small island nation was punctuated by spasms of destruction.The fight was about territory: pitting the north and east against the south. It was also religious: Hindu Tamils against Buddhist Sinhalese. And by the time the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were routed in 2009, it had claimed almost 100,000 lives.Fox had first arrived in 1995, landing at the palm-fringed airport as a junior Foreign Office minister. A little more than a year later, such was his influence with the Sinhalese elite, who essentially run the country, that he had persuaded the rival parties not to attempt to outflank each other while negotiating peace or ceasefires with the brutal rebel separatists of the LTTE. The "Fox agreement" was a landmark, the first time an outsider had managed to broker such a consensus in a notoriously violent political setup.Fast forward more than a decade. The old Sinhalese powerbrokers had been ousted in favour of a more militaristic clique, led by the president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his brothers Gotabhaya, the defence secretary, and Basil, a political fixer. During a chance meeting in Singapore in 2007, Fox – by then shadow secretary of state for defence – fell in with one of Rajapaksa's lieutenants, the foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama. He was back in the game.The Labour government, along with the United States, had viewed the new president as a dangerous populist whose military buildup and wooing of China needed to be restrained. Concerned that the Sri Lankan army was indiscriminately bombing and killing Tamil civilians, the west ratcheted up pressure on the regime. Fox, a neocon in outlook, took a rather different view. And his new friends turned to him for help.In the last few months of the war Fox, who was seen in the capital Colombo as a possible future Tory leader, became an influential messenger boy – carrying back rebuttals to western capitals from Sri Lanka. At the beginning of 2009, the then prime minister, Gordon Brown, attempted to send a special envoy to the island and the US offered to evacuate the 100,000 civilians trapped in the last 20 square miles of territory under LTTE control. The foreign minister told Fox, who happened to be on a visit to Colombo at the time, that the government was declining "offers of assistance" until it had "cleared the north from the clutches of the terrorists".However, since the LTTE was crushed, the clamour for a war-crimes investigation has grown. While Rajapaksa remains apparently invincible at home, the net is tightening abroad. Channel 4's documentary Sri Lanka's Killing Fields appeared to show the shelling of areas where civilians sheltered, executions of captured LTTE combatants, and dead female Tamil fighters being loaded on to a truck. A United Nations panel found "credible allegations" that the government had committed war crimes and offences against humanity. There were calls for an independent international inquiry, and reports that "tens of thousands" of civilians had lost their lives and that most casualties in the final phases of the war were caused by government shelling.The UK supplied arms to Sri Lanka throughout its bitter civil war – comfort for arms manufacturers but none for Sri Lankan taxpayers. Colombo has increased the defence budget by 6%.

Bharatha Lakshman dies in shoot out : Dumminda’s security personnel have shot him – Dumminda also critical

Bharatha Laskhman , the Presidential advisor and former M P died in a shooting incident. Two security personnel of his have also died in the shoot out.The security personnel of Duminda Silva have been responsible for the shooting and killing. Bharatha Lakshman had died on the way to the Jayawardenapura Hospital.Consequent upon the shoot out between the two groups , 10 victims have been hospitalized. This tragedy had occurred at about 3.30 p m in the vicinity of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya , Angoda.Dumminda Silva’s group had also been shot at by the Lakshman group , whereby Dumminda Silva had sustained serious injuries . He had been admitted to the Jayawardenapura Hospital and is in a critical condition. Hospital sources say , he had been shot in the head , and an operation had been performed on him. Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital medical Authority S A K Gamage told the media , the CTC scan done on him had revealed that his head has sustained serious injuries . Dumminda’s father had disclosed that Doctors had told him that there are only 20% hopes of Dumminda recovering .Meanwhile a curfew has been clamped on the police division Mulleriyawa, The curfew will be on from 4.30 p m today until tomorrow morning 6.00. The supporters of Baharatha lakshman who were provoked following the death of Bharatha Lakshman have begun attacking the Mulleriyawa police with stones and set fire to two police vehicles, reports say. Though a curfew was imposed after the attack , the enraged public had set fire to an election office of Dumminda Silva defying the curfew .Army and the STF had been deployed to provide security to the Mulleriyawa police division. A CID team had also arrived at the venue to conduct investigations.Yesterday night two gun toting unidentified individuals who came in a motor cycle had shot and killed an individual at Wellampitiya . This murder has been the root cause of the subsequent shoot out. The victim of yesterday’s shooting was Jeewaka Shantha , a henchman of an underworld leader , Olcott , who was involved in the illegal activities of Duminda Silva. . The latter had suspected that this was done by Bharatha Lakshman’s group. When the two of them met , an altercation had erupted leading to these murders.For a long time this dispute between Bharatha Lakshman and Duminda Silva had been raging . Among the true SLFP members there was deep disillusionment that the Rajapakses were turning a blind eye and deaf ear to the illegal activities of the UNPers who had crossed over .During the period 1988-89 , Bharatha Lakshman had a narrow escape from death when an assassination attempt was made on him while he was engaged in the patriotic people’s campaign . The attempted assassin was Hemapala , a youth from Kottawa district. In the scuffle that followed the attempted assassin got killed.It is worthy of note that there are immense evidence against Dumminda Silva to substantiate the allegations against him of involvement in kudu (heroin) business. There were also charges filed against him for committing rape on a girl. These charges were withdrawn mysteriously .Bharatha Lakshman the deceased was engaged in race betting before entering politics. He abandoned his earlier occupation after entering politics. He entered politics along with Late Vijaya Kumaranatunge.

Tamil Canadians in prison for arming rebels renounce violence

Five years after they were caught buying arms for Sri Lankan rebels, three Canadians have signed an open letter from prison acknowledging they were wrong and renouncing political violence.“We incorrectly believed that violence could achieve the goals that we sought,” they wrote. “We now realize that what we did was not helpful in leading to a positive resolution of the issues that existed in Sri Lanka.”The rejection of armed militancy is a complete reversal for the Toronto men, who were part of the international weapons procurement network that supplied the Tamil Tigers, or LTTE, during Sri Lanka’s long civil war.But since being caught in New York shopping for $1-million worth of surface-to-air missiles and AK-47 assault rifles — a crime that earned them sentences of at least 25 years — the men have apparently had a change of heart.“Each of us has come to the conclusion that the criminal activity for which we have been sentenced has caused much harm to all citizens of Sri Lanka,” wrote Sathajhan Sarachandran, Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam and Sahilal Sabaratnam.“We incorrectly believed that supporting LTTE ideology on armed violence would bring peace to Tamil people. We refrain from those believes [sic] now,” reads the joint letter signed by each of them at their prison in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Aug. 21. The letter, obtained exclusively by the National Post, was to be released publicly in the coming days.The repudiation of political violence is the first of its kind to emerge from Canadians actively involved in supporting the Tamil Tigers, a federally banned armed separatist group that has long been active in Toronto.It comes as their families in Ontario are seeking mercy for the inmates, such as prisoner transfers to Canada or Sri Lanka. And it raises a difficult question for the government: Do those involved in terrorism deserve leniency if they repent? Some experts argue that when high-profile former militants publicly disavow their past actions, it can help undercut armed groups by attacking the narrative used to justify violence and attract new recruits.“A public repentance, a public disassociation from the group, can actually undermine the legitimacy and attractiveness of being involved in the group for others, particularly when those doing the defecting tend to have blood on their hands,” said John Horgan, director of the International Center for the Study of Terrorism at Pennsylvania State University.Coming two years after the end of fighting between Sri Lankan forces and the Tamil Tigers, who raised millions in Canada for their cause and were cheered on by flag-waving supporters in Toronto and Ottawa, the repudiations are significant because of the positions the men once held.Sarachandran, 31, is the former president of the Tamil Youth Organization’s Toronto chapter, while Sabaratnam, 32, was communications director of the Canadian Tamil Congress, the leading Tamil organization in the country. Thanigasalam, 43, is his brother-in-law.“Here you have three individuals who are willing to take a very public position, who can affect not only people in Sri Lanka but the larger Tamil community outside of Sri Lanka, since they are Canadian nationals,” their New York lawyer, Lee Ginsberg, said in an interview.In addition to their joint statement, they have each written longer, more personal letters that urge ethnic Tamils in Canada to abandon the armed separatist campaign and to instead work to rebuild Sri Lanka. (Full letters embedded at the bottom of the article.)“Let us not even for a second talk about arms again,” Thanigasalam wrote. “Let us learn something from all this. War is not the answer to anything. We have made a grave mistake for our people by supporting an armed resistance.” In his letter, Sabaratnam wrote that, “Blood is not the answer to anything.” Wrote Sarachandran: “I ask that none of you choose a path where violence is encouraged.”Facing another 16 years’ imprisonment (federal convicts must serve at least 85% of their sentences), the men are, with Mr. Ginsberg’s help, seeking to be transferred out of the United States. Canada has a prisoner-transfer treaty with the United States, but Ottawa would have to agree to take them back.Alternatively, they have been looking into transfers to Sri Lanka, where they were born. Since the Sri Lankan civil war ended in 2009, almost all the roughly 11,000 Tamil Tigers rebels captured during the conflict have been rehabilitated and released. The three Canadians are hoping Sri Lanka will take them back and give them the same treatment.“They are Canadian citizens, but it’s not all that clear what Canada’s position would be, what political interests they have in accepting them,” Mr. Ginsberg said. “We’re sort of hoping and taking the position that the Sri Lankan government should have the same interests … in my clients as they do in Sri Lankan nationals who had been involved in violent activities on behalf of the LTTE, and the same desire to see them rehabilitated — and possibly even more so, because their cases may have gotten more notoriety.”Sitting at a dining-room table in the Toronto suburb of Markham, Sarachandran’s father, Sarachandran Shunmugan, said he was unaware his son was involved with the rebels until he heard about the arrests on the radio.He does not dispute that what his son did was wrong but he believes there are grounds for leniency: the war is over; the Tamil Tigers were defeated; and giving his son a second chance would be seen by Tamils as a goodwill gesture that would help post-war reconciliation efforts.In May, Mr. Shunmugan co-founded a non-profit group called Mercy for Tamil Prisoners. Its mission is to advocate for those detained as a result of the Sri Lankan conflict, but all three directors are relatives of Sarachandran, Thanigasalam and Sabaratnam.The families have been supporting humanitarian work in Sri Lanka, but they also have met with senior Sri Lankan officials in recent months to make their case for leniency. They said the country’s powerful defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had assured them Sri Lanka was open to their proposals.To lay the groundwork for their campaign, the families have begun releasing the men’s letters of repentance. It is not a message some want to hear. Since his son’s letter was posted on the Mercy for Tamil Prisoners website, Mr. Shunmugan said he has received angry calls from as far away as France berating him for hurting the Tamil cause.The families say their sons’ renunciation of the armed revolt needs to be heard because Tamil separatist sentiment lingers in Canada. A declassified 2010 Canadian intelligence report obtained by the National Post comes to the same conclusion: “In spite of the LTTE’s military defeat, Tamils around the world, generally, remain committed to the creation of an independent state, called Tamil Eelam, providing financial and ideological support to this end.”Mr. Shunmugan was a physics teacher in northern Sri Lanka when the war became unbearable. The family home in Jaffna City was close to an artillery base and shells soared overhead.He left in 1989. The rest of the family joined him in Canada three years later, when his son was 12. In 1998, the father was working as a Toronto parking lot attendant when he was hit by a car. He was in a coma for six days and suffered a crippling stroke.Sarachandran earned a computer science degree from the University of Windsor in 2002 before returning to Toronto to work at the Tamil Youth Organization, a non-profit group he now acknowledges was “part of” the Tamil Tigers network.“During these times, I was misled by so many community well-wishers,” Sarachandran wrote in his letter. He said advocates of the armed conflict fuelled his anger. “Meetings after meetings, campaign after campaign, all injecting hate into me and other fellow students.”He made several trips to Sri Lanka, taking advantage of a short-lived ceasefire. He toured the island and helped at an orphanage, but he also became closely involved with the Tamil Tigers. Photos the RCMP found on his computer show him posing with a heavy machine gun and firing a rifle at a rebel camp.Upon his return to Canada, he flew to New York to meet a contact he thought was a black market arms dealer. Sarachandran told him he wanted to buy missiles and that he was working for the rebel intelligence and operations chief, Pottu Amman.He returned to New York by car on Aug. 18, 2006, this time with Thanigasalam, who prosecutors said was a weapons expert, and Sabaratnam, the financial expert. Unaware it was a sting operation, they negotiated to purchase 500 AK-47s, 20 SA-18 missiles and 10 missile launchers, as well as the services of a trainer.They were arrested and pleaded guilty to terrorism and conspiracy. Three others were arrested in Canada on related charges. (One has since been extradited to the United States to stand trial. The other two have challenged their extradition orders to the Supreme Court of Canada.)The 160-word joint letter they signed in prison is titled, “A New Beginning.” But that may be wishful thinking. Transfer to a Canadian prison could be a non-starter. The families said they hope to meet Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, who would have to approve their sons’ transfers.But Sharryn Aiken, a Queen’s University law professor, is doubtful. “It’s going to be tough because we’ve got a government that’s proven to be somewhat unresponsive to prisoner-transfer requests in circumstances of offences that are arguably much more minor offences.”Some also doubt Sri Lanka will follow through and wonder whether the government is exploiting the Canadians to undermine Tamil militancy in the diaspora and bolster Colombo’s image as it faces accusations of war crimes.“It’s possible,” Mr. Ginsberg said, “but at the end of the day, besides the fact that the clients feel the way they do and wanted to make these statements, you have to sometimes take it on faith that it’s being done for the right reasons when you’re facing a 25-year jail sentence.”Even if the odds are against them, the families feel they have to try. Mr. Shunmugan walks with a cane, the nagging effect of the stroke. He said Sarachandran is the eldest son and is needed to care for the family. “I am passing 63 years old. I am a very sick guy,” he said.“My son, I want him here in Canada.”

07 October 2011

Key political risks to watch in Lanka
 
Sri Lanka successfully managed to negate attempts for a Western-led push for a war crimes investigation at recently concluded UN Human Rights Council sessions, but the island nation has said it is getting ready to face fresh attempts with the support of friendly nations. Demand for war crime probe Western nations are still pushing the island nation for an independent probe for killing thousands of civilians in May 2009, the final stages of the Sri Lanka’s 25-year war against separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. Amnesty International last month said between 10,000 and 20,000 civilians were killed in the war’s last months, but a national inquiry has failed so far to investigate war crimes by both the army and Tamil rebels. Canada, for the first time, has publicly criticised Sri Lanka over its human rights record, setting the scene for a confrontation at a Commonwealth summit later this month. At the UNHRC meeting, Canada brought a resolution to suggest that the next session in March should discuss a war crimes report by Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), due to be presented to President Mahinda Rajapakse on November 15. A United Nations advisory panel’s report says there is “credible evidence” both sides committed war crimes, which the government hotly contests. Many of the allegations originated with pro-Tiger sources or propaganda outlets. Since the Tigers have been wiped out, that leaves only the government to possibly face justice over what the report says could be thousands of deaths. Rajapakse’s government argues its attempts to reintegrate rebels must be given time, and says it is on guard to block Western moves to push forward a war crimes probe.

What to watch:

Report by LLRC, whose credibility has been questioned by local and international rights groups. How Sri Lanka responds to fresh war crime allegations at Commonwealth summit in Perth, on October 28-30. Any credible steps Sri Lanka will take to probe war crime evidence, at least to defuse mounting international pressure. Further down the line, will there be an independent investigation and sanctions? New anti-terrorism rules Despite ending tough wartime emergency rules, the government introduced a new anti-terrorism law early last month, seen by many as a move to suppress Rajapakse’s political opponents. Rajapakse enjoys a two-thirds parliament majority, and opposition parties — facing intra-party conflicts after successive election defeats — are unable to stop the government implementing new laws. The new anti-terrorism rules, in addition to the pre-existing Prevention of Terrorism Act, would maintain high security zones that were established during the war.

What to watch:

Whether the government continues to use wide powers under anti-terrorism laws to suppress its opponents. Whether the laws are used to control minority Tamils in former war zones, moves which have led Tamils to press Western nations against Rajapakse’s government. Tussle with IMF The central bank has been intervening in the foreign exchange market in order to prop up the rupee despite the International Monetary Fund asking it to limit its intervention due to the decline in Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves. In response, the IMF has said there has been no timetable set for a review of Sri Lanka’s progress under a $2.6bn loan, the precursor to disbursement of the programme’s eighth tranche. Though that delay will not be an immediate problem for Sri Lanka, which had around $8.1bn in reserves by the end of July, the possibility of ratings reviews may be a concern if sustained interventions deplete reserves. The central bank has already said the country will see a balance of payment surplus by the end of 2011, which will help to ease pressure on the currency.

What to watch:

The central bank’s response to the IMF’s request that it limit intervention and selling dollars in foreign exchange market. Whether the IMF releases the loan tranche, which could boost investor sentiment. Investment climate: Sri Lanka’s $50bn economy expanded 8.2% in the second quarter and the central bank has said there is a high possibility of achieving the estimated record 8.5% full-year growth. Annual inflation eased to 6.4% in September year-on-year and the central bank puts the end-December target at between 5 and 6%, while private sector credit growth has started to slow down. Rajapakse said at the start of October that natural gas has been found off the coast in the Mannar basin, in a well Cairn India, said required more exploration to see if it is commercially viable. Post-war investments have picked up, with 2011 first half foreign direct investment reaching $413mn, almost double the same period in 2010.Large investments in ports have come primarily from China, the main actor in Sri Lanka’s post-war redevelopment. Those deals tend to be shrouded in mystery, so rumours of corruption abound. Many multinational companies have shied away, while Indian companies have also been aggressively moving in. Since the end of the war, Sri Lanka has been increasingly reliant on China, India, and Russia for infrastructure loans and investments. The central bank is unlikely to cut its already low monetary policy rates in the near term, but may gradually reduce them over the medium to long term to spur growth policy.

What to watch:

Commercial viability of the natural gas find. Economic effects of big investments, and whether they trickle down to boost per-capita income. Whether the ease and transparency of doing business in Sri Lanka improves. Macroeconomic stability, and whether inflation stays under control.

Lanka to send HR Action Plan to UN

Sri Lanka will send the National Action Plan for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human rights Navi Pillay, Special Envoy of the President on Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe said today. The implementation of the Action Plan is said to begin immediately.Samarasinghe stated that the progress on the implementation of the Action Plan would be presented at the next UN Human Rights Council in March next year. Additionally the Action plan and progress reports on its implementation will be circulated to other countries and international organisations and forums interested in the Human Rights of Sri Lanka.“We will give the action plan maximum publicity and inform everyone on the progress of implementing it,” he said.The Action plan was officially adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers after a five week deliberation on the document that was formulated after a participatory process involving both government and Civil Society input. The action plan was a voluntary pledge during Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review in May 2008 and is an action plan for five years. The action plan is divided into eight thematic areas; civil and political rights, women’s rights, economic, social and cultural rights, children’s rights, labour rights, rights of migrant workers, the rights of IDPs’ and the prevention of torture.The action plan will be implemented by the respective agencies in charge of each area of human rights as well as a coordinating committee, yet to be appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
           
Dayasiri ejected from Parliament; pandemonium reigns in Parliament sessions postponed

Following the pandemonium that reigned as a result of the ejection of UNP M P Dayasiri Jaysekera from the Parliament assembly , the Parliament sessions had to be postponed , it is reported.At the time when the Govt. was tabling a proposal in Parliament on the establishment of a police training Institute, Dayasiri Jayasekera posed the question to Ranjith Siyambalapaitiya , whether the Govt. was tapping the telephone conversations of the people. Siyambalapitiya answered in the negative and also rejected the claim that the Govt. is tapping the phone calls of Govt. MPs.Dayasiri then went on to argue that defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse who is a Govt. servant taking part in politics is illegal . Minister Mervyn Silva asserted that Gotabaya is a law abiding honest officer . When Dayasiri asked , how can an officer be honest and law abiding when he is indulging in politics when elections are drawing near? Mervyn the notorious Vermin and Rohitha Abeygunawardena leaped forward to assault Dayasiri at which moment there arose a commotion in Parliament . Afterwards , when the sessions resumed , Dayasiri showed a cutout of the President which had been shot at ,adding that persons who came in a Defender vehicle had done this shooting. Azwar M P who was in the front row interjecting said , mentioning President’s name when standing orders are being taken up is a transgression .Jayasekera who is a qualified Lawyer unlike Azwar , said , it does not offend against the standing orders. Azwar who was in the front seat then instructed the Sergeant at arms to eject Dayasiri from the assembly . In consequence of this , there arose a situation of disorder and confusion leading to the postponement of the Parliamentary sessions.Meanwhile , the opposition leader raised a question of privilege this noon. The question was regarding the provision of Drivers for him.

Indian Foreign Secretary to hold discussion​s with TNA

India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai who is schdeule to visit SriLankan will hold discussions with the reprsentatives of the Tmail National Alliance on 9t October.This would be Mathai's first visit to Sri Lanka, since he took over as Foreign Secretary in August 2011.During the visit, the Foreign Secretary is scheduled to call on the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the  Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe.The Foreign Secretary would hold discussions on bilateral relations, regional and global issues with his Sri Lankan counterpart Karunatillake Amunugama, the press statement said.He will also review developmental projects being taken up in various parts of Northern Sri Lanka under Government of India assistance.The Foreign Secretary would also review the progress made during the meeting of India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries scheduled on 7th October 2011 in Colombo.
           
Reject all evidence of the defense in the white flag case: the plaintiffs request

Deputy Solicitor General Buwaneka Aluvihara representing the Attorney General (AG), delivering an oral address in the white flag case in the Colombo High Court made a request on yesterday (6) to court, to reject all evidence of the defendant’s side . He made this request before the three judge panel when the case was taken up. The Solicitor General stated , the witnesses of the defense have confirmed plaintiff’s case . The Solicitor General said, in the statement made by Sarath Fonseka , there is nothing indicating that there existed an ill feeling between Sunday Leader Editor Fredrica Janz and accused Sarath Fonseka, and the evidence given in court by Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Karu Jayasooriya on behalf of the accused have substantiated the charges against the accused . The oral address of the plaintiff’s side in the white flag case will continue today(07).

JVP should admit past mistakes, rectify them - Pubudu Jagoda

The JVP and others in the leftist movement have fallen victim to neo-liberalism and they will be a non-entity if they fail to be realistic and admit their mistakes in the past, says the spokesman of the party’s ‘Kumara Mahattaya’ dissident group.The spokesman, Pubudu Jagoda was delivering a lecture in Kandy yesterday (Oct. 05).He said, neo-liberalism has been in existence in Sri Lanka for around 35 years now, and it has reduced people into fantasy-chasing machines.President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his second innings at neo-liberalism, would bring further disaster to the country, said Mr. Jagoda, adding that the leftist movement has a responsibility to come forward and undertake a rescue mission on behalf of the people.He went onto say that extremism will not do in the leftist movement, adding that there are certain groups that behave in a completely opposing manner to leftist ideology.

"People want a Trilingual Police force"

Presidential Advisor and Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for a Trilingual Sri Lanka Sunimal Fernando said people had requested for the government to set up a trilingual police system at the earliest time possible. “They don’t want ethnic Tamil people in the North and Sinhala people in the South." he said.The Presidential Secretariat said yesterday that when people were requested to send in their recommendations to be added in the country’s ten year trilingual national plan one of the suggestions that stood out was the people’s interest in changing the Sri Lankan Police Force into a strictly trilingual based one.He said another recommendation was to change language teaching methods in the country. “We were informed that people find it difficult to learn Sinhala, Tamil and English due to the outdated methods practiced in the country as opposed to methods practiced abroad where language is taught through activities,” he said.He said that only 1.5% of the public sector receives training in the second language for a year. “To train the public service at the present rate of progress in bilingual training it would take about 100 years. This is the state of language use in Sri Lanka right now,” he said.The Presidential Secretariat has called on the public to send their comments and suggestions to the council.

06 October 2011

Indian Foreign Secretary to visit Sri Lanka

India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from 8-10 October 2011, Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release Wednesday. This would be Mathai's first visit to Sri Lanka, since he took over as Foreign Secretary in August 2011.During the visit, the Foreign Secretary is scheduled to call on the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Mathai would also be meeting the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and representatives of the major Tamil party in Sri Lanka, Tamil National Alliance (TNA).The Foreign Secretary would hold discussions on bilateral relations, regional and global issues with his Sri Lankan counterpart Karunatillake Amunugama, the press statement said.He will also review developmental projects being taken up in various parts of Northern Sri Lanka under Government of India assistance.The Foreign Secretary would also review the progress made during the meeting of the 4th India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries scheduled on 7th October 2011 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Ministry said.

SL government refused to accept US court order

The Sri Lankan government has refused to accept summons issued by a US court against president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is covered by the ‘Hague Service’ international agreement on heads of state, ‘Divaina’ reports.The newspaper says the Sri Lankan Justice Ministry has intimated about the decision to the US authorities.The accusation by LTTE leader Ramesh’s wife Vathsala Devi is about an alleged matter in Sri Lanka, which is beyond the jurisdiction of the US judiciary, said the government. The government has added that the US summons was a violation of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.

Journalist challenges Gotabaya's politics
 
A journalist has complained to the Commissioner of Elections on campaigning activities of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.Ravaya journalist and activist Lasantha Ruhunage told BBC Sandeshaya that he informed the Election Commissioner against the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who visited Slave Island – Colombo to support United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) mayoral candidate Milinda Moragoda on 3rd October.“Defence Secretary requested the people to assure the victory of Milinda Moragoda and later he addressed a campaign rally that supports UPFA candidates,” Ruhunage added.

Misuse of Government assets

Ruhunage who is the general secretary of the Sri Lanka working journalists association arguing that senior government officers do not have political rights claimed that Defence Secretary’s involvement in the municipal election campaign is a grave violation of the establishment code and a misuse of government assets.The election meeting was reported by the local media including Sirasa TV.According to Daily News report on the 4th October, Gotabaya Rajapaksa assured the local community that they will not be evicted and told “nobody will be chased away from Colombo and everybody will be provided with a house with modern facilities”.Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who is the younger brother of the president is considered as a powerful figure within the government.“As a citizen I asked the Election Commissioner to investigate this matter and take necessary actions,” Ruhunage added.He demands the immediate attention of the Election Commissioner to this matter.

Indian election observers to monitor Sri Lanka local government elections

A team of Indian election observers has arrived in Sri Lanka to monitor the local government elections scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 8.The six-member team from the Indian Election Commission will visit the polling stations to monitor the elections for the 23 local government bodies to ensure a free and fair election, Assistant Election Commissioner W.P Sumanasiri has told the national news agency Lankapuvath.The team will hand over a report on their observations to the Election Commissioner following their observations, the Assistant Election Commissioner has said.Sri Lanka opposition parties have expressed concerns over election law violations doubting that elections would be free and fair.

Dissidents giving out information to destroy JVP: Tilvin

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva yesterday accused the dissidents of having given ammunition to the government and the United National Party (UNP) to destroy the party leadership.At an interview with the Daily Mirror he said the JVP would overcome whatever setbacks it faced after purging all anti-progressive elements within the party.Mr. Silva said the JVP was waiting patiently to see whether those who criticised and went against party discipline would correct themselves and come back. He said some local and foreign elements were hoping to see the end of the JVP.“They are cultivating an ideology that goes against the teachings of our leader Rohana Wijeweera and are in line with the Eelam and separatism,” Mr. Silva said. “The ideology they attempted to develop within the party is aligned with liberalism and slanted towards Trotskyite policies which the JVP does not accept. The main objective is to grab power at the top.”Mr. Silva refused to discuss the role of so-called dissident group leader Premakumara Gunaratnam and said there was no one in the JVP with that name and the JVP did not know about him.“We are ready to take them back. But there are a few who cannot be forgiven and the Central Committee of the party will take appropriate action against them in due course. There had been attempts to grab power and the party Head Quarters (HQ),” Mr. Silva stressed. “There was a group within the JVP who acted against party rules. When the Central Committee moved to discuss these issues they went public and acted against the party.  They are carrying out a misinformation campaign right now and are spreading fabricated stories about the party and the HQ to keep their few followers happy.”Commenting on the alleged attempts by dissidents to form a new party, Mr. Silva said the JVP was used to this type of threats and added that anyone in the country had the freedom to form a party.“But the question is how long they will survive as dozens of political parties have been formed but have disappeared in the last four to five decades. The proposed one will be no exception,” Mr. Silva said.On the charge that the JVP has failed to hold the party convention and elections to elect office bearers, he said the JVP party convention was held at the Sugathadasa Stadium on February 10, 2011 and the present office bearers had been duly elected at the annual convention.Commenting on the charge that the present leadership was taking the party to the right, he said the JVP would not change its policies but was always committed to a socialist democratic policy.On the issue of publishing of the ‘Lanka’ newspaper Mr. Silva said it would be published after sorting out the legal impediments.He vowed that the JVP had the strength and resolve to emerge victorious from all these obstacles as the JVP was a political party that had been sharpened by the many problems, controversies and conspiracies it had faced in the past.

Vaiko accuses Colombo of colonising Tamil minorities

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) Chief V. Gopalswamy, also known as Vaiko has slammed the Sri Lankan government for oppressing and colonising its Tamil minority community. Talking to reporters here, Vaiko termed the Sri Lankan government as 'racist' and accused them of committing mass genocide against the Tamils."The Sri Lankan racist government is deliberately trying to strangulate the Tamil race. Therefore the state aided colonisation is being continued. In the traditional Tamil areas, the Sinhalese are brought and settled there, therefore the Tamil race which has been subjected to genocide, barbaric genocidal attacks by the Sri Lankanarmed forces. The Sri Lankan racist government should be put in the dock," said Vaiko.He also criticised the Indian government for assisting the Sri Lankan government in the mass genocide and urged the International Criminal Court to take action against the federal governments of both the countries."We will never forgive the betrayal of the Union government of India. Their assistance to the Sri Lankan government, which committed the crime of genocide, should be put in the dock of the International Criminal Court," he added.

Sri Lanka: IMF demands currency devaluation

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) last month delayed the final two instalments of its loan to Sri Lanka, demanding the devaluation of the rupee. After the IMF postponed the instalments, worth $US400 million each, due in June and December, Koshy Mathai, the fund’s residential representative said no timetable had been fixed for the completion of its review.The IMF warned the government that another foreign reserves crisis loomed if it did not heed the request for a “flexible exchange rate.” The fund also pressed for further fuel price hikes and higher domestic interest rates.The IMF assessment undermines President Mahinda Rajapakse’s absurd claims that the surging economy has weathered the global economic crisis. Not only is Sri Lanka highly vulnerable to international economic storms but the IMF’s demands will greatly heighten social tensions within the island.The Washington-based institution wants President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government to take further measures that make the working people pay for the impact of the worsening global economic situation. The devaluation of the rupee would trigger new rounds of price increases for essentials, again slashing the living conditions of the working class.The IMF’s demands flow from the conditions it imposed when the Rajapakse regime obtained a $2.6 billion bailout loan in July 2009 to avert an imminent balance of payments crisis. The financial emergency was a result of the worldwide economic breakdown that began in 2008, compounded by the Rajapakse government’s heavy borrowing for military spending. The austerity measures dictated by the IMF included slashing the budget deficit from 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 to 5 percent by 2012.Brian Aitken, who headed the IMF delegation that came to review the Sri Lankan economy, praised its “rapid expansion” and “sound economic fundamentals.” At the same time, he warned that although the “headline reserves [of Sri Lanka] are at a comfortable level,” the “non-borrowed reserves have steadily declined” because the Central Bank had sold foreign exchange to defend the value of the rupee.The Central Bank sold foreign exchange worth $416 million in July and $300 million in August to prevent a rupee depreciation. Aitken insisted that “the Central Bank should henceforth limit its intervention.” He said the IMF was making this demand because of uncertain external developments—that is, the global economic turmoil produced by the European debt crisis as well as recessionary trends in the US and other major economies.Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivad Cabral initially declared that the Central Bank would not adhere to the IMF’s targets because the bank held strong foreign reserves. This week, he said the fund’s review would resume in December. There is no doubt that the government will toe the line. Early last year, the IMF similarly withheld its third instalment, forcing the government to comply with budget deficit targets.Rajapakse’s government has already implemented severe austerity measures during the past two years—increasing taxes and the price of essentials, freezing wages, reducing subsidies and privatising university education. Aware that popular discontent will deepen with further attacks, the government is waiting until after elections for 23 local government bodies on October 8.The Central Bank states it has $8.1 billion in foreign reserves, sufficient for more than five months’ imports. However, a considerable portion of the reserves consist of foreign borrowings. The bank obtained another Euro Bond loan of $1 billion last month at a high interest rate in order to repay previous loans.Economists have also expressed concern over the trade deficit, which expanded by 70 percent to $4.25 billion in the first half of 2011, compared to last year. In the first six months of this year, imports rose by 46.5 percent to $9.3 billion while exports increased 35 percent to $5 billion.Global price increases for essential goods have been a major factor in the deteriorating trade deficit. The average import price of crude oil increased by 43.9 percent in June 2011, compared to a year earlier. Wheat and sugar prices have also risen.Sunday Times economist Nimal Sanderatne warned that the Middle East turmoil and the global economic downturn could adversely affect Sri Lanka’s trade performance during the second half of the year. He said the projected trade deficit of $8-9 billion “threatens the balance of payments and the foreign reserves.”The government is increasingly reliant on remittances from Sri Lankan workers overseas—worth about $4 billion in 2010—to bridge the trade deficit. Most of these workers are domestic servants in Middle Eastern countries, subjected to oppressive working conditions. The uncertain political situation in those countries is a growing threat to this source of income.The government has highlighted the economy’s high growth rate, which the Central Bank has forecasted to be 8.5 percent. The IMF estimate is 7.5 percent, with the fund pointing out that export markets will be affected by the world slowdown during the last quarter of 2011.One main reason for the high growth rate is the building of infrastructure to lure foreign investment, and resorts and hotels to attract tourists. The Central Bank is keeping domestic interest rates at 7 percent to provide relatively cheap credit for these projects. This in turn has pushed up imports, widening the trade deficit.Accumulated debts reached 4,872 billion rupees at the end of June 2011, up 12 percent or 525 billion from the previous year. The IMF stated: “Sustained rapid credit growth bears close monitoring and may need to be slowed.” It indicated a need to increase domestic interest rates.The government has also failed to attract significant foreign direct investment (FDI). During the first half of 2011, the total amount received was $413 million. Significant portions came from China and India—both of which are seeking more influence over Sri Lanka—mostly to construct power plants and hotels.The IMF is also demanding higher electricity and oil prices, because of the rapidly rising debts of the state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board and Petroleum Corporation. The workers of these corporations have strongly resisted privatisation, so the government is currently marking time in this mooted “restructuring.”There is no doubt that the IMF will tighten the noose, compelling the government to implement its demands, while cutting spending, including on welfare measures. Further attacks on living conditions will trigger explosive struggles of the working class, youth and the poor. That is why the government is keeping intact its police-state regime, as shown by its recent adoption of essential services provisions to replace emergency regulations

Ranil on SLMC

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesighe today warned that the assault on the Sri Lanka Medical Council Registrar Dr. N. J. Nonis and the move by the government to set up a private medical college in Malabe could create a crisis in the country’s health sector.Addressing a public rally in Moratuwa today Mr. Wickremesighe said the Dr. Nonis was assaulted as he had voiced his opposition on the proposed private medical college.He added that the Government Medical Association (GMOA) Chairman Dr. Anurudha Padeniya and Assistant Secretary Dr. Upul Gunsekera had also received death threats after they criticised the setting of the Malabe Medical College.Mr. Wickremesighe said there are certain issues with regard to this Medical College. He charged that students have been registered in this college even before it is set up. In addition he said there are certain issues with regard to the medical degree that is to be awarded by this College since it is going to be a foreign degree

05 October 2011

Death threat to Vickramabahu

DPF mayoral candidate for Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne has been threatened with death.Two armed man carried out the threat this afternoon (Oct. 04), said DPF affiliate TELO’s political chief M.K. Shivajilingam. He said a complaint has been lodged with the police chief. Dr. Karunaratne had been travelling from his office to a meeting, when two men in a motorcyclist threatened him near the Colombo Town Hall.

President ordered to send election results directly to the President'​s house: Wikileaks

Just prior to the 2010 presidential polls, US ambassador Patricia Butenis sent a diplomatic cable saying that president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s campaign had ordered eight GAs (district secretaries) to send election results directly to the president’s house for his review before sending them to the elections chief, Wikileaks reveals.The eight GAs include those in Ampara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa, the ambassador has written to Washington, Colombo Telegraph reports.Yet another cable sent by Ms. Butenis to the State Department had quoted president Rajapaksa’s chief pollster Sunimal Fernando as having said their polling figures less than a week before the presidential election indicated the race statistically was a dead heat.It has said “undecided voters were at an unprecedented 17 percent, with six percent leaning toward Rajapaksa and eleven percent towards Fonseka. Fernando said the President was doing very poorly in the East, mainly due to the corruption issue, but surprising well in the North. In the Western region, which includes Colombo and its suburbs, Fonseka had been doing well in the city (75 to 25 percent) but recently had begun to slip following television interviews and Rajapaksa’s position was stronger in the Colombo suburbs.”

Dutch LTTE trial judges can continue

The panel of judges in The Hague hearing into the case of five alleged Dutch Tamil LTTE financiers will be allowed to continue.The Hague Chamber of Recusal has rejected a challenge to the judges from defence lawyer Victor Koppe, Radio Netherlands reports.He submitted the challenge after the judges refused to let him continue with his nearly 200-page address, begun in the morning, beyond five pm.He complained that the trial was unfair and the judges “shamelessly ignored” his request to continue for another half-hour.The five defendants are accused of membership of a criminal terrorist organisation.The Public Prosecutor’s Office is calling for 16-year jail sentences.The five are alleged to have collected money for their cause by mean of blackmail.The European Union regards the LTTE as a terrorist organisation, whereas Victor Koppe sees them as freedom fighters comparable to the Libyans who ousted Muammar Gaddafi or the rebels being killed in Syria.The case is being followed with great interest in Sri Lanka where it is seen as a trial of the status of the Tamil Tigers, Radio Netherlands adds.

TNA is the political party of LTTE: Gunadasa Amarasekar​a

The leader of the National Patriotic Movement Gunadasa Amarasekara requested the government to prohibit the activities of the Tamil National Alliance as they are the only responsible for providing secrete and confidential information's about the government towards the UN Expert panel. Due to this currently government and the security personals of this country are facing many difficulties in the international.He also went on to say government do not need to hold discussions on ethnic issue with the Tamil National Alliance and added government need to cancel all the discussions with the powers which work against the country.Leader further said TNA is the political wing of the LTTE organization due to this they are continuously causing threats towards the countries security.We received information's that the members of the TNA has provided information's about the government and security forces towards the expert panel in such situation government need to pay it's more attention towards this problem and it need to reveal the truth towards the society and also they need to take legal action against all TNA representatives said the leader.

Sri Lanka Marxist party office attacked

Offices of Sri Lanka's Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) located in areas out of Colombo have come under attack following the split in the JVP, party sources said. The JVP office in Matale had been attacked by a group of about 20 persons who had arrived in a double cab. The windows of the office had been broken and a motorbike parked outside the office had also been damaged.A complaint has been lodged with the Matale Police, sources said.Two factions in the JVP are currently engaged in a power struggle trying to wrest control of the party machinery.The dissidents group led by elusive JVP senior Premakumar Gunarathnam is trying to take control of the party headquarters in Pelawatte and the party affiliated organizations and media institution. Meanwhile, the group led by party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe is trying to secure its power base within the party.

US officer among visiting NDC delegation

A US military official is among an 18-member delegation from India’s prestigious National Defence College (NDC) now on a study tour in Sri Lanka.The delegation comprises Indian armed forces and three officers from the US, Vietnam and Nepal.The delegation is led by Maj. Gen. PK Goswami, VSM, Senior Directing Staff, NDC A spokesperson for the Indian HC told The Island that the delegation had called on Secretary Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Commanders of SL Army, Navy and Air Force.‘The delegation will also be interacting with officials of the Sri Lankan Ministry of External Affairs and the Central Bank. They will also visit Trincomalee and call on the Commander Eastern Naval Area," the spokesperson said.  At the inauguration of the Sri Lanka Chapter of the Alumni of the National Defence College, the Commander of Sri Lanka Navy hosted a reception for the delegation at the Light House Galley on Oct. 2. The reception was attended by the High Commissioner of India, Ashok K. Kantha, Rear Adm (Retd) Mohan Wijewickrama, Governor of Eastern Province, Maj Gen (Retd) GA Chandrasiri, Governor of Northern Province, Rear Adm (Retd) Sarath Weerasekara, Member of Parliament and several members of the NDC Alumni in Sri Lanka.The NDC Alumni Chapter in Sri Lanka is the first of its kind outside India. Among the foreign countries that are offered slots in the Indian NDC, Sri Lanka is the only country to be offered two slots every year. Sri Lanka has the highest number of NDC alumni of 58, which will go up to 60 on completion of the ongoing course in December 2011. Out of the 58 NDC alumni in Sri Lanka, 24 have risen to become Commanders of Sri Lankan armed forces (10 have become Commander of Sri Lanka Army, 7 have become Commander of Sri Lanka Navy and 7 have become Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force). Vice Adm. DWAS Dissanayake, the present Commander of Sri Lanka Navy, is the senior most serving officer among the Indian NDC alumni in Sri Lanka.

Tamil Tigers run 21 Dutch Saturday schools

A recent report by the Dutch national police shows that front organisations for the Sri Lankan separatist movement Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are running at least 21 private Saturday schools in the Netherlands.During the weekend classes Tamil children are taught the Tamil language as well as dance and acting. The LTTE is on the EU list of terrorist movements. The schools in question are located in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Breda, Eindhoven, Arnhem and Leeuwarden. The national police write that these schools use teaching materials which glorify the heroism of the Tamil people and the LTTE's struggle for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka. The Tamil organisation is reportedly running similar schools in other European countries. The report notes that not all private Tamil schools in the Netherlands have ties with the banned Tamil organisation.Five men are currently on trial at the court in The Hague on charges of fund raising for the LTTE. The Public Prosecutors’ Office is seeking 16-year jail terms against the accused for being members of and leading a terrorist organisation. Lawyer Victor Koppe who represents the five men argues that the Tamil Tigers are freedom fighters rather than terrorists.

US Diversity Visa Program online registration begins

The online registration period for the 2013 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2013) will begin at noon today (Oct. 04) and concludes at noon on November 05, said the US Embassy in Colombo.The Immigrant Visa section of the American Embassy in Colombo will be holding presentations on Diversity Visa lottery in Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Maldives and Colombo.Hambantota and Galle programs have been cancelled. In lieu of the programs that have been cancelled, the Embassy will be holding presentations at Kalutara and Matara.For details in English, Sinhala and Tamil languages, visit http://srilanka.usembassy.gov/visas/diversity-visa-lottery-program.html

IAF won’t fight other people’s wars, declares Air Chief Marshal Browne

The Indian Air Force is in the process of transforming itself into a true aerospace power with capability to rapidly deploy and operate around the globe, but it will not fight "other people’s wars," IAF’s Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne has declared. "No other air force has attempted to modernize at such a fast pace in such a short span of 15 years," he said here on Monday, indicating a doctrinal shift in the run-up to IAF’s 79th anniversary on October 8. However, he asserted that this does not mean "an expeditionary force" on the lines of the US Air Force. "We are not going to fight other people’s wars. But yes, with India’s global footprint expanding, the IAF must have the wherewithal to meet the requirements wherever India’s strategic interests lie," the IAF chief told reporters here. India is gradually building powerful military capabilities in tune with its expanding geopolitical interests, which are no longer limited to the swathe stretching from the Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait, even as its eastern and western fronts are being strengthened to deter the twin Pakistan-China threat. Armed with perspective plans till 2027, the IAF is looking at a combat fleet of 250-300 fifth-generation fighter aircraft, 126-200 medium multi-role fighter aircraft and 270 Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, as also over 100 upgraded MiG-29s and Mirage-2000s. The estimated price tag for just these jets comes to over $70 billion. "Our fighter squadrons will go up to 42 (from the existing 34) by end of the 13th Plan or 2022...We will be comfortable then,’’ said the IAF chief. Then, there are also different types of transport aircraft and helicopters, radars and missile systems, drones and mid-air refuellers in the pipeline to ensure modernization plans dovetail with long-term strategic interests Last week, The Island had reported about the Indian Navy’s $60-billion plan to build a potent three-dimensional Indian Navy for the future. As for facing the two-front challenge (from China and Pakistan), apart from progressively basing Sukhoi-30MKI fighters and missile squadrons in the two theatres, the IAF’s plan also includes upgrading the Nyoma advanced landing ground in Leh district in eastern Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), located 23km from the line of actual control (LAC) with China at an altitude of 13,300 feet. Browne explained: "We want a 12,000-feet runway capable of handling fighters as well as transport aircraft at Nyoma. It will give us both defensive and offensive options. After being cleared by the defence ministry, it’s now going to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)." Similarly, learning lessons from the 1999 conflict with Pakistan, the Kargil airstrip in J&K will be extended to ensure strategic airlift aircraft like C-17 Globemaster-III and C-130J ‘Super Hercules’ as well as fighters can operate from there. The first six C-130s procured for for $1.2 billion and stationed at the Hindon airbase near here, the IAF will procure six more of these aircraft, to be based at Charbatia (Orissa) for the eastern sector.

04 October 2011

Japan urges Sri Lanka post-war reconciliation, reconstruction

Sri Lanka should continue reconciliation and reconstruction efforts in the former war-torn regions, Japan's envoy to Colombo said after giving more funds for de-mining.Japan's envoy to Colombo Kunio Takahashi gave a grant of 780,000 US dollars (85 million rupees) for demining in the Sri Lanka's north.Ambassador Kunio said over the past two years there has been a "tremendous improvement in terms of security and development of Sri Lanka.""However, I believe that the efforts of the Government and the people of Sri Lanka toward reconciliation and reconstruction should be continued," he said in a statement."The Government of Japan will maintain a mutual supportive relationship with Sri Lanka."Since 2003, Japan has given21.5 million US dollars (about. 2,300 million rupees) for demining activities in former war zones the North and the East. A 30-year war ended in 2009.The latest grant for demining carried out by the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) will see lands being made safe for more than 5,000 people in Vavuniya and Mannar districts.Japan had also helped with improving Jaffna Teaching Hospital, construction of Vavuniya-Killinochchi Transmission Line, rehabilitation of resettled communities in Jaffna and Mannar districts.

Tamil Tigers: defence demands Dutch judges step aside

The panel of judges should be removed from the case against five Sri Lankan men, Dutch lawyer Victor Koppe demanded on Monday. The five are accused of supporting the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), listed since 2006 by the European Union as a terrorist organisation.Dutch prosecutors have asked for jail sentences between 10 to 16 years against the men for allegedly aiding the rebel movement from the Netherlands, including collecting funds.But Koppe told the special War Crimes Chamber at The Hague District Court that the trial process was unfair. He said the three judges should step down as they did not guarantee more time for his defence statement. Koppe said it seemed the court was “blatantly ignoring” his defence.If the judges are ordered to step down by an independent appeals panel, the trial which started last month must begin again with new judges.Arrested last year as part of a probe in the Netherlands into the activities of the LTTE, the five men have lived in the country for a long time and have Dutch nationality.But their possible convictions, due later this month, are just the tip of the iceberg - in a case which will be interpreted in Sri Lanka as a decision on who is right and wrong in the country’s 30-year civil war.

Police constable hacked to death

A 28-year-old police constable attached to the Moratu-Modara police post was hacked to death with a manna knife when he made an attempt to intervene and stop a clash which took place between two groups in the Moratu-Modara area early this morning. He had accompanied his crime OIC and a team of policemen to the Moratu-Modara area, after they were informed by the residents of the area about a clash which was took place for nearly an hour with swords and poles being used by both parties.The police constable, Chandarawimala Samarawickrama had received two complaints from the residents in Jayagath Pedesa in Moratu-Modara about the clash.It is alleged that when the police team arrived at the scene of the incident around 1am, one of the men had assaulted the PC with a manna knife causing serious injuries to his head. He died before admission to hospital.According to the residents of the area the injured constable was immediately taken by his police team to the hospital.Following the incident the police conducted a massive road and mobile patrolling operation in the area to track down the suspects involved in the killing. One person was taken into custody during the search operation, police said.One person who was injured during the clash and is currently receiving treatment at the Panadura Hospital. Inquiries had revealed that the quarrelling groups had been consuming liquor and and argument had led to the clash.His body was taken to the Panadura Hospital following the killing where the post mortem was conducted.

President has private meeting with pro governmentDouglas Devananda

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a private meeting with EPDP leader and minister Douglas Devananda .Members of the EPDP were also present at this meeting.Mr. Rajapaksa visited the minister’s official residence in Colombo and discussed a solution for the national question. During the time of discussion president praised the EPDP leader for proposing the establishment of a parliamentary select committee to find such a solution and also they discuss about the development activities of the country.Two leaders paid attention towards the political prisoners who were detained in the various prisons and also they carried out discussions about the rehabilitated LTTE carders.

on line visa system postponed

The much hyped on line visa system via the internet which was to be introduced in Sri Lanka on the 30th of last month by the Immigration and emigration Dept. to enable foreigners to obtain visas to SL via the internet had been postponed until next year .Lanka e news reported yesterday in detail the grave shortcomings and outrageous blunders committed by our nincompoops and nitwits in the all important Dept . of Immigration and Emigration whereby the entire country was made a laughing stock before the whole world . Deputy Minister of Economic development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena stated that , because there had been many complaints from various quarters highlighting the shortcomings and shortfalls in the on line system which was to be introduced, it was decided that this scheme is postponed until next year.It is significant to note that the only media which exposed the countless errors and blunders in the ‘on line’ visa system was Lanka e news. Our intelligent readers too had also sent us important information. May we emphasize that Lanka e news and its readers are highlighting the wrongdoings and malpractices in our motherland not out of hate for anyone but for the love of the country and the general good of all , so that justice will prevail , good governance will supersede and those elected by the people will act honorably . It should not be construed that we are on a hired contract to serve any individual or group. We take this opportunity to salute the officials who are having the guts like us to fearlessly express the truth and truly champion the cause of Democracy , justice and people’s freedom.

Sri Lanka elite police recover huge stock of arms hidden by LTTE

Sri Lanka's elite Special Task Force (STF) police have recovered a huge arm cache hidden by the Tamil Tiger rebels in a former rebel-controlled area of Mullaitivu, officials said Monday.The haul of weapons discovered by the STF police includes over 1,700 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition and many other weapons, ASP P.J. Sylvester Wijesinghe has told the state-run radio SLBC.Meanwhile the Army troops on their search and clear operations in the general areas of Oddankulam, Kokkutoduvai, Mulankavil and Mankulam recovered 49 anti-personnel mines and one Rocket Propeller Grenade (RPG) on Sunday (02).Troops clearing the East recovered a stock of arms and explosive devices including 24 anti-personnel mines, 2 81-mm mortar bombs, one RPG, one part of Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) ammunition, two pressure mines, one T-56 weapon and ammunition yesterday.Nearly two-and-a-half years after the war ended the security personnel engaged in search and clear operations in the North and East are still finding hoards of weapons and explosives.The officials say it will take a decade to completely clear the heavily mined North and East that was under the rebel control for three decades.

Mervyn does it again

A member of the Dharmaloka College Kelaniya Parent-Teacher Association who had been severely critical of a lottery that the school was planning to introduce to raise funds for the college swimming pool was severely warned by Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva.The critical comments were originally made over a private radio. The Minister visited the school yesterday at around 9.30 am, having called the individual to the school to warn him against making such comments about the school in public. The argument reached fever pitch resulting the Minister dragging the critic by his shirt collar and pushing him aside.Earlier, the victim asked the Minister for an opportunity to present his side of the story but the Minister threatened him not to engage in acts of sabotage.When asked by The Island why the minister overreacted to the extent of holding the critic by the collar and pushing him, minister Silva said that there was a section of the public engaged in acts of sabotage to bring the school concerned into disrepute.The Minister advised the Principal Dharmaloka Nimal Jayaweera to administer the school democratically.

03 October 2011

Crucial talks between TNA, Sri Lanka govt put off

The government has postponed the crucial talks with Sri Lanka's main Tamil party TNA to find a solution to the political aspirations of the minority ethnic community after the end of a three-decade civil war in May 2009. The direct talks between the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Sri Lankan authorities, which was to be held today was put off due as members of the government delegation were busy with the local elections scheduled for October 8, said Colombo Page online newspaper. The report said no date has been set for the talks, which was resumed on September 16 after being stalled for several months. At the end of the 10th round of talks held in early August, the Tamil party threatened to withdraw from the talks on power devolution if the government fails to step up the pace for a meaningful resolution of the ethnic issue. The talks are based on the proposals of the TNA, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the recommendations of the experts' panel appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2006, the report said. The talks aims to find a peaceful solution to the political grievances of the Tamils of Sri Lanka which led to a bloody three-decade civil war between the government and the LTTE. The LTTE had sought a separate state for the Tamils, alleging discrimination against the minority community at the hands of the majority Sinhalas. The LTTE was crushed by the Lankan military in May 2009, ended the ethnic conflict that killed between 80,000 and 100,000 people.

To improve economic developmen​t government need to maintain good political relationsh​ip with Tamil people: US Ambassador

United States Ambassador to SriLanka Patricia A. Butenis said to improve the economic growth of the country government need to maintain good political relationship with the Tamil people.She made this statement while addressing the annual general meeting of the US Chamber of Commerce.Addressing the gathering she noted since two years after the end of three decades of war SriLankan government fail to attract foreign investors towards the country and also added government id wasting most of its time for maintain friendship trade activities.Ambassador finally said according to the world banks report foreign countries in the region are in the best position because these countries will making their investments with the countries where they could earn more income but SriLankan government fail to do that said the Ambassador.

White House Petitioned To Probe Alleged War Crimes In SL

A petition has been submitted to the White House asking the US government to support an international war crimes investigation in Sri Lanka.The petition was submitted by Jim McDonald, the Sri Lanka Country Specialist at the human right group Amnesty International in America.In his petition, McDonold says both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE reportedly committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights abuses during the war in Sri Lanka.He says the Sri Lankan government has a poor record of effectively investigating violations by its forces, as documented by Amnesty International and so an international investigation into the crimes and abuses committed by both sides during the war is needed if the victims are to receive justice.“The U.S. government should publicly support such an international investigation as a first step towards achieving accountability in Sri Lanka for these crimes and abuses,” McDonold said.McDonold says the White House has promised to respond to the petition if it receives 5,000 public signatures by October 29, in support of the document which has been posted online.

India hands over 34 Sri Lankan fishermen to Navy

The Indian Coastguard Sunday handed over 34 Sri Lankan fishermen, who were in Indian custody for straying into their waters, and seven vessels belonged to them to the Sri Lankan Navy.The repatriation of the released fishermen took place at an agreed location, near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), in the Northern seas off Kankasanthurai (KKS) yesterday afternoon, the Navy said.On Saturday Sri Lankan Navy received 10 Sri Lankan fishermen released from the Indian custody along with two boats.Indian Coast Guard Ship, ICGS Awaiyyar handed over the men to the Navy at the IMBL in the northern sea off Kankasanthurai and the Sri Lanka Naval Ship Wickrema II attached to the Northern Naval Command has brought them to the KKS harbor.India has released the fishermen early on a request made by the Sri Lanka Fisheries and Aquatic Sources Ministry, the Fisheries Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.The Minister further said that there were 41 more fishermen and eight fishing vessels in the custody of India and steps would be taken to guarantee their release. By December 31, 2009, there were 779 fishermen and 170 boats in Indian custody and the government got all of them released, the Ministry said.In August the Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna said there were 104 Sri Lankan fishermen in Indian jails but there were no Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody.Despite the continual poaching by Indian trawlers in Sri Lankan waters, the lack of punishment meted out for exploiting Sri Lanka's aquatic resources has prompted the Minister to take a tough stand on the issue at the upcoming meeting between the Indian and Sri Lankan officials this week.

President announced natural gas deposit found in Mannar Basin

President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced the finding of Sri Lanka’s first ever natural gas deposit by exploration teams and SriLanaka would be the richest country in future.President made this announcement during a function in Kandy today.Addressing the gathering President noted on the occasion that oil deposits have already been found in the Mannar Basin.Cairn India has begun drilling its first test well in the Mannar Basin in August and discovered natural gas reserves in the very first well it has drilled in the offshore Mannar Basin of Sri Lanka.The Mannar basin in Sri Lanka is a frontier petroleum province that is yet to be explored. The Block, SL 2007-01-001, was awarded to Cairn in the 2008 Sri Lanka bid round. Cairn Lanka (Private) Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cairn India and holds a 100 percent participating interest in the Mannar block.Cairn Lanka acquired 1,750 square kilometres of 3D seismic data in the Mannar Basin of Sri Lanka between December 2009, and January 2010.Based on the 3D seismic interpretation, several prospects and leads have been identified. Cairn will drill a total of three wells in the block using drillship 'Chikyu'. The drilling campaign will cost $110 million.

‘Released’ ex-LTTE cadres not allowed to go home with parents

A report on BBC Tamil service says, the “1,800 rehabilitated LTTE fighters released on Friday, September 30th after having rehabilitated them with skills development”, are yet to be re-united with their parents.According to a Sri Lanka Department of Information report, “ex-LTTEers underwent a two year rehabilitation programme at 24 rehabilitation centres in the North and the East”.The “reintegration” event was held under the theme titled in Sinhala as “Ekvenu Sema Nagamu Rata” (Lets get together and uplift the country) and presided by President Rajapaksa and government ministers in the presence of foreign dignitaries, ambassadors and High Commissioners.The Sri Lankan officials have said that a delay in readiness of issuing skills obtained certificates etc. prevented the ex-cadres joining parents the same day, but anticipate it happening in a matter of days, according to BBC Tamil Service.At least one other news report has also surfaced with varying views on the recent ceremony of “releasing 1,800 ex-combatants” as well as about the Sri Lanka government run ”rehabilitation” programme.John Dowd – president of the International Commission of Jurists in Australia is quoted in a news report in The Age of October 3, 2011 as having “condemned the program in the camps as ‘re-education, not rehabilitation’”.John Dowd who is a former New South Wales attorney-general, also said “Australia was lending legitimacy to a regime that refuses to allow an investigation of alleged war crimes during the country’s vicious civil war”. He was commenting on the participation of Australia’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka, Kathy Klugman at the event on Friday, Sep 30th at the Temple Trees.According to The Age, “A Foreign Affairs Department spokesman said Australia had not provided any funding for Sri Lanka’s rehabilitation programs.”Nor has Australia supported activities relating to ex-combatants in detention. Australia has urged the Sri Lankan government to charge or release ex-combatants,” he said”.In December 2009 during a fie day visit to Sri Lanka UN special envoy on children and armed conflict Maj-Gen Patric Cammaert said examples from across the world showed that children recovered better from trauma when living with their families.“Hundreds of children are still missing or separated from their parents. They must be reunited as soon as possible,” the Dutch UN official told reporters.“The aftermath of the conflict makes children extremely vulnerable,” he said. “Women and girls are particularly vulnerable and preventive measures have to be taken to protect them from any form of abuse such as sexual violence.”

Envoy draws ire for role in Tamil ceremony

A TOP Australian diplomat has handed out certificates to alleged Tamil rebels after they were put through two years of official ''rehabilitation'' at camps run by the Sri Lankan government.In a move condemned by a leading international law advocate, Australia's high commissioner to Sri Lanka, Kathy Klugman, took part in a ceremony in Colombo on Friday to release about 1800 Tamils after what the military called ''a two-year rehabilitation program''. But John Dowd - president of the International Commission of Jurists in Australia and former New South Wales attorney-general - condemned the program in the camps as ''re-education, not rehabilitation''.He warned that Australia was lending legitimacy to a regime that refuses to allow an investigation of alleged war crimes during the country's vicious civil war.More than 11,000 people surrendered in the dying days of the conflict that ended in May 2009 and had been held without charge in at least 24 military-run camps.Ms Klugman - who last month congratulated the ''effectiveness'' of Sri Lanka's security services for stopping a boat carrying 44 Tamils fleeing to Australia - was one of a number of foreign envoys, including from the US, at the ceremony. Local media reported she handed out certificates for skills training offered in the camps to the Tamils in areas such as carpentry and agriculture.Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said those released, reported as the last of those in detention, were rehabilitated according to international standards. ''We have made you a person worthwhile to society,'' he told them.But human rights groups accuse Sri Lanka of continuing to hold thousands of Tamil Tiger suspects under draconian anti-terrorism laws.Of the 44 Tamils stopped on September 11 on the boat to Australia, six have reportedly been accused of being former rebels and sent to a camp in the country's south.Sri Lanka has refused to allow an independent investigation into human rights violations by both sides in the four-decade war over a homeland for the island's Tamil minority.The Greens in Australia are demanding Sri Lanka be suspended from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Perth this month - a move Professor Dowd has backed.Australia has so far adopted a cautious line on Sri Lanka in international forums, last week praising the establishment of a Sri Lankan reconciliation commission in a statement to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. This came despite Amnesty International condemning Colombo's official inquiry into the final weeks of the conflict - when more than 7000 people are believe to have been killed - as ''flawed at every level''.A Foreign Affairs Department spokesman said Australia had not provided any funding for Sri Lanka's rehabilitation programs.''Nor has Australia supported activities relating to ex-combatants in detention. Australia has urged the Sri Lankan government to charge or release ex-combatants,'' he said.

02 October 2011

Sri Lanka’s removal from Commonwealth urged in Canadian parliament

“Will the Prime Minister take steps today to urge the commonwealth to revoke Sri Lanka’s membership until it holds the perpetrators to account and they are judged in international courts? Will he support calls from the international community for action against the Sri Lankan government, asked Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis in the Canadian parliament Thursday, accusing the government for doing nothing when thousands were butchered. Supporting the line, and criticising the government for idling too long, New Democratic Party MP, Rathika Sitsabaiesan urged the government to commit to a stand with immediate effect in calling for a UN inquiry on Sri Lanka. Replying, the foreign minister of the Conservative government, John Baird said, “The Prime Minister did not sit idly by when he expressed grave concern about attending a future summit of the Commonwealth in Colombo.” “I can say that the Prime Minister has spoken out loudly and clearly on this very important issue of human rights. I have certainly relayed the Government of Canada's position to both the high commissioner and directly to my counterpart, the minister of foreign affairs of Sri Lanka, to express our concerns on the lack of accountability for the serious allegations of war crimes, the lack of reconciliation with the Tamil community and with events that have taken place since the end of the civil war,” the Canadian foreign minister said.“Canada will continue to speak loudly and clearly on behalf of human rights around the world, especially in Sri Lanka,” he assured.Replying Rathika, the foreign minister said: “We did not sit idly by at the United Nations on Monday where I brought the plight of human rights violations to the floor of the General Assembly. The Prime Minister did not sit idly by when he expressed grave concern about attending a future summit of the Commonwealth in Colombo. We did not sit idly by when we spoke with the high commissioner to Sri Lanka and raised our concerns. I did not sit idly by last week when I met with the foreign minister of Sri Lanka to express our significant concerns.”“We have not sat idly by. We will continue to stand up, do the right thing and fight for human rights around the world, especially in Sri Lanka,” he reiterated.

Court takes up NE citizens’ rights petitions against Military, Police

Twenty one fundamental rights (FR) petitions filed in the Supreme Court, against the unlawful arrest and torture of innocent civilians of Navanthurai, Jaffna, by the Military and the Police, following incidents pertaining to the ‘grease devils’ phenomenon, were taken up on Thursday and listed for support on October 27.The Bench comprising Justices N.G. Amaratunga, S.I. Imam and Priyasath Dep directed that notice be sent to the respondents other than the Attorney General (AG).Petitioner Veenas Regi together with the other petitioners cited Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurasinghe, Inspector General of Police N. Illangakoon, Commander 51 Division Janaka Walgama, Commander 512 Brigade Ajith Pallawal, Deputy Inspector General of Police Neil Daluwatta, Senior Superintendent of Police Nevil Pathmadeva, Assistant Superintendent of Police A.M.C.A. Bandara, Headquarters Inspector Saman Sigera, Woman Police Constable Nadeeka and the Attorney General as respondents.Consequent to unidentified individuals referred to as ‘grease yakas’, allegedly with grease applied on their bodies to evade arrest, intimidating, harassing and causing bodily harm to innocent civilians of the North, East and other areas of Sri Lanka, the military and the police have arrested and detained many innocent individuals unlawfully.Petitioners claim that despite complaints to the police of several incidents pertaining to the ‘grease yakas’, they had not taken any action to arrest them, while senior Government officials and the Police deny that such incidents have taken place. The Defence Secretary is reported to have stated that the security forces had acted calmly and wisely, and that maximum punishment would be meted out to anyone who crosses the limit and takes the law into their own hands.Petitioner states that on August 22, around 9 p.m., he saw about 40 to 50 people shouting and moving towards Navanthurai junction. Then around 11.30 p.m., Army personnel arrived at his house, assaulted him and his sister’s husband with wooden and iron rods, and forcibly took them to the Navanthurai market junction, where he saw several people who had been arrested by the military. They too were forced into the buses and taken to the Jaffna Police Station.Petitioner further stated that after he was assaulted, he was forced to sign a statement written in Sinhalese, of which he did not understand a word. He said that after the proceedings he was admitted to Jaffna hospital.Petitioner states that his fundamental rights to freedom from torture, right to equality and equal protection, and his language rights guaranteed under article 22 (1) and (2) of the Constitution have been violated.

War crimes probe by HRC threat remains, Samarasinghe

Although Sri Lanka has managed to diffuse   attempts by  certain forces to  bring up war crimes related issues at the recently concluded sessions of the United Nationals Human Rights Council (UNHRC) , the threat remain of such attempts surfacing at the Council’s next session in March 2012,   Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said today.“It’s correct we have managed to diffuse the threat this time but I am sure that these attempts will continue   at the next sessions in March, 2012,” he said.The Minister who led the Sri Lanka delegation to the UNHRC session said that the Government is in the process of planning out how they would deal with such attempts in the future.Mr.Samarasinghe said the two main threats   that the delegation faced were the attempt to take up for discussion the Darusman report at the sessions as well as have an informal session on the Lessons Learnt and Recondition Commission (LLRC).Both attempts fell through after the Sri Lankan delegation assisted by the office of Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva   explained that such moves are not permissible as they violate the provisions of the UN Human rights convention.

Labour for probe into rights allegations in Sri Lanka

Britain's Opposition Labour Party on Thursday backed the demand of its Tamil activists for an international commission to investigate allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka.Addressing them at the party's annual conference in Liverpool, shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said there were “profound concerns” about the independence, accountability and witness protection capacity of Sri Lanka's domestic inquiry, the ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission'.“I feel it is right, and after discussions with my shadow frontbench team, to say we are not convinced that this Commission can do its work even with international participation and there does need to be an international commission that looks into the evidence,” he said.Mr. Alexander promised to take up with the government the move to deport 50 dissident Sri Lankan Tamils back to their country despite fears that they could face harassment.“We need to be clear that the British government has done its job in ensuring that these people are not going to be subjected to torture,'' he said.

National government after local government elections

A senior government minister told Lanka News Web that the President was likely to invite the UNP and the TNA to form a national government after the conclusion of the local government elections following requests made by several mahanayake theros to form a joint front to face the continuous accusations of war crimes leveled against the Sri Lanka by the international community.The President has discussed at length with several government ministers and senior officials about the formation of a national government based on an issue of national interest for a specific period of time.Therefore, the President has requested members of the government, especially Minister Mervyn Silva and parliamentarian Duminda Silva also known as Kudu Duminda, not to unleash any sort of violence against the UNP or any other opposition political party during the local government election campaign.The President has also ordered all ministers and government members in-charge of the election campaign to ensure that no derogatory comments are not made against the Opposition Leader or nay other member of the opposition during the campaign.However, the President has also ordered that the governing party members use the private media if there was a necessity to attack an opposition member.

Vietnam President to visit Sri Lanka with business delegation

President of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang will accompany a high powered business delegation when he makes a state visit to Sri Lanka in the second week of October. The visiting President will address a Sri Lanka -Vietnam Business Forum that will be followed by a 'business matchmaking' session on October 14 in Colombo, Sri Lanka - Vietnam Business Council said in a statement. According to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to which, the Sri Lanka - Vietnam Business Council belongs, said the visiting Vietnam business delegation is interested in setting up several joint ventures. These joint ventures include deep sea fishing, fish processing, agriculture and manufacturing of agriculture equipment, construction of hotels, shopping and apartment complexes, establishment of a Vietnamese Restaurant in Colombo and telecommunication services. The Chamber said they are also interested in tourism projects such as eco-tourism, spiritual tourism, inbound and outbound travel, airline services, banking, and shipping services. The delegates also wish to expand trade activities for products such as cement, fertilizer, canned fish, construction material, high breed rice, plastic products and electronics. Sri Lanka and Vietnam are also slated to sign several bilateral agreements during the Vietnam President's visit.

Lanka won’t share her fishing sea with India

Sri Lanka yesterday rejected Indian proposals to allow fishermen from both countries to share fishing resources in each other’s seas. “There will be no compromise in allowing Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters,” Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne said.His tough stand came ahead of next week’s Indo-Lanka talks in Colombo on the fisheries issue.Earlier, India’s then External Affairs Ministry Secretary Nirupama Rao, now India’s ambassador in Washington, had proposed an arrangement where both Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen could fish in each other’s waters. Dr. Senaratne said Sri Lanka would insist that Indian fishermen should not enter the country’s territorial waters while Sri Lanka would ensure its fishermen did not stray into Indian waters.Fishing in the Palk Strait, the waters that divide India and Sri Lanka, has become a contentious issue. Dividing the sea is only an International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), which the navies of both countries seek to maintain. However, fishermen from the two countries are known to end up in each other’s waters, sometime getting arrested and detained to face legal action.Officials from the India Defence and Fisheries Ministries are due for the talks which begin in Colombo on Friday. Sri Lanka will be represented by External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatillake Amunugama and Fisheries Ministry Additional Secretary Shantha Bandara. Meanwhile 76 more Sri Lanka fishermen who were arrested for entering Indian territorial waters remain in custody.However moves were underway to release 35 Sri Lankan fishermen before the joint working group meeting. A group 10 Sri Lankan fishermen who were released from custody was due to arrive in Kankesanthurai last afternoon.

LTTE activity in UK will be taken very seriously: British High Commission​er

Should there be evidence of LTTE terrorist activity taking place in UK, we want it to be reported to us, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, John Rankin stated. It will be taken very seriously and passed on to the police and Crown Prosecution Service for investigation and possible prosecution, he added.The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives made these statements in the second video of the ‘Ask the High Commissioner’ series, answering a question about possible legal action against alleged LTTE terrorists who might be living in the United Kingdom.The LTTE, he noted, is a prescribed organization in UK and across the European Union as a whole.“And so any terrorist action in support of the LTTE has been criminalized in our country since 2001.” John Rankin stated.

LTTE war machine runs in the Netherland​s: Prosecutio​n

The Tamil community in the Netherlands (between 9,000 and 13,000 men) has been “largely annexed” by the Tamil Tigers to the violent conflict in Sri Lanka. Through extortion and sedition, a “climate of fear” has been shaped among Dutch Tamils.This was the argument of Public Prosecutors (OM) Ward Ferdinandusse and Maartje Nieuwenhuis yesterday to The Hague court in a trial against five Tamils living in the Netherlands who were arrested in 2010.According to the prosecutors, the suspects have been operating a base in the Netherlands for Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE). The prosecution showed the defendants have overseen an international criminal and terrorist organisation involved in arson, bombings, murder, manslaughter and aggravated assault.The chief suspect, 52-year-old Schagen resident Ramaschandran S. was the international accountant for the LTTE, said the prosecutors. He is suspected of sending couriers around the world with cash to buy weapons for the Tigers. The OM is seeking a 16 year prison sentence for his crimes. Ten year sentences were demanded for three other Dutch Tamil Tigers, as well as for the alleged leader of the Dutch branch, 46-year-old Srirangam R. from The Hague.Since 1983, the Tamil Tigers have been fighting against the Sri Lankan army for control of an independent homeland in the north of the island. Because of the LTTE’s frequent attacks on civilian targets and their use of suicide bombers and child soldiers, the European Union has listed the group as a terrorist organisation. Two years ago, the Tigers were defeated by the Sri Lankan army. “But here in Europe, the LTTE is alive and well,” said Ferdinandusse.He called it “shocking” that Tamil children in the Netherlands “from their youngest years are brainwashed with the violent ideology of the LTTE.” In the Netherlands, the Tigers have 20 classrooms where children are bombarded during the weekend with propaganda. They make pictures of bombs and grenades. “They are told from childhood that their future lies not in the Netherlands, but in an independent Tamil state and that suicide bombers are heroes.”According to the Dutch prosecutors, the Tamil Tigers are busy raising funds for the conflict 8,500 kilometres away. In the Netherlands, they run organisations like the Tamil Youth Organisation and the Dutch Tamil Arts and Culture Organisation, which seek municipal subsidies. It is money that, according to the prosecutors, is used to lubricate the war machine. For example, the OM found that the municipality of Zeist financed a sporting day for the Tamils with 2,000 euros. The money ended up going to the LTTE. The suspects also demanded war taxes for the Tamils in the Netherlands. But if they could not pay, their family in Sri Lanka was forbidden to visit and they could not travel to the island.The suspects stoically listened to the indictment, which took all day yesterday. Ramachandran, who has lived in the Netherlands since 1985, sat motionless at the hearing, muscular arms folded across his chest. He allowed only a glance at images prosecutors showed on a screen in the courtroom. Among other things, they depicted recordings of marching Tamil child soldiers in Sri Lanka, an “inflammatory speech” commemorating a fallen comrade from defendant Srirangam in 2007 and a photograph of Ramachandran posing with LTTE founder, Velupillai Prabhakaran in Sri Lanka.Prosecutors said the defendant’s attitude in court matches the descriptions of the charges against him.According to Ferdinandusse, “the defendants lack regret, guilt or any opinion of the punishable character of their acts.” As he put it, they were “happy to point the finger at the alleged crimes of the Sri Lankan government, but lack self-reflection over their own crimes.”The OM is seeking long prison sentences over suspicions the suspects will commit crimes again. “Given the conscious, ideological and stubborn character of the criminal acts of the suspects and their complete lack of guilt, we should fear they will be repeated.” Radio Netherlands reports.

TULF wants new land registration scheme stopped

The Tamil United Liberation front has appealed to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to intervene and stop the scheme of registering lands in the Tamil-dominated North and East. The process is flawed and would leave most Tamils landless and homeless, it has said.“No one can succeed in collecting the required details asked for in the questionnaire…issued by the Ministry of Lands and Land Development for the registration of ownership of lands under the new scheme,” said V. Anandasangaree, TULF general secretary, in a letter to Mr. Rajapaksa. “The people very genuinely feel that this scheme is neither justifiable nor beneficial to them. They also feel that this is yet another scheme to harass them and are convinced that the Government has an agenda of its own for collecting the details asked for in the form,” he added.The scheme has been started in places where people were still being resettled, in stead of in districts where normality had been attained long ago. In the North and the East, many people did not have any documents, several had died without a will.“The Problems arising from certain properties cannot be solved by the Ministry of Lands. Let those problems be handled by the Court of Law and not by the civil or military officials…In respect of disputed property the parties can go to courts is the dispute relates to private lands. Let them go to the Government Agent if the dispute is about crown lands,” he said.

Sri Lanka releases hundreds of Tiger fighters

Sri Lanka released 1,800 rehabilitated Tamil Tiger fighters on Friday, as part of what it says are efforts to reconcile ethnic differences after a quarter of a century of war.The government argues its attempts to reintegrate separatist Tamil Tigers, who were defeated in May 2009, must be given time to take effect and says it is on guard to block Western moves to push forward a war crimes probe.President Mahinda Rajapaksa presided over the ceremony to release the former Tiger combatants, who have gone through job and language training before being released from government custody.A Western-led push for a war crimes investigation, backed by rights groups and spearheaded mainly by countries with large Sri Lankan Tamil populations such as Canada, gathered steam at the recently concluded U.N. Human Rights Council sessions.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent a report he commissioned, highly critical of the government, to the council, meaning member states could take its contents up and potentially force Sri Lanka to submit to a war crimes probe."Even though we managed to clamp down and defeated several attempts including that of Canada, we know that the threat is not over," said Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, who has a special brief to handle the war crimes issue at the UNHRC. At the UNHRC meeting, Canada brought a resolution to suggest that the next session in March should discuss a war crimes report by Sri Lanka's Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), due to be presented to Rajapaksa on November 15.

OTTAWA VS COLOMBO

Canada, home to the largest population of Sri Lankan Tamils outside the Indian Ocean island, criticized the government's human rights record for the first time on Thursday, which could lead to a confrontation at the 54-member Commonwealth summit of former British colonies in Australia next month.It also has threatened to boycott the next Commonwealth summit, which Sri Lanka is due to host in 2013."There can be many fresh attempts and we are now reorganizing and getting ready to face them with the support of our friendly nations," Samarasinghe said.Those include China and Russia, both U.N. Security Council members with the power to veto any moves against Sri Lanka there. That has led Sri Lanka's critics to attempt to bring about a probe in the rights council.The report commissioned by Ban, which Sri Lanka says is biased, inaccurate and mirrors propaganda from Tiger supporters, accused government forces of killing thousands of civilians indiscriminately.Diplomats say the war crimes pressure is mainly to force Rajapaksa's government to create a durable political compromise with Sri Lankan Tamils, to forestall a reignition of the war that stemmed from decades of post-independence moves that sidelined them politically.Sri Lanka has said its troops used only necessary and lawful force against the Tamil Tigers, a separatist group that was on the terrorism lists of 30 nations for its use of suicide bombers and child soldiers, among many other rights violations.

Sri Lanka Air Force gets two transport planes from China

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) received two Xian MA 60 passenger aircraft from China Friday to be used for passenger transport by its commercial arm Helitours, the Air Force announced.The aircraft were delivered at a ceremony held at the Ratmalana Air Base under the patronage of Wang Jian Feng, first Secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama.Sri Lanka has reportedly purchased the aircraft from China with the help of a Chinese government preferred loan scheme. The two 56-passenger MA60 twin engine turboprop aircraft made by China's Xian Aircraft Industrial Corporation are civil registered and to be used for domestic flights by Helitours.The peace-time Sri Lankan Air Force hopes to use the aircraft to expand its passenger flight service to regional destinations as well.

Death in custody: SI, 4 policemen arrested

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested five policemen in connection with the death of Gayan Saranga, who died while in police custody in Dompe last Friday.Police spokesperson SSP Maxi Proctor told The Nation that the CID had arrested a Sub Inspector, a Sergeant and three police constables in connection with the incident and added that they were being interrogated.Meanwhile, the body of Saranga, was handed over to his family after the post-mortem. When contacted by The Nation, hospital sources confirmed that the body was handed over to the family members yesterday.Saranga (28) was reported to have been a resident of Palahela, Dompe and a father of one. It was reported that Saranga had died after he jumped off the police jeep after his arrest. He had been arrested in connection with the theft of a water pump. Tensions erupted in Dompe soon after the incident. Villagers who surrounded the police station set fire to several vehicles, the police hostel and cafeteria and damaged two police cells.Proctor said that nothing could be said on how the victim had died until investigations were completed. IGP N. K. Illangakoon had handed over the investigations to the CID.Proctor said the situation had returned to normalcy by yesterday but added the police and the STF were on high alert in case of any repercussions.