Latest News from Sri Lanka

Current Significant Issues

 Monday, 27 June 2011 06:48 AM  

Sri Lanka responds to UK ultimatum ‘C4 engaged in move to push Sri Lanka back to war’

Sri Lanka responds to War crimes claims - Al Jazeera - Rajiva Wijesinha, a Sri Lankan member of parliament, and adviser on reconciliation to the president, responds to claims and footage aired by British broadcaster which alleges Sri Lankan troops carried out atrocities near the end of the civil war (U-Tube ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdrCR-X4iH0).

Answering the Lies - by S. Vasudevan - Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to express my disappointment and disgust with the article on Comment is Free, published 13/06/2011 entitled “Lifting the lid on Sri Lanka’s war crimes”. As a Sri Lankan Tamil living in the UK, I totally oppose the assertions being made in the article. Having visited Sri Lanka at least four times after the end of war in 2009, I have had many opportunities to interact with and speak to hundreds of war victims whose story bears no resemblance to the imaginative article found in the Guardian. These Tamils who have managed to escape the war are still praising the Sri Lankan army for their courage and dedication during the war despite the loss of at least 6000 soldiers. The real story is that these Tamils were held as hostages by the LTTE. I would like to challenge the figures being quoted of “40,000” Tamil casualties which interestingly are the same figures being reported by the BTF (British Tamil Forum –the LTTE’s UK Branch). If you were to actually do some investigations into the reports on missing people from the conflict being listed during 2009, you would have got a more accurate figure. When I spoke to people on the ground especially the war victims about the figures quoted by the BTF (and subsequently by you), they simply laughed it off and said it was LTTE propaganda in order to get the international attention to save them from the defeat.   ................

For example, I have listed below a small portion of unarmed innocent Tamil Politicians, Government Servants and other VIP’S that have been brutally killed by the LTTE

• A T Duraiyappah SLFP Mayor for Jaffna
• A Thiagarajah Ex ACTC MP for Vadokoddai
• K T Pulendran UNP Organiser for Vavunia
• A J Rajasooriar UNP Organiser in Jaffna
• Mala Ramachandran UNP MMC for Baticaloa
• Gnanachandiram Ex District Judge, Point Pedro and Government Agent, Mullativu C E
• Anandarajah Principal, St Jones College, Jaffna
• B K Thambipillai President, Citizens Cimmittee
• P Kirubakaran Primary Court Judge Kathiramalai
• Sarvodaya Leader Vignarajah Assistant Government Agent,
• MR.Samanturai Anthonimuttu Government Agent, Baticaloa
• S S Jeganathan Assistant Government Agent, Baticaloa
• Sinnadurai Assistant Government Agent, Trincomalee
• M E Kandasamy Principal, Palugamam Maha Vidyalaya
• Kanapathy Rajadurai Principal, Jaffna Central College
• S Siththamparanathan Principal, Vigneswara Vidyalaya, Trincomalee
• S Wijayanadan Distric Secretary, Ceylon Communist Party
• Velmurugu Master TULF Organiser and Citizens Committee Member, Kalmunai
• Rev. Father Chandra Fernando President, Citizens Committee, Batticaloa
• Rajjshankar President, Citizens Committee, Tennamarachchi
• S Sambandamoorthy Ex TULF Chairman, District Development Council, Batticaloa
• V M Panchalingam Government Agent, Jaffna
• K Pulendran Assistant Government Agent, Kopay
• A Amirthalingam TULF Leader and National List
• MP V Yogeshwaran Ex TULF MP for Jaffna
• T. Kailainathan Director of Vocational Qualification
• Dr (Mrs) Rajini Thiranagama Lecturer in Anatomy at the Jaffna University
• Ganeshalingam Ex EPRLF Provincial Minister for North and East
• Sam Thambimuttu EPRLF MP
• Mrs Thambimuttu Wife of EPRLF
• MP V Yogasangari EPRLF MP in Madras
• P. Ganeshalingam EPRLF provincial minister
• P. Kirubakaran Former EPRLF Finance Minister, North Eastern Province
• A Thangadurai TULF MP for Trincomalee
• Mrs Sarojini Yogeshwaran TULF Mayoress for Jaffna
• Thomas Anton Deputy Mayor of Batticaloa
• Pon Sivapalan TULF Mayor of Jaffna
• Pon Mathimukarajah TULF General Secretary, Jaffna Branch
• S.T. Tharmalingam SLFP Organiser, Jaffna District
• Canagasabai Rajathurai EPDF Member for Jaffna
• Veerahaththy Gunaratnam Member of the Pachchilaipalli Pradheshiya Sabha (PS) in Jaffna
• Dr Neelan Thiruchelvam Leader of TULF (29 July 1999)
• N. Manickathasan Vice President of Tamil Political party working with the Sri Lankan Government
• Vadivelu Vijeyaratnam Point Pedro Urban Council Chairman (14 Jan 2000)
• Anton Sivalingam EPDP’s Municipal Council members in Jaffna (1 March 2000)
• Kanapathipillai Navaratnarajah TELO member of Arayampathi, Batticaloa – on 7 June 2000
• Rajan Sathiyamoorthy Tamil National Alliance
• Kethishwaran Loganathan (54) Deputy Secretary General of Sri Lanka Peace Secratariat, SCOPE
• Lakshman Kadirgamar Foreign Minister and SLFP MP (National List)
• T. Kailainathan Director of Vocational Qualification
• Markandu Eswaram Chief Engineer
• I.Shanmugalingam STAFF REPORTER, Eelanaadu & EELAMURASU newspaper, Jaffna
• Venerable Sivashri Kungaraja Kurukkal.

 (Path2people : 15 June 2011)

SL responds to UK ultimatum ‘C4 engaged in move to push SL back to war’ - By Sujeeva Nivunhella in London - The External Affairs Ministry of Sri Lanka says that the UK based Channel 4 is backing a campaign by a small section of international media at the behest of certain vested interests living outside Sri Lanka to push Sri Lanka back to war by way of lacerating the wounded the country was attempting to heal. The External Affairs Ministry has said so in response to Tuesday’s telecast of Channel 4 documentary "Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields" and a statement attributed to British Foreign Minister for South Asia Alistair Burt giving an ultimatum to the government of Sri Lanka until the end of this year (2011) to carry out an independent, thorough and credible investigation into the allegations that war crimes were committed during the hostilities or face the consequences. Speaking immediately after the Channel 4 documentary Alistair Burt was quoted by the Foreign Office as having said: "Channel 4 footage, constitutes convincing evidence of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and if the Sri Lankan government does not respond they would support the international community in revisiting all options available to press the Sri Lankan Government to fulfill its obligations. The documentary, presented by newscaster John Snow, accused the Sri Lanka Government of executions, atrocities and shelling of civilians during the war. The programme also blamed the Tamil Tigers for using the civilians as human shields (Island : 15 June 2011).

Calls for probe after Channel 4 film on Sri Lanka - A Channel 4 documentary on Sri Lanka's 2009 military operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has prompted renewed calls for an independent investigation into allegations of violations of international law by both sides. The 60-minute documentary, “Sri Lanka's Killing Fields,” screened on Tuesday showed what the channel claimed was previously unseen footage of alleged atrocities against civilians in the final weeks of the operation which ended in the defeat of the LTTE. It depicted scenes of what purported to be extrajudicial killings. Men in military uniform were shown executing persons described as captured LTTE militants. It also showed alleged abuses carried out by the LTTE. Sri Lanka's Defence Ministry described the footage as fabricated and said the film was intended to discredit the army. British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said he was “shocked by the horrific scenes.” “The recent U.N. Panel of Experts' report, this documentary and previously authenticated Channel 4 footage, constitute convincing evidence of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The whole of the international community will expect the Sri Lankans to give a serious and full response to this evidence,” he said. Father S.J. Emmanuel, President of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), said it had “awakened the international community to the truths of how brutal this particular armed conflict had been.” The Forum's official spokesman Suren Surendiran called for “an international independent investigation into allegations of breaches of international law by both sides.” (Hindu ; 15 June 2011).

Canadian MP wants probe into alleged war crimes in SL - OTTAWA, ON - Canada’s first elected Tamil MP wants to see an independent inquiry into war crimes allegedly committed in her home country. Rathika Sitsabaiesan - the newly elected NDP MP for the riding of Scarborough Rouge River - says the international community needs to support an investigation into claims of human rights violations during the final weeks of Sri Lanka’s civil war. "Sustainable peace can only be achieved if these allegations are investigated and perpetrators are brought to justice," she said speaking to members of the media Tuesday on Parliament Hill. "It’s time to end the culture of impunity ... Canada has always been a champion of human rights and justice. We should speak up." Sitsabaiesan’s plea for action comes as a documentary put together by Britain’s ‘Channel 4’ television, titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’, hits the air for the first time. Sri Lankan authorities reject the authenticity of the video and say it is an attempt to discredit the government (Island : 15 June 2011).

Answering the Lies - by S. Vasudevan - This was a letter sent to the Guardian Newspaper in the UK by a Sri Lankan Tamil Activist living in London, to protest an article being produced in the newspaper regarding Sri Lanka and the end of the war in 2009. Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to express my disappointment and disgust with the article on Comment is Free, published 13/06/2011 entitled “Lifting the lid on Sri Lanka’s war crimes”. As a Sri Lankan Tamil living in the UK, I totally oppose the assertions being made in the article. Having visited Sri Lanka at least four times after the end of war in 2009, I have had many opportunities to interact with and speak to hundreds of war victims whose story bears no resemblance to the imaginative article found in the Guardian. These Tamils who have managed to escape the war are still praising the Sri Lankan army for their courage and dedication during the war despite the loss of at least 6000 soldiers. The real story is that these Tamils were held as hostages by the LTTE. I would like to challenge the figures being quoted of “40,000” Tamil casualties which interestingly are the same figures being reported by the BTF (British Tamil Forum –the LTTE’s UK Branch). If you were to actually do some investigations into the reports on missing people from the conflict being listed during 2009, you would have got a more accurate figure. When I spoke to people on the ground especially the war victims about the figures quoted by the BTF (and subsequently by you), they simply laughed it off and said it was LTTE propaganda in order to get the international attention to save them from the defeat (LankaWeb : 15 June 2011).

Lankan asylum seekers to be deported from Britain - Dozens of Sri Lankan asylum seekers, including some with links to the Tamil Tigers, are expected to be deported from Britain to return to the country.  About 40 are believed to be facing deportation, with human rights campaigners fearing the refugees may suffer reprisals in Sri Lanka.  News of the deportations came as ‘Channel 4’ showed video footage of alleged atrocities carried out during the final weeks of the 2009 conflict.  ‘Channel 4’ claimed the group of asylum seekers, many of whom are Tamil, were being forced back into danger with a flight believed to be scheduled for tomorrow.  Five of the 40 said their lives were at risk after claiming UK officials had passed paperwork about their cases to the Sri Lankan authorities.  Sam Zarifi, the Asia programme director for Amnesty International, said there was evidence that failed asylum seekers had been tortured.  He said: "If people are being returned to Sri Lanka, who are known or are suspected to be Tamils associated with the LTTE, the possibility of reprisals from the authorities are a concern."  A UK Border Agency spokesperson said: "Returns to Sri Lanka will only be undertaken if we are satisfied that the individual has no protection needs. The improving situation in Sri Lanka has meant it is safe to remove people there." (Island ; 15 June 2011).

Refugees trying to flee to Australia arrested in TN - A group of 24 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, lodged in two camps in Tamil Nadu, were arrested yesterday when they were attempting to travel illegally to Australia, the Tamil Nadu police said.  The refugees, lodged in Vridhachalam and Tiruchirappalli camps, were spotted standing near the seashore off Sonankuppam village in the early hours by the local villagers, who informed police, the PTI reported.  During questioning, the refugees told police that they had paid about Rs 700,000 to an agent for taking them to Australia by a mechanised boat, police said. The State Q branch police registered a case and are searching for the agent hailing from Vridhachalam in Cuddalore district.  Since last year, there had been several instances of Sri Lankan refugees attempting to illegally travel to Australia and other countries from different coastal towns in Tamil Nadu, neighbouring Puducherry and Kerala seeking greener pastures.  Last week, a group of nine Sri Lankan nationals were detained in Kochi following suspicion that they were trying to travel illegally to another country (Island : 15 June 2011).

SRI LANKA – Human Rights Violations - by F. Rovik - We see there is a lot of pressure to investigate Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka. Good. Let?s go ahead. Sri Lanka has nothing to hide, as far as I can see there is no credible evidence of any human rights violations against the LTTE terrorists. Yes, unfortunately, civilians died when the LTTE terrorist hided among civilians. Civilian casualties are unfortunate and should be avoided or limited at all cost. SLA has been able to do limit the civilian casulties and performed far better than the professional armies held by the ?super powers?. The Sri Lankan defence forces should be applauded for minimizing the civilian casualties. The human rights record is not perfect. There has been serious human rights violation that cannot be defended and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Some crimes are done by Sri Lankian nationals, others serious crimes committed by foreign nationals. The worst human rights criminal is Adele Balasingham. We have firm evidence this Australian nurse provided Cyanide capsules to brain washed minors. How many has died due to her actions are unknown, but the figure is substancial. Another human rights criminal is Erik Solheim, a so called Norwegian peace negotiator. He is a proxy of the failed Norwegian Peace Industry. Who firmly believed in bribing Sri Lankan?s to accept a LTTE fascist terrorist state. Erik Solheim?s untraditional negotiation methods included brothel visits, first class transportation and hefty use of alcohol. Well, Solheim failed, thousands of Sri Lankan?s lost their lives for Solheim?s dream of a Nobel peace prize. Despite of numerous phone calls from Sri Lankan expat’s he refused to do anything to stop the LTTE genocide on Tamil dissidents. Instead Erik treated the LTTE terrorists as statesmen and did his utmost to secure Norway oil rights in the LTTE occupied areas. Let?s help the Serbian war criminals with some new friends. Prosecute Adele and Erik, then send in the rest of the International LTTE organisation to the war crime tribunal (LankaWeb : 15 June 2011).

‘Ocean Lady’ operators arrested for human smuggling - TORONTO — Four people, suspected of organizing a human smuggling ship that brought dozens of Sri Lankan migrants to Canada’s West Coast in 2009, were arrested by RCMP officers in Toronto on Tuesday. The captains, chief engineer and assistant engineer of the MV Ocean Lady were charged with "organizing entry into Canada" and will be transported back to Vancouver this week to appear before a judge. "These individuals are alleged to be involved with organizing the overall venture and being active leaders on the vessel," Supt. Tom Jones, head of the RCMP Border Integrity Programme in B.C., told reporters. The arrests are the first to result from several ongoing RCMP investigations into Southeast Asia-based human smugglers who have ferried hundreds of Sri Lankan refugee claimants to Canada aboard two freighters. Charged are: Vignarajah "Raja" Thevarajah, 33; Francis "Mano" Anthonimuthu Appulonappa, 33; Hamalraj "Kamal" Handasamy, 39; and Jeyachandran Kanagarajah, 32. All are Sri Lankan citizens who came to Canada aboard the ‘Ocean Lady’. They were arrested without incident after they were told to report to the Greater Toronto Canada Border Services Agency office on Tuesday morning. If convicted, the CBSA could attempt to block their refugee claims and deport them. Jones declined to elaborate on what roles police believe the men played on the ship, but a classified document obtained by the National Post describes them as the operators of the vessel (Island ; 15 June 2011).

Jayalalithaa seeks curbs on Lanka for ‘war crimes’ - : Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa utilized her meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to roll out demands worth about Rs 1.80 lakh crore and play a positioning game on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, terming Colombo’s actions as "war crimes" and demanding economic sanctions. Her wish list of projects and welfare schemes are part of political exercises that regional leaders engage in with UP chief minister Mayawati having also previously put forward a Rs 80,000 crore demand. But in Amma’s case, the government did its bit to make her feel welcome, and just a bit special. With Jayalalithaa experiencing some discomfort in alighting from high platform automobiles, the government sent an SPG vehicle to Tamil Nadu Bhawan. This meant that she did not have to change vehicles inside the PM’s residence to use a ferry that takes visitors to Singh’s office (Island : 15 June 2011).

New Year bonus for people of North & East - The special coupon draw, organized by the National Lotteries Board, will take place at the TV Lanka Studio on June 17, 2011 at 2.00 p.m. This fortune can be achieved through a special coupon draw of the NLB, in respect of tickets sold, during the period of April 1 to May 31, 2011, in the North and East. Free special coupons, one for each lottery ticket, were issued with each ticket sold from April 1 to May 31 in the North and East – Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara. Along with the normal prizes given to lottery ticket winner, a three wheeler, motor cycle and Bicycles will be given as prizes for the special coupon draw to be held. The NLB has taken steps to expand its sales activities in the North and East and as a first step Sales Agents have been appointed (Island ; 15 June 2011).

Second-coming of Ban Ki-moon - P. S. Mahawatte, Colombo 5 - Ban Ki Moon is expected to win another term as UNSG perhaps because there is no rival candidate! It has been reported that Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the U.N. Palitha Kohana has strongly supported saying "Ban would be the ideal Asian to continue to lead the U.N." Although Moon has caused Sri Lanka a great deal of harm by his partisan action culminating in the Darusman Report and the letter forwarded by our Top Lankan specialist doctors to the UNSG to "disregard this controversial Darusman Report" giving factual reasons, Sri Lanka’s Palitha Kohana giving an interview to U.N. Bureau Chief Talif Deen says "surprisingly Ban also has strong support from Sri Lanka, a country which has been critical of the Secretary General for establishing a U.N. Panel of inquiry to probe war crime charges" (Island ; 15 June 2011).

A Dutch official scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka to investigate LTTE activities in the Netherlands

Is this what Darusman called "LTTE is the most desciplined Tamil Militant Grpup"? - By Malin Abeyatunga, Melbourne, Australia - The infamous Darusman Report says the Panel's determination of credible allegations against LTTE associated with the final stages of the war reveals six core categories of potential serious violations: (i) using civilians as a human buffer; (ii) killing civilians attempting to flee LTTE control; (iii) using military equipment in the proximity of civilians; (iv) forced recruitment of children; (v) forced labour; and (vi) killing of civilians through suicide attacks.  Contradicting the above statement, the Darusman Report goes on to say quote” "LTTE began as a Tamil liberation movement and eventually became the most disciplined and most nationalist of the Tamil militant groups” unquote. To disprove Darusman’s Report’s above statement whilst FBI branded it as the most ruthless and dangerous terrorist outfits in the world I compiled the following atrocities committed by the LTTE terrorist outfit on Sri Lankan from 1983-todate. Since the list is exhaustive running into over thousand suicide attacks, shooting, hacking ,claymore mines and bombs, I only have taken into account cvivilians killed more than seven at each incident to make it more readable at a glance. These atrocities are all committed by LTTE and hence I have at times ignored LTTE name to restrict space. I acknowledge with thanks for the information I obtained  from the SPUR Website and slnewsonline( www.spur.asn.au  and www.slnewsonline.net/latest.asp )which have been extracted from official records. There may be sometimes slightly inaccurate when the incidents occurred (varies within a day or two).The main focus of these information specially meant for those pro-LTTE Human Rights Organizations, authorities and politicians of western Governments, UNO and its Agencies, Embassies who still continue to look at LTTE as gang of Saints and specially to those three members of the Darusman Panel who manufactured a completely false and flawed report to UNSG Ban-ki-Moon against Sri Lanka to rethink and revisit of their report (Sri Lanka News Online : 15 June 2011).

‘Operation Koninck’ here - by Easwaran Rutnam - A Dutch official was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka yesterday (Tuesday) to conduct inquiries, as part of investigations being carried out under the code name ‘Operation Koninck’, into LTTE activities in the Netherlands. A spokesman at the Netherlands Embassy in Colombo told The Island that the visit had been organised by the Netherlands Justice Ministry and the Sri Lankan government. The spokesman said the official was from the Justice Ministry of the Netherlands and he would be here to conduct inquiries. However, he said he could not say who the official would meet and if LTTE members in detention were included. The Dutch authorities have launched a thorough investigation to uncover the prominent role LTTE leaders in the Netherlands played in financing the civil war in Sri Lanka. According to a Radio Netherlands report last month, some 90 witnesses have been heard, dozens of house searched and numerous documents, photos, computers, CDs and DVDs seized. It was reported last month that Dutch authorities investigating the financial network of the LTTE in the Netherlands were in the process of seeking permission from Sri Lankan authorities to interrogate former and current LTTE leaders in Sri Lanka. A Radio Netherlands report said Dutch authorities had negotiated with Attorney General Mohan Peiris for permission to interrogate 13 witnesses in Sri Lanka including former and current LTTE leaders. According to the report the Dutch magistrates and lawyers are also to travel to the United States to interrogate several US-based witnesses. In the US, the Dutch investigators plans to interrogate an LTTE leader named Pratheepan Thavaraja, who has struck a plea bargain agreement with the US authorities admitting he had purchased weapons for the LTTE (Island : 14 June 2011).

Canada arrests 4 over Sri Lanka migrant ship - OTTAWA — Canadian police arrested Tuesday four Sri Lankan nationals accused of being behind a 2009 operation that illegally brought 76 Tamils from war-torn Sri Lanka to Canada on a rickety freighter. All 76, including the four people arrested, requested asylum when they arrived off the coast of British Columbia in October 2009, after reportedly paying tens of thousands of dollars for passage on the freighter Ocean Lady. The four men arrested, aged 32 to 39, "are alleged to be involved with organizing the overall venture and of being active leaders on the vessel," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.  They were charged with human smuggling under Canada's immigration and refugee protection laws and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a CAN$1 million fine if convicted, authorities said. The refugee claims of all 76 Ocean Lady passengers are still pending. Police continue to investigate their possible ties to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), known as the Tamil Tigers, which is banned in Canada as a terrorist group. Following their arrival in this country, Canada's border agency singled out 25 of them as possible Tamil Tiger rebels fleeing Sri Lanka. The Tamil Tigers fought a brutal separatist war against the Sri Lanka government from 1976 until being crushed by government forces in May 2009 (AFP : 15 June 2011).

Lanka expects UK to thwart LTTE plans - Deputy HC Gooding on fact-finding tour in Jaffna - By Shamindra Ferdinando - The Government of Sri Lanka believes that the UK wouldn’t throw its weight behind those seeking to undermine post-war stability to avenge the LTTE’s defeat in May last year. Authoritative sources say that UK had become the centre of LTTE operations following the conclusion of the conflict. Sources expressed confidence that the UK High Commission in Colombo would help the British government realize the actual situation in Sri Lanka following the eradication of the LTTE. Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Mahinda Hathurusinghe on Monday (13) briefed the Deputy British High Commissioner Mark Gooding of post-war developments in the Jaffna peninsula. Gooding flew to Palaly air base on a two-day visit in the wake of the UK-based Global Tamil Forum (GTF) stepping up its anti-Sri Lanka campaign with the help of a section of British politicians. They are seeking the immediate establishment of international war crimes tribunal to investigate accountability issues in Sri Lanka. Gooding was accompanied by First Secretary and Head of Political Section of the High Commission David Burton. Military sources pointed out that the UK boycotted the recently concluded military symposium in Colombo which dealt with Sri Lanka’s triumph over LTTE terrorism. The UK joined several other countries, including the US and Australia in response to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International calling for an international boycott citing alleged military excesses (Island : 14 June 2011).

Channel 4 Video titled ‘Killing Fields of Sri Lanka’ to be aired on June 14, 2011 - by Mahinda Gunasekara, President of  SLUNA - I am writing to bring to the attention of your readers that the above video carrying scenes of extra-judicial killings of unidentified men by armed men dressed in Sri Lankan Army (SLA) uniforms, the authenticity of which is in dispute, is an attempt to shame and discredit the twenty million people and the government of the sovereign state of Sri Lanka which has just emerged from the 30 plus years of unbridled terrorism of the brutal Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). There are several unanswered questions relating to the date and location where the gruesome scenes were filmed, the technical issues pointed out by both UN hired experts and those contracted by the Sri Lankan authorities pertaining to the editing of the original film with more than one video layer making it more than likely of it having been doctored. Furthermore, the audio sounds are not synchronized with the video, plus the 17 frames which are deemed inconsistent and the encrypted date reading as UTC 2009-07-15 13:17:23 which is after the military action against the Tamil Tiger terrorists was brought to a close on May 18, 2009. The presence of a second video of the same events where the words spoken are in Tamil, and the perpetrators being Tamil Tiger cadres dressed in SLA uniforms. The extended video to be screened on June 14, 2009 according to the Asian Tribune of June 12, 2011 is a cut and paste job involving the editing of numerous video clippings which were available in the public domain including Sri Lankan Army footage, to fabricate a one hour long production. These pieces put together out of context would be misleading, but are yet intended to form the basis of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity to be brought against Sri Lanka (LankaWeb : 14 June 2011).

Channel 4 Screening Of Doctored Film Portrays; The Bourgeoise Mentality Of British TV Together With British Ministerial Comments Which Reek Of Duplicity! - By Sunil Kumar - It seems quite high handed and totally unethical that A British film documenting the final bloody weeks of Sri Lanka’s civil war, which it claims provides evidence of war crimes committed by government forces, will be broadcast on television on Tuesday at a time when the controversies rage over what really transpired, nothing has beep proven beyond reasonable doubt and the so called evidence backing up the allegations visibly doctored and cooked up towards which expert opinions have confirmed related doubts about authenticity. It seems easy enough to suggest thet the material The Channel 4 film uses consists of mobile phone, ‘official’ army and Tamil footage, satellite imagery and stills shot in the final stages of the Sri Lankan army’s battle against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatists in 2009 which have been contradicted and contested by the GOSL as a pack of lies created by disgruntled Tamil diaspora who were supportive of the Tamil Tigers and much evidence and plausible reasoning to to the contrary to accept the Government’s viewpoint yet British Television has the audacity quite overlooking protocols involved which could harm diplomatic ties between the two countries in an extreme case scenario and is typical of the bourgeoise mentality of organizations like the BBC who often seize the opportunity for cheap publicity which all this is tantamount to despite the serious nature of the portrayals in the fim which appear to be visibly cooked up from more than one perspective and certainy from the perspective of 100 percent accuracy which it lacks according to credible sources (LankaWeb : 14 June 2011).

Madhu where the LTTE began its retreat - By Shamindra Ferdinando - Except for isolated security points situated along the Medawachchiya-Mannar road, there is hardly any evidence to suggest once heavy military presence to meet LTTE threat on this vital road link. The LTTE operated in both sides of the jungles targeting both military and civilian targets. Now those travelling to Madhu shrine are unlikely to be stopped by troops until they reached the turn off to the 12 km long newly laid stretch of road leading to the church. Speeding along the Medawachchiya-Mannar road early in the morning to Madhu, the writer felt that with the conclusion of the war in May 2009, there had been a significant drop in the military presence, though some bases remained. Vehicles turning towards Madhu aren’t checked, though drivers had to report to an army point at the entrance to the road. Due to the coastal road north of Puttalam still being in a dilapidated condition, the majority visiting Madhu still had no option but to travel on A9 and take Medawachchiya-Mannar road. Once the coastal road is restored, pilgrims and travellers alike could reach Mannar sooner, without having to take the Puttalam-Anuradhapura road to reach Medawachchiya junction. Those driving along the Medawachchiya-Mannar road, come across Manik Farm and adjoining facilities run by the government with the help of UN agencies and other organizations for the war displaced. At the conclusion of the war, there had been about 300,000 IDPs and the vast majority of them were held at Manik Farm under the supervision of the military, though there are very much less than 20,000 persons accommodated there now (Island : 14 June 2011).

British Channel-4 TV allegations

Manipulating the medium and showing horror executions by/of LTTE terrorists ?

Please read this power point presentation - by Prof. Dharme Wardena

Thanksgiving to NGO culture and Brickbat to Our Man at UNO - by Gomin Dayasiri - Local NGOs’ heavily funded by foreign currency, express worthy textbook homilies on transparency, accountability, humanitarian concerns and good governance, aspects that require genuine attention in a country where there is a need for an urgent revisit for a revision on the present revulsion against such infirmities. The need is for genuine watchdogs and not pretentious lap dogs that bark for juicy bones on offer by their foreign master-sirs. Sound of such a lame dog barks, is treated locally on par with suspect rabid animals sequestered on quarantine after a stint abroad. They bark, as if, in bewilderment at the sight of dark faces after being cozy in the company of whites. The cures prescribed by the foreign funded NGOs’ are not to further national aspirations but for the inspiration of their yahoos in the west, whose power of attorney they hold locally. Whether it clashes with the ethos and tenets of local people and interests of the country are not their concern. They may diagnose the ailment correctly but prescribe the medicine incorrectly; are taken for quacks for making Sri Lanka a patient-results in damaging their own cause and making NGOs’ carry a foul brand name. On the prime national concern of terrorism- when it was obvious the negotiation process was a dead duck and the LTTE mind set was not for conflict resolution [peace talks meandered for a period of 21 years with no positive progress intermittently from 13 July 1985 at Timphu to 28.October 2006 at Geneva]-yet the local NGO community were adamant for the continuation of a mock peace progression and prolong the agony of terrorism. That was on the alien agenda. The military option was discarded, as it was anathema to their foreign stakeholders (Daily Mirror : 14 June 2011).

How Navi Pillay has been gunning for SL - by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP - I was pleased to read a vigorous denunciation by our Ambassador in Geneva of the negative comments about Sri Lanka contained in the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay. I had feared earlier that our Ambassador was far too trusting about Ms Pillay, perhaps having been taken in by her presumed penchant for sari parties, the all-girls-together approach that is no substitute for proper diplomacy. Having been told by a distinguished Indian that, whereas in Dayan Jayatilleka’s time there were requests for cooperation, we now simply asked for votes, I could understand why we seemed to be slipping behind in a world in which self-interest is all, and Sri Lanka is well on the way to being a lucrative object of self-interest on all sides. The fact that we are no longer the loser, into which continuing terrorism was rapidly turning us earlier, has been noticed, but not to congratulate us on our achievement but simply to raise the stakes (Daily News : 14 June 2011).

India must realize that the electoral prospects of the Congress Party are a matter of no consequence when compared to the disasters that await us if we accede to their demands/suggestions/requests and that it is we and not they who will have to suffer the consequences of following their idiotic demands/suggestions/requests, the tame acquiescence of the External Affairs Minister notwithdstanding - By S L Gunasekara (Island : 12 June 2011).

‘Channel-4 video a fake’– Video forensic analyst - Seventeen frames of video inconsistent with original video - Tigers carried out atrocities against their own people - The new Channel 4 video of alleged extra-judicial killings in Sri Lanka which the new UN Rapporteur, Prof. Christof Heyns claimed as being authentic after having same tested by three US forensic experts at the Geneva sessions of the UNHRC in June 2011, has once again been determined as a fake by Siri Hewavitharana of Australia, who is one of the world’s leading experts on digital video systems and former Head of Cisco’s Global Broadcast and Digital Video Practice division. Hewavitharana is presently the Executive Director of IPTV Systems in Sydney, Australia, the Lankan Defence Ministry website (www.defence.lk) said. Hewavitharana’s incisive comments relating to Channel 4’s latest video have been published in a news report carried in the Asian Tribune of June 6, 2011, the website said. It added that: “It must also be mentioned here that Jonathan Taylor, the foreign affairs correspondent of the Channel 4 News of UK claimed that the gun wielding men dressed in Sri Lanka army uniforms were members of the Sri Lankan Security Forces and that the alleged victims were members of the Tamil community without providing any proof as to their identities other than the UN Rapporteur stating that according to experts hired by him the video was authentic. We are aware that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers possessed such uniforms having overrun Sri Lankan Army installations in the past, which they donned to carry out atrocities against their own Tamil people and other ethnicities. “Yet other data to question the authenticity of the video, and grounds to reach other conclusions are given by us following the undernoted comments of Hewavitharana.” Full text of the analysis report published by Siri Hewawitharana (Daily News : 14 June 2011).

Time to say ‘thank you’, instead of ‘MYOB’ - by S. Akurugoda - The Island editorial titled ‘Enemies of Reconciliation’ quite correctly identified how all those nosy foreigners who forced themselves on this country as mediators, facilitators, co-chairs and the like have, instead of helping resolve the conflict, left it aggravated, compounded and intractable.  The first foreigner who came to mediate for us not only forced on us a so-called’ solution’, but even sent their ‘peace keeping force’ by force.  We had enough problems with the next foreigner, Norwegian, who volunteered to facilitate to find a solution to an unidentified problem. This foreigner brought the entire ‘peace brokering forces on earth’ under the name of co-chairs and attempted to keep us virtually under their rule.  Although patriotic forces of our country managed to get rid of those volunteers and were able to find the only ‘solution’ to the problem we were facing, apparently some of these volunteers still believe that their support is still necessary to find a ‘solution’. They still believe their so-called ‘solution’ coercing us into submission is the best.  Thousands of lives and billions worth of property have been lost and we Sri Lankans belonging to all communities suffered a lot for more than three decades because of these volunteers who promote solutions and it is time to say ‘thank you for your help, we can manage ourselves ’ diplomatically instead of saying MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) (Island ; 13 June 2011).

UNP to Government: Come clear on land, police powers to provinces - Stop bluffing; reveal agreement with India to parliament - Gayantha - by Zacki Jabbar The government should stop contradicting itself and inform parliament about the agreement it had reached with India on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which requires that land and police powers be devolved to the provinces, the UNP said yesterday. UNP Media spokesman Gayantha Karunathillake told a news conference in Colombo that the Rajapaksa regime should stop bluffing and changing its stance from time to time on a matter of national importance. Immediately after the war was over President Rajapaksa stated that land and police powers cannot be devolved, because they were LTTE demands. After External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris’ recent Indian visit to India the government said that it was prepared to go beyond the 13th Amendment. Last Thursday the Cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said that land and police powers were debatable issues. Following last Friday’s meeting between an Indian delegation, headed by Foreign Policy Advisor Shiv Shanker Menon and President Rajapaksa in Colombo, it was said that constituent members of the UPFA were opposed to devolving land and police powers, Karunathillake observed adding that it was high time the masses were told the truth. Shameless bluffing was the hallmark of the Rajapaksa regime, whether it was do with statistics pertaining to the cost of living, unemployment or economic development and the latest being the Private Sector Pension Bill, which was nothing but a camouflaged attempt to rob workers of their EPF and ETF savings, he said (Island : 13 June 2011).

"Channel-4 video a fake" - video forensic analyst - The new Channel 4 video of alleged extra-judicial killings in Sri Lanka, which the new UN Rapporteur, Prof. Christof Heyns claimed as being authentic, after having it tested by three US forensic experts at the Geneva sessions of the UNHRC in June 2011, has once again been determined as a fake by one of the world’s leading experts on digital video systems, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. The new Channel 4 video had been analysed by digital video expert and video forensic analyst Siri Hewavitharana of Australia, who is one of the world’s leading experts on digital video systems and former head of Cisco’s Global Broadcast and Digital Video Practice division. Hewavitharana is presently the Executive Director of IPTV Systems in Sydney, Australia. The MoD also said: "It must also be mentioned here that Mr. Jonathan Taylor, the foreign affairs correspondent of the Channel 4 News of UK claimed that the gun wielding men dressed in Sri Lanka army uniforms were members of the Sri Lankan security forces and that the alleged victims were members of the Tamil community without providing any proof as to their identities other than the UN Rapporteur stating that according to experts hired by him the video was authentic. We are aware that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers possessed such uniforms having overrun Sri Lankan army installations in the past, which they donned to carry out atrocities against their own Tamil people and other ethnicities. Yet other data to question the authenticity of the video, and grounds to reach other conclusions are given by us following the undernoted comments of Mr. Hewavitharana. Full text of the analysis report published by Siri Hewawitharana: (Island : 13 June 2011).

Tamil Nadu Politics ! - By P a Samaraweera, Australia - As soon as Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa (JJ) took over, she got some resolutions passed by the Tamil Nadu government against Sri Lanka. One of them was for New Delhi to get the UN to launch an investigation on Sri Lanka for war crimes. The second was for the Indian government to impose economic sanctions against Sri Lanka. The third was to retrieve Kachchativu Island ceded to Sri Lanka during the Indira Gandhi regime. The Chief Minister had also expressed concern over the poor pace of rehabilitation of the LTTE cadres. With regard to this, the SL govt had made a statement in Parliament last week, saying that from about 15,000 cadres held in camps after the war, the current figure is 839. The Indian govt had undertaken the construction of the railway track to Jaffna which was destroyed by the LTTE. India is also in the process of constructing 50,000 houses to those displaced during the war. Several Indian teams are now involved in demining the war torn North. And there are a number of economic projects which India had invested in the North and the East. So if the Indian govt acts on the advise of Chief Minister JJ, it is the Tamil people in the North and the East who will be affected most. This shows the short sightedness of Tamil Nadu politicians. Looking back, in 2002 JJ passed a resolution urging the central govt to push Sri Lanka to arrest Prabhakaran and hand him over to India and not to allow any LTTE member inside India. At that time she supported the Sri Lanka war against the LTTE (Island : 13 June 2011).

Indian model should be adopted: TULF - The Indian Model of federalism can be considered a satisfactory solution to bring about lasting peace in the Northern Province, Tamil United Liberation Front president V. Anandasangaree has said. “A unitary constitution will never be accepted though the government is very firm on that stand. The people of the North and the East do not wish to be under any subjugation, which they have already undergone for more than 25 years. De-militarisation should start forthwith. With so much publicity given to the atrocities of the army personnel and the LTTE cadre, people are terrified over the presence of the army in every nook and corner of the North and the East,” he said. Mr. Anandasangaree and Tamil leaders D. Sitharthan and T. Sritharan met the Indian troika headed by National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and also submitted a memorandum detailing immediate steps needed to usher in peace in the Northern Province. The leaders alleged that hundreds of youths were under detention without trial for many years for trivial offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. They should be either released immediately or brought to trial, they said. Also, thousands of innocent youths who had surrendered at the request of the government and were promised they would be released in a very short time had been branded as LTTE cadres and were being detained in rehabilitation camps. The Tamil leaders wanted the real LTTE cadre to be brought to trial and demanded the unconditional release of the thousands of innocent ones. “Every IDP should be allowed to get into the land which he/she claims as his or hers. Only in the event of a dispute between two or more claimants, civil officials should intervene to settle the dispute. This should apply even to lands that are now held by the army as coming under the High Security Zone and also those lands the LTTE compulsorily took over with or without any payments,” said Mr. Anandasangaree (Hindu : 13 June 2011).  Read more about the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in Sri Lanka

Visiting military leaders visit Pinhota (Poonthottam) Rehabilitation Centre for ex-LTTE combatants.

Top Tamil Nadu politicians say: Resolution against SL inappropriate - ‘Age-old tactic to mislead people’: Two leading South Indian politicians have condemned the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution against Sri Lanka describing it as misleading and highly inappropriate. Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy on Saturday described as “not only ridiculous but also highly damaging for India’s national interest,” the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution asking the Centre to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka, the Hindu reported. Meanwhile, DMK President M Karunanidhi has termed the resolution against Sri Lanka by the chief minister, as an age-old tactic adopted to mislead the people, according to the Express News Service. According to the news report, Swamy has said that the resolution had failed to mention the human rights violations done by the LTTE. “Jayalalitha should concentrate on providing electricity and restoring law and order in the State. Her election victory was solely due to the Tamil people’s anger over the 2G spectrum scam. “She must use the mandate for the benefit of the people of India and not the LTTE,” the Hindu quoting Swamy said. Incidentally, the Tamil Nadu State Assembly resolution was adopted on the eve of the visit by a high powered three member Indian delegation to Sri Lanka. The Indian delegation, led by Indian National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and comprising Foreign Ministry Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar concluded their visit on Saturday. They met President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other senior officials and had held discussions on bilateral issues important to both nations (Daily News : 13 June 2011).

Tearing Americans apart: Groundviews and surrender of terrorists - by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP - One factor that emerged during the recent seminar on Defeating Terrorism were the very different interpretations of the concept of surrender. David Kilcullen declared at one stage that the strategy adopted by our forces ‘gave the Tigers no opening to surrender’. Rohan Guneratne pointed out that this was not the case, and indeed early on, in February, when the Co-Chairs of the Peace Process called on the Tigers to surrender, the government would have certainly accepted this. What government was insistent on, having repeatedly requested the LTTE to return to Peace Talks, was that any surrender be unconditional. This reality the Co-Chairs seemed to recognize, and it led to great anger on the part of the Tigers. The Norwegian ambassador noted that their fury was directed primarily at the Norwegians, whom they accused of betrayal. I have no idea myself what understanding the Tigers thought they had reached with Solheim, but certainly the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, as represented by both Hattrem and his predecessor Bratskar, had no illusions about the brutality of the Tigers (Daily News : 13 June 2011).

‘Kachchativu’s sovereign ownership lies with SL’ - by Chamikara Weerasingha - The Kachchathivu island in the Palk Straits is a territory of the Sri Lankan State. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratna said yesterday the resolution moved by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha to retrieve the island from Sri Lanka carries zero weight in terms of its sovereign ownership by the country. Dr Senaratna stressed that the exercise of the Kachchativu island’s jurisdiction is with Sri Lanka. Its jurisdiction had been cemented by successive agreements signed between Sri Lanka and India in 1974 and 1976. “There is no way that a provincial administration such as the Tamil Nadu Provincial Government can have any impact on a bilateral treaty signed between two sovereign States,“ Dr Senaratna pointed out. “A resolution moved by an assembly of a provincial government cannot alter or reverse an agreement signed between two governments,” he added. The issue of Kachchativu island has been a part of Tamil Nadu politics. President Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected a call for the return of the Kachchativu island by the Tamil Nadu Government in 2001, May as then Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister stating,” it is impossible to give the island back to them as it has been recognized by the international community as an integral part of Sri Lanka since it was handed over by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he said.” Dr Senaratna said the Fisheries Ministry is faced with problems centred on overfishing by Indian fishermen who enter into Sri Lankan territorial waters and catch fish by bottom trawling. Bottom trawling kills millions of fish unnecessarily and is illegal in Sri Lanka. “We are planing to resolve the crisis of trespassing and overfishing in our waters,” he said. “The government will deal directly with the India Central Government to resolve any problems in this concern,” he said. An Indian high level delegation will be here to discuss the issues pertaining to fisheries between Sri Lanka and India shortly, Dr Senaratna said. These talks are expected to develop economic , political and friendly ties between the two countries, he added (Daily News : 13 June 2011).

Readiness for a solution to the conflict - by Wasantha Priya Ramanayake - Translated by A.A.M. Nizam - “The Tamil people have understood that there is no alternative but to wage war to win the right to take our own decisions. By self-decisions it is meant that our right to decide freely, only by ourselves, without any external interference on matters that affect our political life.” Velupillai Prabhakaran made this statement in his last Mahaviru Day Message in 2008. On whatever grounds attempts were made to hold discussions with them, the Tiger’s demand was clear. He emphasized by “Right to decide freely by ourselves without any external interference” was a ‘Confederation’ or ‘United’ status. Or else with the right to exist as two separate nations in one country. By commissioning the Kokavil telecommunication transmission tower, President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated that he is not prepared to grant this Tiger demand. That he is not prepared to grant it under any pressure or under any circumstance. He re-emphasized that “Some demand what the Tigers demanded. Under any circumstances what the Tigers demanded will not be granted.” “Political solution is an internal affair of ours. This we should discuss with the political leadership of the North and with the political leadership of the South. It cannot be forcibly imposed”, the President further said on that occasion (Daily News ; 13 June 2011).

Political interest on Jayalalithaa's two-day visit to Delhi today - It is one visit that will be the cynosure of all political eyes in the capital. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa will arrive here tomorrow on a two-day visit, loaded with political significance. Relations between the Congress and Jayalalithaa’s rival, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), are not exactly warm. Not only has the DMK got a thorough drubbing in the Assembly elections, but also several of its nominees at the Centre — party head M Karunanidhi’s daughter, Kanimozhi; nephew and textile minister Dayanidhi Maran, and associate A Raja — are under intense CBI scrutiny on charges of corruption. The Congress would love to see the DMK go away – except that the latter has 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha, supporting the Congress-led UPA. By contrast, Jayalalithaa has just nine MPs (Business Standard : 13 June 2011).

Channel 4 – A Curse - By K.T.Rajasingham During the ongoing UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, two events were held on 3rd June - one of them was the screening of the Channel 4 video organized by the Amnesty International on the sidelines and the other was the event organized by the Sri Lanka Government. By telecasting the one hour extended Channel 4 video show organized by the Amnesty International, a non-profit organization, claimed to be advocating human rights, the West had their cruel fun over the miseries of the Sri Lankan Tamils in particular and Sri Lankans in general. They were advocates, jurors and judges; subsequently they insisted that Sri Lanka has to be tried for war against humanity and for war crimes. The delegates representing some NGOs, based on their unsubstantiated evidences, passed their own judgment saying, "Sri Lanka should be tried for crimes against humanity and for war crimes". I was in Geneva on that day representing World Institute For Asian Studies, which publishes the online daily www.asiantribune.com (Asian Tribune) and saw the so called 1 hour extended version of the Channel 4 presentation – a curse, the loathsome exploitation of the miseries of the Sri Lankan Tamils. When I viewed the extended version put forward by the Channel 4, I had a nauseating feeling and it provoked revulsion, hate and anger over those involved in producing a video not based on facts, but on revenge and anger on the Government of Sri Lanka and its President to fulfill the vested interests of the West. They failed to see it is all about shaming a sovereign country where more than 20 million peace loving citizens were involved (Asian Tribune ; 13 June 2011).

Amnesty International hosts Channel 4 at the U.N. - Amnesty International had in the past been scrupulous about the manner in which it conducted itself. Nationals were not employed to report on home countries. Evidence was precise and to the point. On Friday the 3rd, Amnesty hosted a session on Sri Lanka in Geneva. In a two hour session, 53 minutes was devoted to a documentary ostensibly on the last phases of the war by Channel 4 narrated by John Snow previously of BBC which included pure propaganda including a statement that rape was widely committed across Sri Lanka. The documentary is due to be aired soon on UK TV. The original Channel 4 clip was of 1.5 minutes duration. Subsequently reported as footage from a mobile phone, expanded now to include still photos, images sent from LTTE CDMAs from the zone, edited video imagery, unlike the hallmarks of standards previously associated with Amnesty International (Daily Mirror ; 13 June 2011).

The ‘Injuns’ have come: What do we do? - By S. L. Gunasekara - It is reported that a ‘high powered’ delegation of Indian officials has now arrived in Sri Lanka to claim their ‘pound of flesh’ in the form of what our apology for a ‘Minister of External Affairs’, G. L. Peiris is alleged to have promised them. These promises, it is reported, include the repeal of the Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the implementation of a system of devolution of power more extensive than that envisaged in the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. It may or may not be desirable to repeal the Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act. If it is desirable it should be done post-haste. However, whichever way one looks at it, the decision whether to repeal those laws or not is a matter for us and only for us who must view the matter solely from the standpoint of the needs of our country. What laws we should be governed by is certainly not a matter for India or any other foreign country. As President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in his message to the Nation on the anniversary of our victory over terrorism, it is we and not any one else who must find solutions to our problems. While being dictated to by India or any other Country however powerful about what laws we should repeal and what system of government we should have, constitutes a wholly outrageous infringement of our independence and sovereignty, there is a far more compelling and mundane reason why we cannot bow to the dictates of foreigners about the governance of our Country, and that is, that while the foreigner [even in the unlikely event of his acting bona fide or meaning well] can make ‘demands’ on us which are couched in the form of ‘requests’ or ‘suggestions’, it is we and not the foreigner who would have to live with the results of following his ‘demands’/’requests’/’suggestions’. The foreigner having given us the less than doubtful ‘benefit’ of his ‘demands’/ ‘requests’/’suggestions’ will be thousands of miles away in the comfort of his country when we have to face the consequences of following his ‘demands’/ ‘requests’/’suggestions’ (Island ; 12 June 2011).

C4 documentary:Conservatives, Labour sponsor LTTE motion - By Shamindra Ferdinando - The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has used an influential section of British parliamentarians and defeated MPs in its campaign to throw their weight behind its war crimes campaign against Sri Lanka. Two of the MPs, Siobhain McDonagh (Labour) and Lee Scott (Conservative), who were at the launch of the GTF at the House of Commons on Feb. 24, last year sponsored a motion calling for an independent, international investigation into war crime allegations in Sri Lanka. Both McDonagh and Scott addressed the House of Commons gathering at the launch of GTF, led Fr. S.J. Emmanuel, which now spearheads the anti-Sri Lanka campaign. The action by the Conservative and Labour MPs followed the GTF launching a mega campaign to involve British parliamentarians in its anti-Sri Lanka campaign. Sources said that the government had received a soft copy of ‘lobbying tool-kit to raise awareness of Parliamentarians on war crimes in Sri Lanka’ prepared by a British national, Stuart Drakes, on behalf of the GTF. The GTF’s ‘lobbying tool kit’ has cited a recent statement attributed to UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Christof Heyns (dean of the law faculty at the University of Pretoria in South Africa) that video footage provided to his office by Channel 4 News in the UK revealed war crimes in Sri Lanka. The GTF urged the LTTEsupporters in the UK to engage their MPs ahead of tomorrow’s airing of the one-hour long Channel 4 documentary, ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’. The joint Conservative and Labour motion follows the GTF’s latest intervention. The following is the text of motion: "That this House notes Channel 4’s documentary, Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields, broadcast on 14 June 2011, which features devastating new video evidence of war crimes during Sri Lanka’s civil war; further notes that certain footage has been authenticated by the UN and has been declared as evidence of definitive war crimes by the UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial killings; condemns strongly the Sri Lankan government for dismissing outright the analysis of the UN Special Rapporteur and its unwillingness to engage in a proper accountability process; urges all hon. Members to view the Channel 4 documentary; supports the Government’s policy of an independent investigation into these allegations; and calls on the UN to establish an independent, international mechanism to ensure truth, accountability and justice in Sri Lanka." (Island : 12 June 2011).

Resolution seeking sanctions on Lanka ‘ridiculous’: Swamy - Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy today described as "ridiculous" the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly seeking economic sanctions on Sri Lanka by India and some other countries, saying it would be "highly damaging" for India’’s national interest. "The resolution asking the Centre (for economic sanctions on Sri Lanka) is not only ridiculous but highly damaging for India’’s national interest," he said in a statement here. Swamy claimed that while the resolution was adopted based on a UN report on alleged human rights violations by Lankan armed forces during the conflict with the LTTE, "the said UN report also blames the LTTE for provoking and committing human rights violations in equal measure." "The Assembly makes no mention of that, showing it to be a highly partisan and narrow-minded resolution," he charged. Asking Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to focus on providing electricity and restoring law and order in the state, he said AIADMK’’s victory in the April 13 polls was due to peoples’’ anger at DMK’’s alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam case, in which she "played no role except issue statements." "Hence she must use this mandate received due to my efforts in exposing the 2G spectrum scam case, for the benefit of the people and not for the LTTE in Sri Lanka, for most of them are dead or gone anyway," he said. Further, Swamy also requested Ramdev, who is on an indefinite fast on the issues of corruption and black money, to withdraw his fast (Island ; 12 June 2011).

The Landscape of the LTTE’s Last Redoubt, May 2009 - Michael Roberts, 7 June 2011 first draft on 30 May 2011 -  In May 2011 we have seen different forms of commemoration of the coup de grace delivered to the LTTE as a fighting force in Sri Lankaas a result of the combined operations of the army, navy and air force. The government of Sri Lankahas organised their own versions of the type of celebratory commemoration that marked VE Day every 7th of May after World War Two ended. Pro-Tiger and Tamil nationalist elements in migrant circles abroad have marked it as day of reflection and protest. Gordon Weiss has chosen this moment to launch The Cage, a scathing attack on human rights violations by both sides during the Eelam War IV, as one part of a concerted movement targeting the Sri Lankan government as candidates for war crimes procedures (a campaign that carefully refrains from charging Rudrakumaran and others who were part of the LTTE’s official arms abroad in the 2000s). events of May 2009 loom prominently now, it is pertinent to dwell pictorially on the locale of the final battle and the denouement of the LTTE. That locale was the strip of coast abutting Nandikadal Lagoon, to which the LTTE retreated by mid-April. It was an area decreed as a “No-Fire Zone” by the government on 12 February. I shall depict this territory as “the Last Redoubt.” This was an area that was approximately 13 by 4 kilometres in length and breadth. From February if not earlier this area had drawn a large proportion of the fleeing Tamil people whom the LTTE had corralled as a bargaining chip, labour pool and protective ‘sandbags’. Though no less a person than DBS Jeyaraj has described their situation as one of bondage under the LTTE,[1] in my conjecture a segment of those held ‘hostage’ were staunch Tiger supporters and willing ‘hostages’ right to the end (LankaWeb : 12 June 2011).

SL Ambassador tells East-West Centre:Defeat of terrorism helped restore rights of every community - Peace and freedom from fear and violence were among the basic human rights which the government of Sri Lanka had restored for all Sri Lankans including Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims and Burghers and Malays by defeating terrorism and restoring democracy, Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States Jaliya Wickramasuriya said recently in his address to the East-West Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii on June 2. The Ambassador said: "Sri Lanka prides itself as a democracy. We also pride ourselves on having defeated a terrorist group that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) branded the world’s worst. And we pride ourselves on freeing our people and helping them to overcome the hardship caused by years of strife." Critics of Sri Lanka were distorting the facts about the country’s historic victory over terrorism in May 2009, Ambassador Wickramasuriya said. The resettlement of civilians displaced by the conflict had been well in place since the end of the conflict, he said. Ambassador Wickramasuriya noted that the armed forces exercised maximum restraint and maintained a zero-civilian-casualty policy during the humanitarian mission to rescue the civilians from the clutches of LTTE terrorism. "The destruction of a relatively small band of terrorists freed my country, and its people, to live and prosper in peace as they have every right to do and now they are doing it, and doing it well," he added. Sri Lanka’s economy had recorded a GDP growth rate of 8% in 2010, the Ambassador said, while unemployment and inflation remained low. Tourism increased by 50%, and was blooming rapidly during the current year and foreign investment was expected to reach $1 billion in 2011, he told the East-West Centre. "Sri Lanka has received important financial support from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank," the Ambassador further noted. "The IMF, in particular, monitors our economy and has given us consistent high marks. The World Bank has also reported that Sri Lanka is moving from a developing to a middle-income country" (Island ; 12 June 2011).

Enemies of reconciliation - Nothing exemplifies the old adage, Too many cooks spoil the broth, better than Sri Lanka's conflict resolution process. It is doubtful whether there is a single country in the world that does not want to have a finger in Sri Lanka's pie. All the meddlesome foreigners who forced themselves on this country as mediators, facilitators, co-chairs and the like have, instead of helping resolve the conflict, left it aggravated, compounded and intractable. Newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa is behaving as if bashing Sri Lanka were her raison d'être. Mum's the word on her part about grinders, gold etc she promised her voters in return for their votes before the recently concluded election! One of the first things she did after being sworn in as CM was to have a resolution passed in the TN Assembly condemning Sri Lanka and urging New Delhi to slap economic sanctions on it. There is reason to believe that her resolution was passed in a hurry in time for a visit by a high level Indian delegation here over the weekend. Ironically, the DMK known for its sympathy for the LTTE was the first to condemn Jayalalithaa's resolution as a move to mislead the people of Tamil Nadu. It has pointed out that Jayalalithaa now shedding crocodile tears for the LTTE even called upon the Centre, in 2002, to have Prabhakaran arrested and extradited to India to stand trial for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Besides, she had to put herself in a bullet-proof jacket in view of LTTE threats some years ago. Why has she made a U-turn? (Island ; 12 June 2011).

Government Response Insufficient to Counter Terrorist Attempts to Lift the EU LTTE Ban - by  Dilrook Kannangara - Terrorists have hired lawyers to argue their case at the EU Court of Justice. The case has been allowed to proceed and the EU Court is currently hearing it. Lifting the LTTE ban in the EU or otherwise will be decided. Needless to say the outcome will have a critical impact on the nation. However, as usual, the government response has been next to nothing. Surely it is a matter for the EU Court to decide but the LTTE has come a very long way from its criminality over the past 6 years since its ban in 2005. For 6 years the government could not convince EU officials the need to curtail this rapid and steady recovery of LTTE fronts. Even at this late stage nothing seems to be aimed at pointing out the Lankan side of it to the EU. The verdict may not be in favour of terrorists, but they will keep trying. Nation’s national security cannot be left to chance. A proactive approach is needed (LankaWeb : 12 June 2011).

UK Channel 4, fools a naive home audience with low grade TV Programmes with faked films, and Discredits a Sovereign States for a « fistful of Dollars ». - By Charles.S.Perera UK - Channel takes up controversial issues and projects them to suit their pre-planed object and in doing so it does not stop short of showing the factual information, but goes beyond to falsify the information to fit into their planned intention. It was what they did with the documentary it presented in its TV Channel on « jihadist preachers in mosques » called the Undercover Mosque. The West Midland Police in UK reported the Channel 4 to industry regulator Ofcom over the way an undercover programme was edited. West Midlands Police carried out an investigation into three speakers in the programme- Undercover Mosque. The Crown Prosecution Service, speaking about the programme said, it “completely distorted ” what the speakers said. Of course the spokesman for the Channel 4 Gavin Dawson said, « We believe the offensive views expressed by the people revealed in the programme speak for themselves. We didn’t put these words into people’s mouths and all extracts were carefully contextualised….. » ( But this is what they are completely capable of doing.) Another Mosque presented in the programme was the Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham. The spokesman speaking for the UKChannel 4 said that, « It investigated mosques run by organisations claiming to be dedicated to moderation and dialogue with other faiths .» After the programme was presented by the Channel 4, the spokesman for the Green Lane Mosque said , that, « ….he had been shocked by the programme and was thankful the mosque’s name had been cleared…. ». Abu Usamah, one of the preachers featured in the programme, said he was shocked when he saw himself depicted. He added, that, “ It was the fact that Green Lane Mosque has a 33-year-old tradition of preaching and teaching the moderate version of Islam. To try and demonise the efforts of these people by taking their comments out of context was shocking. “ (LankaWeb : 12 June 2011).

No police, land powers to PCs; President conveys decision to Indian officials

An article on "13th Amendment to the Constitution" by Dr Gunadasa Amarasekara (Divaina : 12 June 2011).

No police, land powers to PCs President conveys decision to Indian officials, collision course feared - By Our Diplomatic Editor - President Mahinda Rajapaksa told a high-powered Indian delegation yesterday his government was not able to concede land and police powers to provincial councils in accordance with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The move, the Sunday Times learns, follows strong opposition from constituent partners of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). On Friday, President Rajapaksa drove to the parliamentary complex in Sri Jayawardhanapura-Kotte for a meeting with the leaders of political parties that constitute the UPFA. They are said to have expressed strong objections. One of the primary purposes of the visit to Colombo by a three-member Indian delegation was to urge the government to fully enforce the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. The fact that India urged that such a step be taken by the government was reported exclusively in the Sunday Times of May 15. The Indian delegation comprised National Security Advisor Shiv Shanker Menon, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar. India’s High Commissioner Ashok Kanth was also associated with yesterday’s talks. The government’s tough stance in not giving land and police powers to provincial councils is expected to pitch Colombo and New Delhi on a collision course diplomatically. This is particularly in the light of talks in the Indian capital between Indian External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna and his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris when he visited India. Dr. Peiris had agreed that a “devolution package, building upon the 13th Amendment, would contribute towards creating the necessary conditions for such reconciliation”. The move, Indian officials argue, was the latest commitment given by a Sri Lanka Minister and was thus incorporated in an official joint statement. However, President Rajapaksa is learnt to have told the Indian delegation that his government would concede many other subjects that are incorporated in the Concurrent List that accompanies the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. He has also told the Indian delegation that his government will withdraw Emergency Regulations with regard to terrorist activities in the North and East since there was no more war in these two regions (Sunday Times : 12 June 2011).

13th Amendment: Bone of contention drags on - The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka laid out a framework for devolution of power including police and land powers to the provincial councils in an attempt to empower regional governance frameworks. Although never fully implemented, the amendment remained one of the most talked-about issues over the past three decades. Now, two years after the conclusion of the conflict, the amendment still remains a hot topic as India applies pressure on the Sri Lankan government to implement it fully, and to devolve power to the provincial councils, thereby reducing the overarching control of a concentrated central government structure. The Nation spoke to a cross-section of opinion makers and politicians (The Nation ; 12 June 2011).

Lawyer Gomin Dayasiri What India is pushing for, in my opinion, is for the removal of the concurrent list. In the case of that happening and the concurrent list being removed, it will open doors to federalism. The next step from federalism is the creation of a separate state in the form of Eelam. That is a situation where the victories that have been achieved through the war and by eradicating terrorism will be lost and in vain. What should be done, as an alternative, is to devolve power to the people, not the Provincial Councils. Grama Sabha should be created – like India’s Panchayat system – to allow people to manage their affairs. More power to the Provincial Councils would only lead to the creation of more politicians and not really the transfer of power to the people. Any good, local level work done right now is achieved by the Pradeshiya Sabhas – but they are also too expensive because they also do not provide the required access to people for the accountability needed. With the large geographical areas that the TNA’s constituencies consist of the access the public has to look into matters of governance becomes difficult. This can be removed by the implementation of small scale Grama Sabha type village councils, because then the people can play an active role in ensuring transparency and accountability. India is blatantly trying to intervene with the domestic affairs of Sri Lanka, which they should not do. Another side of this is that India, who is going on about the alleged rights violations in Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan military forces, does not want to talk about the massive rights violations that were committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force when they were in Sri Lanka (The Nation ; 12 June 2011).

Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan (Minister and SLFP Vice President) India is a very big country. Therefore, each state has its own government, which has their own powers. That same system might not work in Sri Lanka, simply because we are a very small country. When you talk specifically about police powers, there are certain practical difficulties in implementing that. For example, if the Eastern Provincial Council had police powers, it would not be possible to conduct impartial inquiries in the present context. Everything will be manipulated. Therefore, it is not practical to do that (The Nation ; 12 June 2011).

Jayalalithaa in Delhi tomorrow; to meet PM - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will be in Delhi on Monday on a two-day politically significant visit with both Congress and DMK, not on the best of terms, keenly watching her signals. On her first visit to the capital after assuming office, Jayalalithaa will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is expected to discuss issues like Sri Lankan Tamils and various developmental projects in her state. The visit comes at a time when there are growing strains in the seven-year-old alliance between Congress and DMK after the drubbing in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry elections for which Congress has blamed the 2G scam.  Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had congratulated Jayalalithaa over phone after her victory, a gesture which set off speculation that the two parties would come together after more than a decade. However, it is not known whether the AIADMK chief would also call on Gandhi during her stay. Jayalalithaa has been avoiding questions on her possible meeting with Gandhi during her interactions with the media after assuming office. Long before the elections, Jayalalithaa had offered her support to the Congress-led coalition at the Centre if it dumped the DMK. The issue of Indian fishermen being allegedly attacked by Lankan Navy when they cross into its waters inadvertently is also expected to be discussed during with her meeting with Singh on Tuesday.  Jayalalithaa had also shot off a letter to Singh last week on the fishermen attack issue.  Within weeks of coming into power, the Jayalalithaa government had passed an unanimous resolution in the Assembly seeking imposition of economic sanctions on Sri Lanka for alleged human rights violations during the war against LTTE.  The Centre also sent National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon to meet her in Chennai before he left for Colombo along with Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to hold talks with Lankan authorities.  After taking over, Jayalalithaa had said the financial position of the state was "very bad" and she would need Centre's assistance to implement several projects and schemes (IBN Live ; 12 June 2011).

Lanka seeks new way with Norway - Sri Lanka will initiate moves to restore good relations with Norway, a one time peace broker between successive governments and the now-militarily defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). For this purpose, a top level delegation headed by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva will visit Oslo. He has been picked to lead the team since Mr. de Silva is the leader of the government team now negotiating with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on addressing grievances of the Tamil community. The new move comes in the wake of diplomatic overtures from Oslo. Besides recent remarks by Norway’s International Development Minister and former peace broker Erik Solheim that matters arising from the UN Panel’s report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka were a subject for the Colombo government to act, the Norwegian delegation to the ongoing sessions of the UN Human Rights Coucnil also made a statement which has been welcomed by members of the Sri Lanka delegation. Minister de Silva is expected to brief Norwegian leaders on the measures being taken by the government to address grievances of the Tamil community. He will also brief them on the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development projects now under way (Sunday Times : 12 June 2011).

Indo-Lanka ferry service starts tomorrow - The passenger ferry service between India and Sri Lanka will be inaugurated with the first vessel leaving the south Indian port of Tuticorin for Colombo tomorrow, officials said yesterday. The vessel ‘Scotia Prince’ is due to dock at the Colombo Port shortly before dusk on the same day, the officials said. The nine-deck ‘Scotia Prince’ can accommodate 1,044 passengers and take around 300 tonnes of cargo. The ferry would be operated twice a week to Colombo from Tuticorin by Flemingo Liners an Indian based ferry passenger and cargo company which has obtained the licence to operate the service for seven years, between the two countries, they said. Tuticorin port is closest to Colombo and is strategically located along the east-west international sea route. Travel time between Tuticorin and Colombo would take 14 hours. Sea passenger transport between India and Sri Lanka is being established following the Joint Declaration last year between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (Sunday Times : 12 June 2011).

Government pushing forward its agenda, amidst protests - Embroiled as it is in controversies both home and abroad, the government was this week slowly but surely pushing forward its agenda, amidst protests from both domestic and international quarters while at the same time preparing for yet another test of its popularity through elections. On the international front, foremost amongst its concerns was the call by the Ban Ki-moon appointed panel to conduct an international inquiry into alleged human rights violations and alleged war crimes during the final stages of the war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The government’s efforts on this score received an unexpected boost from a defence official at the United States embassy in Colombo who doubted the veracity of reports suggesting that key LTTE cadres wanted to surrender, thereby diluting the charges levelled against the government of having them killed when they were unarmed. The State Department was quick to dissociate themselves from these sentiments saying that was the ‘personal opinion’ of the officer concerned, but the damage had been done and Sri Lanka had scored a moral victory. The officer’s statement would, no doubt, be quoted extensively by Colombo at many contentious debates in the days to come. Meanwhile, newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram upped the ante in Chennai calling on the Indian government to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka and reiterating the calling for an international probe into the so called war crimes. New Delhi is certainly concerned and it wouldn’t want a volatile Tamil Nadu on its hands. Therefore, Jayalalithaa’s comments will be discussed and dissected when a high-powered Indian delegation led by Indian Foreign Secretary and former envoy in Colombo Nirupama Rao arrives in Sri Lanka this week. However, emboldened by its success in the European Union where it stymied efforts by the western bloc of nations and the Tamil Diaspora to resolve for an international probe into the alleged war crimes, Sri Lanka will continue its efforts to contain this inquiry within domestic confines. China, Pakistan and Russia have been identified as trusted allies in this effort (The Nation : 12 June 2011).

Swamy: State resolution on Sri Lanka ridiculous - Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Saturday described as “not only ridiculous but also highly damaging for India's national interest,” the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution asking the Centre to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka. The resolution arose out of a U.N. report holding human rights excesses during the war against the LTTE in Sri Lanka; but the report also blamed the Tigers for provoking and committing human rights violations in equal measure. The resolution made no mention of that, he said in a statement. He said that Ms. Jayalalithaa should concentrate on providing electricity and restoring law and order in the State. Her election victory was solely due to the Tamil people's anger over the 2G spectrum scam. She must use the mandate for the benefit of the people of India and not the LTTE. He expressed the hope that she would henceforth stop making any reference to Sri Lanka's past human rights violations and concentrate on persuading the Centre in ensuring that the island nation's Constitution was sufficiently devolved and decentralised powers in order to enable the Tamils there to live with self respect (Hindu : 12 June 2011).

Expedite solution India tells Lanka TNA asked to settle issues with govt. - By Wilson Gnanadass The Indian government delegation led by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon that was on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka has emphasized the need to find a quick political settlement to the ethnic crisis. They have also told the TNA that India has no intention of interfering in Sri Lankan politics and that it was up to the TNA to sort out matters with the government. The team including Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, which arrived on Friday (10) morning held a two-hour discussion with President Mahinda Rajapaksa last morning prior to their departure. During their stay here they met external affairs minister Prof. G. L. Peiris, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, the Tamil National Allaince (TNA), TULF leader V. Anandasangari and PLOTE leader D. Sidharthan. According to Menon, the delegation’s visit had been very exhaustive and useful. The troika however could not meet opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The delegation had informed Sri Lanka that sooner a political arrangement is arrived at, is better for the country’s progress. It has been pointed out by the delegation that the Lankan government could implement the 13th Amendment as this was part of the constitution and added it would in turn create an environment for a durable political solution. In response, Sri Lanka has said that talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and other parties were in progress aimed at finding a solution. The trio had also pledged to build fifty houses by the end of this month and complete 1,000 houses by the end of the year for the war victims as pledged previously. The officials had indicated that India will assist in building the rest of the houses as pledged earlier later on. They had also indicated their willingness to work closely only with the Economic Development Ministry headed by Basil Rajapaksa in fulfilling the housing project (The Nation : 12 June 2011).

A home-grown solution vital - The people in the North and the East have begun to reap the dividends of peace. The Government has given priority for infrastructure development projects in the two provinces to provide better living conditions for over half a million people who were rescued during the humanitarian operations. A colossal sum of over Rs 3 billion has been allocated for development projects which are now in progress in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. This is more than double the amount that the Government had spent on the other seven provinces in the country. Those hapless civilians who had been subjected to untold misery are ever grateful to the valiant Security Forces who rescued them from the jaws of LTTE terror. Certain countries and international organisations which now raise their voices to the high heavens remained taciturn when these civilians went through hell before they were liberated from the clutches of LTTE terrorism. Though LTTE projected themselves as the champions and the sole representative of the Tamils, they did precious little for their own community. The civilians, who were kept forcibly by the LTTE as a human shield and later rescued by the Security Forces, yearned for peace. They did not harbour political or social problems as portrayed by the LTTE and certain Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who thrived on foreign funding. Their fervent plea was for a peaceful environment for all communities to live in harmony. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said last week that a political solution which fulfils the needs of the people in the North with a common Sri Lankan identity will be provided to them sans foreign influences. He said that discussions are under way to finalise the political solution for people in the North. Any solution to address the genuine grievances of the people in the North should bear a common Sri Lankan identity. President Rajapaksa has said that finding a political solution is within Sri Lanka’s reach and no foreign force could thwart it. Although there was praiseworthy support from friendly countries, Sri Lanka fought its lone battle to rescue the country from LTTE terrorism (Sunday Observer : 12 June 2011).

Remembering fallen colleagues killed in cold blood! - By Tissa Ravindra Perera - The three decades of ethnic conflict saw the death and destruction of thousands of men, women and children in this country. And, not even a fragment of life was left untouched by the cruelty of the bloody turmoil. Among the many episodes that tarnished the social fabric of the country, the events that took place on June 11, 1990 were of special significance to the Sri Lanka Police force. On that day – which is also known as the ‘saddest day in the history of Sri Lankan Police’ – 774 policemen from the eastern towns of Batticaloa and Ampara were forcibly taken into the jungles, with hands tied behind their backs and blindfolded, and shot to death. It was the time when the Indian Peace Keeping Force had just left the country, and the political leadership of the country at that time was preparing for peace negotiations with the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The atmosphere was tense, but the security forces, including the Police, were under strict instructions not to retaliate regardless of many provocations. The security forces in the eastern districts were confined to their camps and had to even obtain passes from the LTTE, whenever they had to move out of their camps. From April 1 to June 10 the LTTE cadres were building bunkers and other constructions right in the vicinity of Army camps. The immediate incident leading to the abduction of Policemen was the arrest of a contractor who tailored uniforms for the LTTE. The arrest incensed the Tigers and some cadres had even threatened the Police officers saying, “We will kidnap each one of you tomorrow.” Calls for reinforcements, and permission to use weapons against the Tigers, were not heeded as the Police officers were instructed to solve the problem through negotiation. On the next day, June 11, 1990, police stations in Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Vellaveli, Valachenai, Kalevanchikudi, Eravur, Samanthurai and Akkaraipattu were attacked and hundreds of policemen were arrested by the LTTE. They also ransacked the weapon stores of the police stations and took into their possession hundreds of T-56 rifles, shotguns, machine guns and many other types of weapons. The LTTE cadres then boarded the Policemen into buses and took them to the Thirukkovil jungle. “They took us into the jungle and made us lie face down on the ground, with our hands tied behind our backs. That was around 3 in the morning. Then they flashed a torch on our faces and shot us one by one. I was shot on my arm and managed to run into the jungle and hide in small village,” one of the few survivors of the incident, SI Shantha Ranaweera, a resident of Galgamuwa said. Altogether 899 policemen were arrested by the LTTE on that day, 125 survived. And that was the beginning of the Eelam War II. Exactly 21 years later, yesterday, 450 police stations around the country observed two minutes of silence at 8:30 a.m. in remembrance of the 774 policemen killed by the LTTE in cold blood (The Nation : 12 June 2011).

Boost for trade and tourism: Indo-Lanka ferry service resumes - The much-awaited Indo-Lanka ferry service will resume operations from tomorrow from Tuticorin, with India’s Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan flagging off the vessel Scotia Prince. The Scotia Prince can accommodate 1,044 passengers in 307 cabins. The service, initially sailing twice-a-week between Colombo and Tuticorin would boost trade and tourism. The journey is expected to last 14 hours each way. Scotia Prince, a state-of-the-art cruise liner chartered by Flemingo Liners, will have over 40 crew members on board and around 25 ground staff to help with check-in procedures, immigration, customs procedures and baggage clearance. It could carry about 300 tonnes of cargo. The ship once operated between Portland and Yarmouth. The ship has 111 economy rooms, two special cabins for the differently abled, 22 deluxe cabins with toilets, 169 deluxe cabins with showers and toilets, 11 first class cabins and two suites (Sunday Observer ; 12 June 2011).

Ban-Ki-moon seeks second five-year term, gets Lanka’s support

Speedy solution to national question: Devananda advocates Select Committee - Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister and General Secretary of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, Douglas Devananda presented a proposal to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the visiting Indian delegation that a Parliamentary Select Committee be appointed to find a speedy solution to the national question in the country. Minister Devananda has proposed to President Rajapaksa and the Indian delegation that representatives from all political parties in Parliament should be appointed to the Select Committee as it would enable all political parties to reach a consensus on the national question after the issue is discussed by the Select Committee within a stipulated timeframe. The Minister said that the recommendations of the Select Committee could be implemented soon as agreed upon by all political parties in Parliament. The Minister has submitted this proposal to the President and the Indian delegation since the discussions held by the Government could not reach agreement with the Tamil National Alliance, EPDP and other Tamil political parties after the talks were held separately on this subject. He said that though he hoped to make this proposal at the discussion on June 23 with the Government, the Tamil National Alliance and the EPDP, he was obliged to make this proposal following the arrival of the Indian delegation to Sri Lanka prior to the meeting. Minister Devananda said that the proposal has already been discussed with the President and the Indian delegation headed by the National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon (Sunday Observer : 12 June 2011).

Doubts on Indian trio convincing counterparts in Colombo; Indian media expresses scepticism and concern; 13th Amendment was pushed by India in 1987; UNP wants govt to reveal details of agreement; Jayalalithaa drops call for separate state for Tamils - Sri Lanka is set to face yet another challenging task following the visit of the Indian delegation who concluded their visit yesterday after a hectic round of talks with the Sri Lankan counterparts. The challenge Sri Lanka facing is to devise a modus operandi, to address the issues relating to the ethnic question, in line with the discussions held with the powerful Indian delegation that comprised Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar. The Sri Lanka delegation comprised Minister of Economic Affairs Basil Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Minister Basil Rajapaksa also visited India during the latter part of May, following the visit of External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris. The Indian delegation also had the opportunity to meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris. The objective of the visit by the three-member delegation, according to Indian press reports, is for follow-up action that stems from the two joint statements made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May 2009, and, the joint statement issued after talks between Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris and his Indian counterpart S. M. Krishna, in New Delhi on May 17 this year. Accordingly, the talks centred round the way forward in resolving the Tamil question in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country, as outlined in the two statements and the time space within which Sri Lanka would finish spade work for the actual implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution with Land and Police powers allocated to the provinces. There were a number of reports in the Indian media over the impending visits of the powerful delegation to Sri Lanka over the last week or so where the Indian media expressed its scepticism and concern over the difficulties that the Indian bureaucracy is likely to face trying to convince their counterparts in Colombo. The Hindu reportage on Sri Lanka quoted the Krishna-Peiris statement where it said, “A devolution package, building upon the 13th Amendment, would contribute towards creating the necessary conditions for such reconciliation. The External Affairs Minister of India urged the expeditious implementation of measures by the Government of Sri Lanka, to ensure resettlement and genuine reconciliation, including early return of Internally Displaced Persons [IDPs] to their homes, early withdrawal of emergency regulations, investigations into allegations of human rights violations, restoration of normalcy in affected areas and redress of humanitarian concerns of the affected families.” (The Nation : 12 June 2011).

Army seminar confounds critics - Prof. Rohan Gunaratna - by Shanika Sriyananda - International Counter terrorism expert Prof. Rohan Gunaratna said whether the allegations of war crimes levelled against Sri Lanka during the final stages of the humanitarian operations in May 2009, were true or not, the Sri Lankan government must investigate and respond to all allegations. “As a stated policy the Sri Lankan military did not target civilians, but it is very likely that there were individual and isolated cases. I have not come across any war devoid of such killings and torture. In the US detention centres in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Gharib, Bagram and several CIA black sites as well as in other facilities in Egypt and elsewhere, terrorist suspects and convicts faced torture, contract torture and death”, he said. In an interview with the Sunday Observer, Prof. Gunaratna, who was in Sri Lanka attending the international seminar on ‘Defeating Terrorism: Sri Lankan Experience’, said the most important lesson the international military experts learned from Sri Lanka’s experience was that ‘terrorism and insurgency can be defeated’. He also said it was paramount for Sri Lanka also to respond to the controversial Darusman Report to address each and every allegation comprehensively. Prof. Gunaratna, the Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research and Professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technology University, Singapore who was a keynote speaker at the seminar said although no professional soldier should engage in atrocities, such extrajudicial killings have taken place in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Chechnya and in China. “As such, it is essential that the world addresses these issues collectively. Rather than single out Sri Lanka or any other country, there must be an investigation on such allegations globally from Egypt to Kashmir and Iraq to Afghanistan”, he said (Sunday Observer : 12 June 2011).

Opinion on Channel 4 video after LLRC verdict: Govt. - By Chandani Kirinde - Despite mounting pressure on the Government over video footage of alleged war crimes that are to be aired on Tuesday over Channel 4, the Government would await the verdict of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) on its authenticity before any review of the matter, Attorney General Mohan Peiris said. Mr. Peiris who returned after attending the UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva where the video figured prominently said that scientific evidence pertaining to it had been placed before the LLRC and more evidence was expected before it on the matter and a review would be likely after that. “The report will duly be presented to the President who will pass it down to the (UN) Secretary General,” he said. The Attorney General also denied that any Sri Lankan official had attended the screening of the film titled “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” which was shown at the UN’s Palais des Nations in Geneva on the sidelines of the 17th sessions of the HRC. Foreign media reports said that Sri Lankan delegate to the session Deputy Solicitor General A Nawan had attended the screening. The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings executions Christof Heyns presented a technical report on some of the video footage aired previously by Channel 4 to the HRC. He said the video was authentic but it was dismissed by the Sri Lanka delegation as being doctored (Sunday Times : 12 June 2011).

Stop the pressure, give space to LLRC - Ever since the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as a commission of inquiry "to report on the lessons to be learnt from the events covering the period February 2002 to May 2009, their attendant concerns and to recommend measures to ensure that there will be no recurrence of such a situation", there has been intense, if totally unwarranted pressure on the commission from three quarters. It came from foreign governments, international non-government organisations (INGOs) and the Sri Lanka Government. The pressure is both direct, and indirect. The INGOs dealing with human rights issues, no doubt, more aggressively in some countries and less in others, blatantly accuse the LLRC of bias and lack of credibility demanding, a "credible international mechanism". They are joined in this chorus, not surprisingly, by the United Nations Secretary General's Panel of so-called 'Experts'. Foreign Governments are more circumspect. They say almost the same thing, but with diplomatic finesse. The Government of Sri Lanka, whether intentionally or otherwise, also keeps applying pressure on the LLRC by using it to cover up its clumsiness and confused diplomacy by referring to it whenever under fire. It is not that the LLRC should work in a cocoon. It is part of the environment where an influential section of the world community is demanding an investigation into what happened during the last stages of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in early 2009. But the work of the LLRC is of a much wider scope and there is a need to have it somewhat immune to these pressures (Sunday Times ; 12 June 2011).

Ban seeks second five-year term, gets Lanka’s support - By Thalif Deen, UNITED NATIONS, Jun (IPS) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who completes his five- year term by the end of this year, offered himself "for consideration" for a second five-year term as chief administrative officer of the world body. Hours before he made the announcement on Monday, Ban addressed the 53- member Asian Group, which unanimously gave its endorsement supporting the secretary-general's request. At least 28 Asian countries, including Japan, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Qatar, openly expressed support for his candidature. The Asian Group, one of the largest regional groups at the United Nations, represents more than 60 percent of the world's population. Since various regional groups have held the post for two consecutive five-year terms, it was Asia's turn to field a candidate for a second term. A former foreign minister of South Korea, Ban said he was not taking "anything for granted" until both the 15-member Security Council and the 192-member General Assembly formally elect him to office, possibly by the end of June, while he continues to complete the remaining six months of his first term. Addressing reporters, he said he has sent letters to both U.N. bodies "offering humbly" his services for another five years beginning January 2012 (Island : 12 June 2011).

Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said that India is not interfering in the matter

India is not interfering - Menon - Visiting Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said that it is up to the Sri Lankan government to find a political solution which it is comfortable with and India is not interfering in the matter. Mr. Menon stated that India would refrain from interfering in the matter which was “up to the Sri Lankan Government”. The Indian delegation in the country has expressed that although they hope for a speedy political solution for the Tamil Parties in Sri Lanka, the solution has to be one which the Sri Lankan Government is comfortable with. The Indian delegation had also met with a group from the TNA, and representatives from other Tamil parties. Discussions had been held on matters of access and the militarisation of the North. Menon told Indian Media, in Sri Lanka, that the immediate task was to provide information on those reported missing during the last stages of the war and to ensure that life in the North returned to normal. The TNA had expressed to the delegation that talks were ongoing between the government and themselves on releasing the names and details of the missing persons. On matters of resettlement Menon stated that although work was ongoing “more need(s) to be done.” Menon had said that discussions had taken place between the delegation and Minister of External Affairs G.L Peries on the issues of fishermen. “There is an understanding from both sides about what the fishermen want and the unions from both countries are carrying on discussions, they will arrive at solutions which are beneficial to both parties,” Menon had said. During the delegation’s two hour call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa the delegation had conveyed to him Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s acceptance of an invitation to visit the country. Menon explained to Indian media that the visit would happen at a time convenient to both parties, no date has yet been decided on. Menon had expressed that the two governments had “exhaustive discussions” which they were “very satisfied” with. Menon also stated that no discussion had taken place on matters relating to the Tamil Nadu Assembly as the Sri Lankan government had made it very clear that they deal with the centre and not individual states. He also stated that Sri Lanka had its own mechanism for dealing with reconciliation in terms of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and therefore the UN Panel report had not been discussed. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao briefed Indian media on the housing projects ongoing in the North, where the target is for 50 houses to be completed by the end of the month and a 1000 pilot houses by the end of the year. This number is in addition to the 43,000 owner driven beneficiary scheme houses. Indian Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumaar was also part of the delegation which left the island a short while ago (Daily Mirror ; 11 June 2011).

Military visitors see facility rehabilitating LTTE cadres - By Shamindra Ferdinando - Maj. Gen. Sudantha Ranasinghe says a section of foreign participants at the recently concluded military symposium was given an opportunity to visit Poonthottam Rehabilitation Centre for ex-LTTE combatants. Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Ranasinghe says retired Maj. Gen. Ashok K. Mehta of the Indian Army was among the group taken to Menik Farm relief village, de-mining and re-settlement sites. Mehta commanded an Infantry Division during the IPKF campaign in Sri Lanka and is considered an expert on regional military issues. The US, UK and Australia are among the countries, which skipped the Colombo conference citing accountability issues in Sri Lanka. Participating countries included Ukraine, Kenya, Tanzania, Poland, Oman, Nigeria, Maldives, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, China, Japan, India and the Philippines. Responding to a query, Maj. Gen. Ranasinghe said that at the beginning of the rehabilitation programme there had been 24 centres, though there were only eight now. With the gradual release of detainees numbering about 11,600 at the end of war, the government held only 3,600. They, too, would be hopefully released by end of this year. The country’s post-war rehabilitation project was a tremendous success, he stressed. The government arranged the visit in the wake of persistent allegations regarding treatment of those undergoing rehabilitation.The controversial Indo-Lanka joint statement issued at the conclusion of a recent visit by External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris to New Delhi, too, referred to entire gamut of post-war issues, including the rehabilitation of the war affected communities (Island : 11 June 2011).

Just a fake - New Channel 4 Video Alleging Extra-Judicial Killings in Sri Lanka - The new Channel 4 video of alleged extra-judicial killings in Sri lanka which the new UN Rapporteur, Prof. Christof Heyns claimed as being authentic after having same tested by three US forensic experts at the Geneva sessions of the UNHRC in June 2011, has once again been determined as a FAKE by Mr. Siri Hewavitharana of Australia, who is one of the world’s leading experts on digital video systems and former head of Cisco’s Global Broadcast and Digital Video Practice division. Mr. Hewavitharana is presently the Executive Director of IPTV Systems in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Hewavitharana’s incisive comments relating to Channel 4’s latest video have been published in a news report carried in the Asian Tribune of June 6, 2011, which is annexed hereto for your easy reference. It must also be mentioned here that Mr. Jonathan Taylor, the foregn affairs correspondent of the Channel 4 News of UK claimed that the gun wielding men dressed in Sri Lanka army uniforms were members of the Sri Lankan security forces and that the alleged victims were members of the Tamil community without providing any proof as to their identities other than the UN Rapporteur stating that according to experts hired by him the video was authentic. We are aware that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers possessed such uniforms having overrun Sri Lankan army installations in the past, which they donned to carry out atrocities against their own Tamil people and other ethnicities. Yet other data to question the authenticity of the video, and grounds to reach other conclusions are given by us following the undernoted comments of Mr. Hewavitharana (Island : 11 June 2011).

No peace offer from Prabhakaran – only war - by H. L. D. Mahindapala - The very brief intervention of the Defense Attaché to the US Embassy in Colombo, Lt. Col Lawrence Smith, at the seminar on terrorism in Colombo last week, attended by 40-nations, was a severe blow to the post-Vadukoddai War campaign launched to denigrate Sri Lanka in the eyes of the world. In his few words he targeted (1) the credibility of the anti-Sri Lankan campaign whipped up currently by using the report of the Advisory Panel of Experts (APEs) commission privately by Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General, (2) the process by which information is gathered from second hand, third hand and fourth hand sources by the APEs and the international community (particularly in “the fog of war”) and (3) the validity of the offers of surrender purported to have come from the last remaining rump of the LTTE. All three factors are critical for an accurate assessment of not only the last days of the Vadukoddai War but also the post-Vadukoddai period which has now entered a completely different phase in which the West, cranked up by the Tamil expatriates and their agents in Churches, media and left-wing lobbies, has ganged up to punish Sri Lanka for ending the war against their wishes. Quite bluntly, Lt. Col. Smith says that “the second, third and fourth hand ……stories don’t seem to all quite match up.” He is, of course, not only questioning the stories of the field commanders at various levels but also the LTTE high command. He says that the “the offers to surrender that I am aware of seemed to come from the mouthpieces of the LTTE — Nadesan, KP — people who weren’t and never had really demonstrated any control over the leadership or the combat power of the LTTE.” (Lankaweb : 11 June 2011).

Rajitha urges fresh dialogue with Norway - By Shamindra Ferdinando - Fisheries Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne says Sri Lanka should initiate a fresh dialogue with Norway to explore the possibility of having the Nordic country’s support in the post-war era. Minister Senaratne says the government shouldn’t hesitate to work with Norway in spite of its failure to implement the CFA signed between then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the LTTE in Feb. 2002. The Kalutara District MP faulted the LTTE for the collapse of the CFA on the LTTE. Responding to a query by The Sunday Island, Minister Senaratne said that the government couldn’t afford a further delay in normalizing ties with not only Norway but other influential countries as well. The minister acknowledged shortcomings on the part of the government to meet what he called a challenging task on the diplomatic front. The outspoken politician was responding to The Sunday Island queries on Friday (June 10) after having met Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad at his ministry. MP Senaratne said that Norway was willing to assist Sri Lanka to strengthen the fisheries sector. Dr. Senaratne plans to visit Oslo shortly to meet Norwegian officials, including International Development Minister Erik Solheim. The visit takes place in the wake of an abortive bid to arrange a Senior Minister to visit Oslo. Senaratne was one of the staunchest supporters of the Norwegian arranged CFA during his stint with the then Wickremesinghe government, though he switched his allegiance to President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Jan. 2006. The MP emphasized that Sri Lanka faced a major foreign policy challenge, though the military wiped out the LTTE conventional military capability. He said he had an opportunity to visit Oslo at the height of Eelam War IV to discuss the ground situation. The minister said: "I told them in no uncertain terms that the LTTE was responsible for causing the war. The President didn’t have any other option but to respond to their conventional military challenge. Sri Lanka shouldn’t be held responsible for defeating the LTTE." Commenting on the ongoing 17th Sessions of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Minister Senaratne said that the country shouldn’t take lightly the growing international pressure on the human rights front (Island : 11 June 2011).

Kissing the hand you cannot cut - Readers would surely be reminded of the home-spun wisdom of the hoary Sinhala saying about ``kissing the hand you cannot cut’’ when they read the gushing endorsement of a second term for U.N. Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon by Dr. Palitha Kohona, Sri LankaPermanent Representative to the United Nations. Responding to a question on overwhelming Asian support for Ban, he had told Thailf Deen, the UN Bureau Chief of Inter Press Service, that the unanimous endorsement ``strongly reflects Asia’s recognition of and confidence in Ban Ki-moon’s unobtrusive style of leadership, his distinct Asian approach to problem-solving, his quiet diplomacy, his dedicated search for solutions to problems affecting humanity, in particular developing countries, and his hard work.’’ That was quite a mouthful. Nevertheless, perceptive observers would have seen the coming colour several weeks ago during the initial hysteria over the publication of Ban’s expert panel report on events here especially during the final stages of the war. The references to the ``Ban Panel’’ and the ``Moon Report’’ were changed to the ``Darusman Report’’ referring to a former Indonesian Attorney General who headed the three-member panel. There was a clear decision not to make the secretary general the punching bag and that was the way the game was subsequently played. The hot air freely expended notwithstanding, Sri Lanka has now joined most other Asian countries including influential players on the world stage like India and Japan to openly express support for Ban’s candidature for a second term in office (Island ; 11 June 2011).

Sri Lankan police remembers 1990 massacre in memory of some 600 policemen killed by LTTE Tamil tigers during a ceasefire on 11 June 1990.

Sri Lanka police commemorate killing of 600 surrendered police officers by LTTE - Sri Lanka police will commemorate the 21st anniversary of the killing of 600 surrendered police officers by Tamil Tiger rebel organizations Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The main commemoration ceremony will take place at the Police heroes' memorial situated in the Police Field Force Headquarters in Colombo. Acting Inspector General of Police N.K. Ilangakoon will be the chief guest of the ceremony. Six hundred police officers served in Batticaloa and Ampara police divisions in the Eastern Province surrendered to the LTTE under the orders of the then President R. Premadasa who had agreed to a ceasefire with the rebels. Shortly afterwards their surrender on June 11, 1990 the LTTE executed all 600 of them (Colombo page ; 11 June 2011).

Sri Lankan police remembers 1990 massacre - Sri Lankan police Saturday remembered what the state media called the "saddest day in police history." A two-minute silence was observed in over 450 police stations across the island state in memory of some 600 policemen killed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels on June 11, 1990. The state-run Daily News said unsuspecting policemen were ordered to surrender to the LTTE in the eastern district of Batticaloa by the authorities and were killed by the rebels. The day marked an end to ceasefire between the rebels and the government troops brokered by the Indian intervention in 1987. The Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated by the government troops in May 2009 ending the three-decade conflict (Philstar ; 11 June 2011).

There are 600 plus (murdered) Police officers inside the one you see today - by Malinda Seneviratne - There was a farmer who had a terrible, terrible day 21 years ago (June 11, 1990). He was not the only farmer and not the only man either who had to live through terrible days, of course, but this was ‘special’, if indeed that word could be used. This farmer, from a place called Thambiluvil was forced to ‘volunteer’ (yes, words acquire strange meanings in terrible times) to carry out a particularly gruesome task. That task, however, was quite benign compared to the ‘gruesome’ that came before. His was after all just a mopping up assignment. He was one among several farmers who had been ‘volunteered’ to bury some dead bodies. They were charred bodies. And there were some 600 of them. Retired SSP, Tassie Seneviratne, in his recently published book ‘Human Rights and Policing’, quotes this unhappy farmer. Not that quote was needed of course. This is what happened. They were blindfolded, hands tied to their backs, made to lie down, facing the ground in a row that was about 25 meters long. Then machine gun bullets were sprayed from end to end, all targeting the backs of their heads. Then the bodies were dragged into a heap. Oil was poured over the dead and dying. A single lighted match created a bonfire (Daily News : 11 June 2011).

DMK president M Karunanidhi says... Jayalalitha trying to mislead people on Eelam

Jaya trying to mislead people on Eelam: MK - DMK president M Karunanidhi has termed the resolution passed by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the Assembly urging the Centre to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka as an age-old tactic adopted to mislead the people. A DMK high level executive committee meeting passed a resolution on Friday condemning Jayalalithaa for making a speech filled with enmity attacking the DMK and its leader Karunanidhi, despite the DMK’s willingness to support the resolution passed by the AIADMK on Eelam Tamils in Assembly on Thursday.  The resolution said that in the previous AIADMK regime, the party’s general secretary Jayalalithaa never supported the Eelam cause.  Pointing out an incident in 2002, the resolution said the AIADMK had passed a resolution urging the then Central Government to push the Sri Lankan government to arrest LTTE chief Prabhakaran and hand him over to India. The party had also passed a resolution to not allow any LTTE member inside India.  The resolution also condemned Jayalalithaa for her remark that, “it was not the intention of the Sri Lankan army to kill the Tamils. However, it was war and innocents were bound to be killed.” The resolution stated that she had supported the Sri Lankan Government’s war against the LTTE and had condemned the LTTE for using the Eelam Tamils as shield against the Sri Lankan Army.  On the Katchatheevu issue, the DMK stated that since 1974 the party had urged the Centre to reconsider its agreement with Sri Lanka ceding Katchatheevu to them.  When Karunanidhi was chief minister in 1974, he passed a resolution in the Assembly urging the Centre to reconsider its decision. The party had also held a protest across TN condemning the 1974 agreement.  The DMK resolution pointed out that the party had addressed the Katchatheevu issue in its 2011 election manifesto, where it had urged the Centre to retrieve the island (IBN Live : 11 June 2011).

Channel 4 Video is Fake, Edited and Video taken by Video Camera - SRI LANKA UNITED NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA MEDIA RELEASE June 9, 2011 - The new Channel 4 video of alleged extra-judicial killings in Sri lanka which the new UN Rapporteur, Prof. Christof Heyns claimed as being authentic after having same tested by three US forensic experts at the Geneva sessions of the UNHRC in June 2011, has once again been determined as a FAKE by Mr. Siri Hewavitharana of Australia, who is one of the world’s leading experts on digital video systems and former head of Cisco’s Global Broadcast and Digital Video Practice division. Mr. Hewavitharana is presently the Executive Director of IPTV Systems in Sydney, Australia. Mr. Hewavitharana’s incisive comments relating to Channel 4's latest video have been published in a news report carried in the Asian Tribune of June 6, 2011, which is annexed hereto for your easy reference. It must also be mentioned here that Mr. Jonathan Taylor, the foregn affairs correspondent of the Channel 4 News of UK claimed that the gun wielding men dressed in Sri Lanka army uniforms were members of the Sri Lankan security forces and that the alleged victims were members of the Tamil community without providing any proof as to their identities other than the UN Rapporteur stating that according to experts hired by him the video was authentic. We are aware that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers possessed such uniforms having overrun Sri Lankan army installations in the past, which they donned to carry out atrocities against their own Tamil people and other ethnicities. Yet other data to question the authenticity of the video, and grounds to reach other conclusions are given by us following the undernoted comments of Mr. Hewavitharana (LankaWeb ; 11 June 2011).

Critics distorting facts: SL preserves human rights - "The Sri Lankan government preserves human rights of all Sri Lankans. Sri Lanka has entered in a new era of lasting peace, prosperity," Sri Lankan ambassador to the United States Jaliya Wickramasuriya said. Wickramasuriya was addressing a meeting at the East-West Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii. He said critics are distorting the facts of Sri Lanka's 2009 victory over terrorism, and that the resettlement of civilians displaced by the conflict has been continuous since the conflict's end. "Peace and freedom from fear and violence are very basic human rights, Ambassador Wickramasuriya said. The government restored vital human rights to all Sri Lankans, Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers and many others, when it defeated the terrorists." Ambassador Wickramasuriya said government forces exercised maximum restraint and maintained a zero-civilian casualties policy during the conflict against the terrorist group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The destruction of a band of terrorists, freed the country, and its people, to live and prosper in peace. "Sri Lanka's economy had a gross domestic product of eight percent in 2010, while unemployment and inflation remained low. Tourism increased 50 percent in 2010 and is on track to grow more this year, while foreign investment is slated to reach $1 billion in 2011. "Sri Lanka has received important financial support from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank. The IMF, in particular, monitors Sri Lanka's economy and has given consistent high marks". The World Bank, he said, has reported that Sri Lanka is moving from a developing to a middle-income country. Sri Lanka is focused on post-conflict peace-building tasks in the North and East. The work involves comprehensive and concerted efforts undertaken by the government in the fields of resettlement, rehabilitation, livelihood support and infrastructure development, which includes the construction of new homes, hospitals, schools, roads, bridges, railways and water systems. Electricity will be brought to every household for the first time (Daily News : 11 June 2011).

LLRC final report before Nov 15 - by Chaminda PERERA - The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) yesterday said that plans are underway to release its final report before November 15. The Commission stressed that its final report will be completely based on the observations made by the Commissioners through gathering oral and written evidence from the public and field visits. According to the commission’s media advisor Lakshman Wickremesinghe, the commission in its final report will not attempt to respond to the Darusman Report in any manner though all Commissioners have fully read it. “The commissioners have fully read the Darusman’s Report since it was made public. But the final LLRC report is based on the first hand information gathered by the Commission through evidence and fields visits,“ he added. Wickremesinghe added that the Commission is in the process of analysing the evidence and is to prepare an initial draft soon. He added that the Commission completed testifying the members of the public before the Commission and reiterated that it will bring persons who had already given evidence if further clarification is needed. It conducted public sittings covering all Divisional Secretariats in the Northern Province. It conducted public sittings in the East, South and many parts of the island which were affected by terrorism. The Commissioners visited a number of places which has direct involvement with the commission’s mandate. The places visited by them include, hospitals, schools and many other places devastated by the terrorists. Members of the Commission met the former LTTE combatants who are being rehabilitated by the Government too and toured the area where over 300,000 people were forcibly held by the LTTE terrorists in the Mullaitivu district. The people who were held by the LTTE testified before the commission when it conducted public sittings in the war ravaged areas in the Mullativu district. The Government appointed an Inter Agency Advisory Council to implement its interim committee proposals. The commission handed over its interim report to the President last November. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to inquire into the situation that led to the failure of CeaseFire Agreement and sequence of events that followed up to May 19, 2009. The commission’s mandate also include to recommendation of the institutional administrative and legislative measured which need to be taken to prevent any recurrence of such concerns in the future and promote national unity and the reconciliation among all communities (Daily News : 11 June 2011).

Indo-Lanka Agreement obsolete - JRJ and Rajiv signing the Indo - Lanka Agreement - By K. Godage - The Indo-Lanka Agreement came about directly as a result of pro western (US) policies of President J. R. Jayewardene during the period of the Cold War when he permitted the extension of the VOA facility in Sri Lanka, offered that Trinco Oil Tank Farm to the US Costal Cooperation and also moved away from Non-Aligned Movement. He opened the Economy (which India indecently did when Manmohan Singh was Finance Minister ten years later) and cultivated a close relationship with the US. This was as stated earlier during the period of the Cold War and gave rise to a feeling that India’s security was threatened. India was more interested in her security than in the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. She sought to secure her own geo-political interest. She was less concerned about the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamils or in the likely fallout of the ethnic conflict in Tamil Nadu. This situation has changed today. India has cultivated a close relationship with the US, not only having new agreements covering Nuclear facilities but is also engaging in joint naval exercise with the US. She has also expanded trade and economic relations with the US being one of the major treading partners with also huge US investment in India. India has also established close relations with Israel. In these circumstances the Indo Lanka agreement and the Letters exchanged, which circumscribed our sovergnity have become obsolete. It would be recalled that the Letters exchanged between Prime Minister Rajiv Gandi and President Jayawardene set out the following terms amongst others (Island : 11 June 2011).

How many cauldrons of blood for a fistful of dhal, bhaiya? - by Malinda Seneviratne - As I write (on June 11, 2011), a high level Indian Government delegation comprising of Indian Foreign Secretary Niruupamaa Rao, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumaar is said to have met the External Affairs Minister G. L Peiris and is due to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa something this morning. I know there will be an official statement and perhaps even a ‘joint communique’ filled with platitudes, affirmation of brotherhood and so on. The Indians no doubt will express support for reconstruction and post-conflict recovery. They will also mention ‘power-sharing’ which they will conflate with ‘devolution’. The 13th Amendment will be mentioned too, for after all it was the ill-conceived, deformed and good-for-nothing baby that India fathered. One thing is certain. The Indian delegation would not ‘gift’ either Peiris of Rajapaksa a sack of dhal. The last time they dropped dhal, there was no ‘by your leave’. That dropping ended the real possibility to eliminating the LTTE in 1987. This is, ladies, ‘dhal without dhal’ and as such it is good to revisit that first dropping. India dropped dhal and then proceeded to dump the 13th Amendment on J.R. Jayewardena. It was unadulterated coercion on the part of Rajiv Gandhi who claimed he wanted to ‘Bhutanize’ Sri Lanka. Then came the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). The LTTE, as expected, reneged. The IPKF went on a rampage of rape, destruction and killing. A few years later, the IPKF was withdrawn. What was Sri Lanka left with? A ruthless terrorist outfit that was about to be vanquished obtained a new lease of life and continued to unleash terror throughout the island for close to two more decades. A fascist outfit called the JVP preyed on the natural antipathies of the Sinhalese as well as general discontent regarding the fascist preferences of the then government to launch a second insurrection. Around 60,000 people, mostly unarmed, perished in the process. The 13th Amendment emerged as the biggest White Elephant in post-Independence Sri Lanka with two-thirds of monies allocated going to maintain the irrelevant bodies with little or nothing accruing to the intended beneficiaries. Finally, the 13th, by the simple fact of boundary-demarcation, began to give legitimacy to the Eelamist myth-models pertaining to ‘traditional homelands’, never mind the fact that history, demography and geography rebelled against these lines. This time, as I said, there’s no dhal-dropping. This time there won’t be an IPKF. This time the attempt is to do it in the backrooms. This time it is about telling Mahinda Rajapaksa that India can and will support pernicious moves in the international community to pander to the Eelam Rump and apply pressure on the regime with respect to alleged ‘war crimes’. This time it is about threatening support for regime change. No, these things will not appear in any joint communication. Neither will these Indians tell the President that it’s all about the Congress Party being besieged by the ‘Tamil Nadu Factor’ and fretting about the political arithmetic when it comes to elections. This time it will appear to be ‘home-grown’, not imposed. As such it will serve to legitimate the lines of the Eelam map (Lakbima News).

Disregard controversial ‘Darusman report’, help reconciliation efforts

‘Disregard controversial ‘Darusman report’, help reconciliation efforts’ - Top Lankan docs tell UN - A group of 245 eminent medical specialists and consultants recently urged the United Nations to disregard controversial ‘Darusman Report’, which dealt with so-called accountability issues in Sri Lanka. The group, in a letter addressed to UNSG Ban Ki-moon, called for UN support for national reconciliation and post-war development efforts. The group included Presidents, Past Presidents, office bearers and members of the main Professional Medical Associations in the country. The memorandum was presented to Tom Hockley, Senior Co-ordination Officer, at the United Nations Resident Co-coordinators Office in Colombo to be forwarded to the UNSG. The following is the memorandum: "We are a group of medical specialists from different communities who are deeply interested in the ethnic harmony of our motherland. Over many decades we have witnessed the carnage and devastation brought about by the brutal acts of terrorism which affected all communities in the country alike. We as professionals were appalled by the contents of the report to the Secretary General of the United Nations by the "Panel of Experts". We have noted serious flaws in this report and feel that it is highly biased and prejudiced to a great extent. The panel has disregarded the fact that most violations of human rights and abductions were seen in defacto areas under the control of the LTTE rather than in areas managed by the government. The ‘shelling’ of hospitals and schools have been reported without verification. It is obvious that this report would lead to both disruption and undermining of the prevailing peace and harmony among all ethnic groups in the country. It is sad to note that this report appears at a time of peace and reconciliation when the harsh memories of the conflict are fading from the minds of people, of all communities (Island ; 10 June 2011).

Australia pleased with rebuilding process in North - By Pabodha Hettige - Australia is pleased with the initiatives taken by the government of Sri Lanka to fast track the rebuilding process of the Northern region after 30 years of conflict, the delegation of Australian parliamentarians, inspecting the development activities in the North, said on Thursday. "Sri Lanka has got a golden opportunity to ensure national harmony through rebuilding, resettling and livelihood development in the war affected regions," Senator for New South Wales, Stephen Hutchins said. He said that the war affected citizens preferred to be resettled in their native villages rather than seek political asylum in another country. "A woman from an IDP camp told us that she prefers to be reunited with her son who was once a LTTE cadre and settle down in her homeland," he said. He added that the delegation was pleased with how the government had facilitated the war affected, both resettled and still living in camps. "In 2010 Australia gave financial aid of A$ 60 million under AusAid and the money has been effectively utilised to upgrade health facilities, education and infrastructure development in the North," Federal Member of Murray, Dr. Sharman Stone said. It was a pleasing to see the dedication of teachers teach, under thatched shelters, children who had not schooled for nearly two years. Soon, school buildings would be constructed to facilitate their education under AusAid, she said adding that Australia had also given aid for demining projects in the North (Island : 10 June 2011).

Tamil Nadu Q branch to quiz Lankan Tamils - KOCHI: The probe into the activities of Sri Lankan human trafficking rackets in Kerala assumed wider proportions with a team of officials from Tamil Nadu Q Branch arriving in Kochi on Thursday to collect more information. The Q Branch team has landed to collect details about the two kingpins of the racket who were reportedly arrested by the city police. The arrested were John Kennedy and Sunil of Kollachil. Police said the Q Branch team also questioned the Lankan Tamils, who were in the city to board a fishing boat to set sail to Australia. "Four officials of the Q Branch interrogated the Tamils to gather details about them," said Central Circle Inspector D S Suneesh Babu, who took the Tamils into custody from the city the other day. Police said the kingpins coordinated the activities of the human trafficking racket after collecting money from the agents. "We have the evidence on the money transactions that took place between the agents to finalise the preparations for taking the Tamils to Australia," police said (Island : 10 June 2011).

LTTE was defeated for Democratic Institutions to flourish, not to be replaced by clones - "People say of consumption, that in the early stages of this disease it is easy to cure but difficult to diagnose; whereas, later on, if it has not been recognised and treated at the beginning, it becomes easy to diagnose and difficult to cure, The same thing happens in the affairs of the state." That was Niccolo Machiavelli, famous or infamous for his cynical treatise on political power relationships. But he was a clever analyst of political affairs and his comparison of the affairs of the state to the diagnosis and cure of tuberculosis could not have been truer. Our political leaders failed to understand and resolve the ethnic conflict at the early stages. It led to the thirty year war. The state won the war but now, still failing to diagnose the conflict right, it is well on the way to losing the peace. As Machiavelli would say, it requires skill to bind people to a new political set-up. To inspire people by things of the present over things of the past requires prudence. In times of peace, he said, rulers did not think that things might change. (It was a common failing not to anticipate storms when the sea is calm.) Machiavelli’s advice to rulers was that they should never let themselves fall in the hope that someone will be there to help them up. ‘Either you will not be helped up, or if you are, your continuing safety will be in question, because your defence was not sparked by you but by your cowardice, and defences are secure and lasting only if they are sparked by your skill.’ (Island : 10 June 2011).

Jayalalitha gets her Tamils in a twist - It is not surprising that the huge majority that Jayalalitha Jeyaram, or JJ, won in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly has made her quite heady. She is rushing resolutions through the Assembly directed at Sri Lanka, with a zeal that would have been of much greater benefit to the people of Tamil Nadu, than those across the Palk Strait. I mean the Tamils of Sri Lanka - whose cause she is championing with great political fervour, to make sure that the defeated Karunanidhi and the DMK do not regain even a toe-hold in Tamil Nadu politics, at least for many months more. It seems obvious that all the free laptops to higher grade students, and the free mixer, grinder, blenders to the Tamil Nadu housewives, are not the stuff of lasting political strength. With technology advancing so fast, she may not be able to cope with the demand for new models of laptops, and mixer-blenders almost before mid-term in office. The opposition may soon offer free iPods and who knows the latest Cloud Phones and whole modern kitchens to TN households. Knowing the fickleness of TN politics, JJ is looking for better ways to retain her popularity, or rather the anti-incumbency mood that propelled her to office with such a large majority (Island : 10 June 2011).

Of that forgotten massacre - Moved by a report in the London Times on a disastrous debacle the English cavalrymen faced in the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War, Tennyson immortalised, in a poetic gem, The Charge of the Light Brigade, six hundred soldiers who had driven into the valley of death owing to someone else's blunder. But, not even scores of newspaper articles and dozens of editorial comments on the massacre of 600 policemen in the East of Sri Lanka twenty one years ago today, have jolted the political leaders of all hues here into remembering the victims! The English cavalry men could at least fight before being killed. But, the Sri Lankan policemen were made to throw their lives away in compliance with a presidential order. In 1990, the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa, in a desperate bid to salvage a crumbling peace process, ordered the personnel in the police stations surrounded by the LTTE in the Eastern Province to surrender to the terrorists. Theirs was not to question why, though they knew someone had blundered. They could have fought back and driven the terrorists away but they opted for surrender (Island : 10 June 2011).

SRI LANKAN AMBASSADOR HERALDS FACTS OVER FICTION IN SUCCESSFUL HUMANITARIAN OPERATION TO DEFEAT TERRORISM -  Sri Lanka's ambassador to the United States, Jaliya Wickramasuriya, told an audience at the East-West Center here that critics of the country are distorting the facts of Sri Lanka's 2009 victory over terrorism, and that the resettlement of civilians displaced by the conflict has been been continuous since the conflict's end. "Peace and freedom from fear and violence are very basic human rights," Ambassador Wickramasuriya said. "The Government of Sri Lanka restored those vital human rights to all Sri Lankans - Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers and many others - when it defeated the terrorists once and for all." During a working visit to Hawaii, Ambassador Wickramasuriya also met with top officers at the U.S. Pacific Command, including U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Daniel Darnell, who is second in command, as well as U.S. Army Lt. Gen. (retired) Ed Smith and other scholars at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, the mayor of Honolulu, Peter Carlisle, Neil Abercrombie, the Governor of Hawaii and Rep. Karen Awana, chair of the Hawaii Legislature's International Affairs Committee. Honorary Consul Kusuma Cooray accompanied the ambassador during his visit, which also included a meeting with the chancellor, dean and faculty members at Kapiolani College. The Ambassador also met with members of the Sri Lankan community in Hawaii, including Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers, Malays and others. They assured the ambassador that they are fully supportive of Sri Lanka's present positive developments and they will work together with the Embassy to safeguard the nation. Several members of the Tamil diaspora who visited Sri Lanka discussed positive developments in Sri Lanka and thanked Sri Lanka's leadership for bringing peace to the country. In addition, the ambassador visited a Buddhist academy run by a Japanese Temple and a Buddhist temple. During his East-West Center appearance, which was hosted by the center's Karen Knudsen, Ambassador Wickramasuriya noted that government forces exercised maximum restraint and maintained a zero-civilian casualties policy during the long conflict against the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). (Sri Lanka Defence Ministry ; 10 June 2011).

Sri Lanka Govt. to raise Tamil Nadu resolution on Sri Lanka with visiting Indian delegation

Govt. deals only with Indian Govt - By Sandun A. Jayasekera - The Government said today that it deals only with the Central Government of India and does not take interests in the activities of single Indian States. Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella made these statements in response to a question on the Tamil Nadu Assembly Resolution to pass economic actions against Sri Lanka. “The negative statements made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jeyaram and the passing of, what appears to be, an anti Sri Lankan resolution in the TN Assembly this week will take center stage during the talks between the government and a high powered Indian delegation due in Sri Lanka today,” Rambukwella said. The 13th Amendment will also be discussed during the Indian Delegation visit. Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Defence Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon are expected to arrive tomorrow and hold talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and senior government officials including Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Daily Mirror : 10 June 2011).

Countering terrorism, countering othering - Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP - The recent seminar on countering terrorism was a rich and enlightening experience. It helped me to understand further the deep sense of hurt that our military and political officials feel about the swarm of attacks they now have to face with regard to allegations of war crimes. I had known earlier from the statistics I collected from daily TamilNet reports that we had done our best to fight a clean and careful war. Until the end of 2008 we had succeeded, in the Eastern Province, and also during the whole operation to retake the Western part of the Wanni. Even then though, we had to face allegations that had no basis whatsoever in fact, as with the Human Rights Watch claim that we had engaged in indiscriminate attacks on civilians in the East (Daily News ; 10 June 2011).

Police, land powers to PCs a debatable issue - Govt. ‘ Two thirds of 13th A implemented’ - by Zacki Jabbar - While an Indian delegation headed by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao was scheduled to arrive in Colombo today, the government says that two thirds of the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s Constitution had been implemented. Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing in Colombo yesterday, said that the speedy enforcement of the 13th Amendment had been affected due to the war with the LTTE. However, nearly two thirds of its provisions have already taken effect. The devolution of police and land powers to the North and East of the country was a debat able issue, since some of the Tamil political parties were opposed to it, he said adding that the Tamil National Alliance was not the sole representative of Tamils. In implementing the provisions of the 13 th Amendment, the security and sovereignty of the country has to be given prime consideration, Rambukwella said. "The same principle applies to the repeal of Emergency Regulations. It is being done in stages". The Indian delegation, which would include Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Defence Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, was to request the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime to fully implement the 13th Amendment, including land and police powers to the provinces, it is learnt (Island ; 9 June 2011).

Menon, Rao to hold talks with Lankan leadership tomorrow - National security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and foreign secretary Nirupama Rao will be travelling to Sri Lanka to review bilateral ties and the progress in rehabilitation of displaced Tamil civilians there on Friday. Ahead of his visit, Menon called on Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in Ch ennai and is understood to have apprised her on the Centre's action on mitigating sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils. The visit comes in the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu assembly passing an unanimous resolution on Wednesday demanding imposition of economic sanctions against Sri Lanka. During their visit, Menon and Rao are expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa, defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, and President's secretary Lalith Weeratunga, sources said, adding that the aim of the Indian officials' visit is to review the bilateral relations. Though officials in Chennai described as a "courtesy call" the meeting between NSA and Jayalalithaa, Menon is understood to have apprised her on the Centre's action on mitigating sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils. The chief minister is understood to have taken up the issue of Indian fishermen being killed or arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the Tamil Nadu assembly passing a resolution demanding that New Delhi should impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka for its alleged killing of Tamils there. This is the first top level contact between the Centre and AIADMK government after Jayalalithaa took over as the chief minister. The resolution also referred to UN committee findings about alleged excesses committed during the conflict between the armed forces and LTTE, including bombing civilian areas and hospitals (Hindustan Times : 9 June 2011).

Sri Lanka Govt. deals only with the Indian Govt.

NSA calls on Jayalalithaa - National security advisor Shivshankar Menon called on chief minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday, a day after the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a unanimous resolution demanding imposition of economic sanctions against Sri Lanka. Though officials described the meeting as a courtesy call, Menon is understoo d to have apprised Jayalalithaa on the Centre's action on mitigating sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils. Jayalalithaa is understood to have taken up the issue of Indian fishermen being killed or arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy with the national security advisor. The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the Tamil Nadu assembly passing a resolution on Wednesday, demanding that the Centre impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka for its alleged killing of Tamils in the island nation. This is the first top level contact between the Centre and AIADMK government after Jayalalithaa took over as the chief minister. The resolution had sought imposition of economic sanctions on Sri Lanka by India to 'rein in' Colombo on the Tamils issue and pressed for speedy rehabilitation of displaced Tamils. It said a UN appointed committee had pointed out alleged excesses committed during the conflict between the armed forces and LTTE, including bombing civilian areas and hospitals (Hindustan Times : 9 June 2011).

What the PSC on NGOs said - By C. A. Chandraprema - Continuing our examination of the NGO sector, it would be useful to see what the Parliamentary select committee headed by Vijitha Herath had to say about the activities of NGOs in this country. Vijitha Herath is a JVP parliamentarian and one may say that his views would necessarily be prejudiced against NGOs. But this committee comprised 26 members from the UPFA, UNP, JVP and the TNA. This interim report has been signed by D. M. Jayarathna, Dinesh Gunawardena, and Mahinda Samarasinghe among others on behalf of the UPFA, Joseph Michael Perera, John Amaratunga and Vajira Abeywardena and others on behalf of the UNP and Vijitha Herath, Bimal Rathnayake and Sunil Handunnetti on behalf of the JVP. G. G. Ponnambalam, who represented the TNA has not signed the interim report (Island : 9 June 2011).

Govt. to raise TN resolution on Sri Lanka with visiting Indian delegation - We deal with the Center not provincial administrations – Keheliya - by Zacki Jabbar - Sri Lanka deals with central and not provinicial administrations,Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwalle said yesterday in Colombo, in response to Wednesday’s Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution calling for economic sanctions against the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.  The motion moved by newly elected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jeyalalitha Jeyaram,has also called on the United Nations to take punitive action against Sri Lanka’s political and military leadership,for alleged war crimes by the security forces in the last stages of the war against the LTTE,which was defeated on May 19,2009.  Rambukwalle,addressing the weekly cabinet press briefing said that the government would raise the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution,with the Indian delegation headed by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao,which was due to arrive in Colombo today.  "We are not concerned with what the Tamil Nadu administration does and says.Our dealings are with the Center",he said adding that a clarification would be sought from the visiting Indian delegation,which would also include Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Defence Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon.  Jayalalitha,was quoted by the Indian media as having said that only economic sanctions would "rein in Sri Lanka as it did not heed global opinion,when it came to the Tamils issue.If India and other countries impose sanctions,Sri Lanka has to listen to what we say."  The LTTE which killed Rajiv Gandhi,was proscribed by the Indian government on her insistence, she had said (Island : 9 June 2011).

TN move ploy to press SL over fishing issue, 13 A - By Shamindra Ferdinando - Wednesday’s unanimous resolution, passed in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly, demanding the Central Government of India to throw its weight behind the controversial ‘Darusman report’, is a ploy to pressure Sri Lanka over the ongoing fishing dispute and talks on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, officials say.  They say the Tamil Nadu administration and the Opposition have timed the resolution for the forthcoming visit by a high level Indian delegation, comprising National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao. The Indian delegation is expected in Colombo over the weekend for follow-up talks on the Indo-Lanka joint statement issued in the wake of External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris’ visit to New Delhi last month.  The fishing community in the Northern and Eastern Provinces has been deprived of their livelihood due to poaching by the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet. Large scale poaching, particularly bottom trawling, carried out by a section of TN fishermen have caused irreparable damage to the local fisheries industry.  UNP National List MP D. M. Swaminathan recently accused the government of failing to prevent the TN fishing fleet from crossing the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary. The UNPer also accused the government of failing to provide the wherewithal for them to engage in deep sea fishing.  Sri Lankan sources alleged that the TN officialdom had been acting at the behest of major fisheries organisations, which operated hundreds of trawlers. The TN Assembly demanded the Central Government take action to support war crime allegations against Sri Lanka and impose economic sanctions to pressure the country to give equal status and dignity to Tamils (Island ; 9 June 2011).

Sacrosanct 13th Amendment, and why it should not remain embedded- a painful thorn, in the « body » of our Constitution - By Charles.S.Perera - Sacrosanct to India an absolute shame to Sri Lanka, the 13th Amendment was introduced into our constitution by twisting the arm of a weakened President , abandoned by America he held in high esteem all his political life, which even earned him the nickname Yankee Dicky. The 13th Amendment introduced 24 years ago under shameful circumstances has no right to be left in the Constitution of Sri Lanka, and should be eliminated as we eliminated terrorism, its predecessor. It was forced to be introduced by a scheming unfriendly Indian Government on the pressure brought upon it by film stars of cheap popular Tamil mythological films turned politicians of Tamilnadu, who were sentimentalists rather than political visionaries. The circumstances have not changed today . India, which was through out a ruthless terrorism in Sri Lanka, was a « reluctant » neighbour scheming and plotting indirectly helping the terrorists to weaken and break up Sri Lanka , is today acting under pressure from a Tamil film stars of old popular Tamil mythological films Jayalalitha Jeyaram the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Jayalalitha Jeyaram the present Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, who played Valli Amma the consort of Muruga in South Indian film sagas, still thinks that Ravana is hiding Sitha some where in Sri Lanka and wants to play the role of Rama trying to wakeup the slumbering Kumbhakarna to take revenge from the President of Sri Lanka who she mistakenly takes for Ravana. Before her it was an old Tamil politicians in his dotage shedding tears for vanishing terrorism, spending time writing poetry in memory of a dead terrorist Tamilselvam, who was coaxing the Central Government of India to intervene to save terrorists in Sri Lanka. However, besides awakening to the call of Tamilnadu politicians, (who neglect their own people , and refuse to find a solution to the caste issue showing more concern about the Tamils in Sri Lanka) Indian Central Government does not want to miss an opportunity to remind Sri Lanka about implementing the 13 Amendment which is, what is left of the Frankenstein its former Prime Minister Late Indira Gandhi created in Prabhakaran, and for which India made the blood sacrifice of one of its potential leaders Rajiv Ghandhi to keep it alive (LankaWeb : 9 June 2011).

Dinesh reveals 839 LTTE cadres in detention - Chief Government Whip, Water Supply and Drainage Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament yesterday that 839 LTTE cadres were being held under detention orders in the aftermath of the war. Charges had been framed against two of them while the others were still being investigated, he said, adding that those LTTE cadres were detained at three camps, the Boosa Detention Centre, Sixth Floor of the New Secretariat Building in Colombo and a detention centre at the Vavuniya Army Headquarters. He was responding to a question raised by DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Island : 9 June 2011).

Army build houses for IDPs - The Sri Lanka Army has provided 1230 displaced families in Jaffna with houses at an approximate cost of Rs. 250 million. The houses have been constructed by the Sri Lanka Army last year at a cost of Rs. 200,000 per house. With the aim of uplifting the living standards in the Jaffna peninsula, an idea conceptualized by the Army Commander Lt. General Jagath Jayasuriya, these houses have been built up in selected places, under the supervision of Commander of Security forces-Jaffna Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe. The construction process has been altogether handled by the members of the armed forces, with the assistance of donors in Jaffna. Special attention has been paid to the housing need of those who had lost their loved ones during the Humanitarian Operation against the LTTE. The construction of 300 more houses is already underway (ISRIA).

Assembly passes special resolution seeking economic sanctions on Sri Lanka - The Assembly on Wednesday passed a special resolution demanding that the Centre take action to get all those responsible for large-scale civilian deaths, during the Sri Lankan civil war, declared as ‘war criminals' by the United Nations. The resolution, passed unanimously, also demanded economic sanctions against the island nation to pressure the country into giving equal status and dignity to Tamils. It demanded that the Indian government impress on the United Nations that the perpetrators of all such crimes be designated as ‘war criminals' and that the Union government should take steps, along with other countries, to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka until all Tamils now staying in camps in Sri Lanka are rehabilitated in their own land and given an opportunity to lead a life of dignity with rights equal to those of the Sinhalese. The resolution said that after Sri Lanka attained independence, Tamils were treated as second class citizens and the Sri Lankan government, instead of conceding their demands for dignity, equal rights and self-respect, sought to destroy the community. It noted that the report of a committee appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General had concluded that the island government was responsible for the killing of innocent civilians through widespread shelling and bombing; bombing of inhabited areas and hospitals; denial of humanitarian aid, violating the human rights of the internally displaced, suspected LTTE members and other victims of the war and perpetrating human rights violations against even those outside the war-hit areas, including the government's critics and the media (Hindu : 9 June 2011).

Racist Tamil Nadu demands economic sanctions against Sri Lanka on LTTE Tamil Tiger issue

Assembly seeks economic sanctions against Sri Lanka - The Assembly on Wednesday passed a special resolution demanding that the Centre take action to get all those responsible for large-scale civilian deaths, during the Sri Lankan civil war, declared as ‘war criminals' by the United Nations. The resolution, passed unanimously, also demanded economic sanctions against the island nation to pressure the country into giving equal status and dignity to Tamils. It demanded that the Indian government impress on the United Nations that the perpetrators of all such crimes be designated as ‘war criminals' and that the Union government should take steps, along with other countries, to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka until all Tamils now staying in camps in Sri Lanka are rehabilitated in their own land and given an opportunity to lead a life of dignity with rights equal to those of the Sinhalese. The resolution said that after Sri Lanka attained independence, Tamils were treated as second class citizens and the Sri Lankan government, instead of conceding their demands for dignity, equal rights and self-respect, sought to destroy the community. It noted that the report of a committee appointed by the UN Secretary General had concluded that the island government was responsible for the killing of innocent civilians through widespread shelling and bombing; bombing of inhabited areas and hospitals; denial of humanitarian aid, violating the human rights of the internally displaced, suspected LTTE members and other victims of the war and perpetrating human rights violations against even those outside the war-hit areas, including the government's critics and the media. Replying to the discussion on the resolution, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said it was because of the “selfish attitude and ineptitude” of the DMK regime that thousands of Tamils fell victim to the relentless bombing by the Sri Lankan forces. “The Sri Lankan military rained shells on ‘no fire' zones and bombed hospitals; the government blocked humanitarian aid from reaching the people there and a large number of Tamils died due to shortage of food and water. Human rights violations took place,” she said (Hindu : 9 June 2011).

TN demands economic sanctions against Sri Lanka on Tamil issue - The Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution on Wednesday, asking the central government to impose economic sanctions against the neighbouring Sri Lanka over the issues related to Tamils in the island nation. The resolution, which was moved by chief minister J Jayalalithaa, also asked the Union government to press the United Nations (UN) to declare as ‘war criminals’ those who had committed crimes during the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. After moving the resolution in the Assembly, Jayalalithaa said only economic sanctions would rein in the island country. She added Sri Lanka “did not heed the global opinion when it came to the Tamils issue”. “For the return of Tamils lodged in camps to their native places and to ensure equal rights for dignified living on par with the (majority) Sinhala, India with other countries should jointly impose economic sanctions on Sri Lankan government,” (The Financial Express ; 9 June 2011).

Lankan Tamils issue: Vaiko welcomes Jayalalithaa's resolution - Sathyalaya Ramakrishnan reporting from Chennai - iThe Marumalarchi Dravida Munneetra Kazhagam(MDMK) leader and well known supporter of the LTTE Vaiko on Wednesday welcomed the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s resolution urging the Centre to impose economic sanctions against Sri Lanka. In a statement, he said it was a welcome sign that the resolution had been passed unanimously. He said he welcomed the demand of the assembly resolution to declare the Sri Lankan Government as a war criminal for allegedly killing Tamils in the island republic. Tamil Nadu Assembly earlier in the day adopted a unanimous resolution seeking imposition of economic sanctions against Sri Lanka by India on issues concerning Tamils in the island nation, including alleged human rights violations. The resolution moved by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa also wanted India to press the United Nations to declare as “war criminals” those who committed alleged crimes during the conflict in Sri Lanka (Asian Tribune : 9 June 2011).

Repealing the 13th amendment & listening to the Patriotic Nationalists - By Shenali Waduge - Patriotic nationalism is the basis on which a nation state rests. These nationalists do not betray their nation and they do not go against their own citizens. Without them a nation state cannot last long, cannot foster peace, cannot encourage national sacrifice, cannot fight external enemies and cannot save itself from collapsing. A country needs nationalists and they need to be listened to. They say the 13th amendment must be repealed. Lack of majority in Parliament was the earlier excuse. The present scenario demands the Government take action in the interest of Sri Lanka’ future as a sovereign nation. We have only 3 choices vis a vis the 13th amendment – implement it fully, amend it, or repeal it. What does the Sri Lankan Government propose to do? The 13th amendment was presented directly to Parliament bypassing the Supreme Court and signed following the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord in July 1987. Alongside the 13th amendment was the Provincial Councils Bill. India wants Sri Lanka to grant police and land powers to the Provincial Councils. India is also insisting on removing emergency laws. Sri Lanka being such a small country does it makes sense to have so many police forces? Devolving land powers would drastically affect water flowing from the Mahaweli River (Bangladesh and India’s handling of the Ganges is a good example). The question of devolving police powers is equivalent to creating a few countries within Sri Lanka. Can India say its devolving police powers has better affects today? Do we tell India want to do inside India? Governments have unnecessarily dilly dallied with the 13th amendment and the country should no longer remain silent and a similar effort made to demerge the North and East must take place now (Asian Tribune : 9 June 2011).

Learning the lessons from India - The historical and cultural ties that bind us with our closest neighbour India have always incurred the wrath of political manoeuverings at regular intervals throughout recorded history. Tragic as it may seem the many cultural affinities we share with the neighbouring giant have failed good relations between us at every crucial turn. Our recent history especially since the late 1970’s is full of instances where uncalled for interferences have blocked our path to development. It is not a secret that our very open economic policies that predicted a huge financial leap in the late seventies itself; was denied to the country due to the foreign policy adopted by India. Several such policies especially during the Indira Gandhi regime have stood testimony to the destability Sri Lanka experienced of significant economic and social proportions. Fed, accommodated and trained on Indian soil, the LTTE could never have grown to the size and dimension it did if not for the open support it received under that regime. But as an ironic shift of fate led to the assassination of her own son, the late Premier Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE, India looked like it had learnt a sad but necessary lesson in how not to deal with her neighbours. The support the present regime extended to the Rajapaksa government in ending a thirty-year-old scourge that destroyed the country was therefore seen as India paying its dues and finally changing the damaging foreign policy thus far adopted towards this neighbour. Certainly nothing comes free; and certainly not support in the form of the central Delhi government it would seem! India operates in interesting ways. Today India is no longer the bully that throws her weight about: nor does she any longer threatens intervention. Hers are today, the finest lessons on how to exert pressure without seeing to do so, and the diplomacy that strengthens her might without denial. Lessons that are Sri Lanka’s to learn if she so desires. Lessons, that we must perfect if we are to enjoy the benefits of a cordial and fulfilling relationship with a neighbour that has the world at her feet (Daily Mirror : 9 June 2011).

Language barrier has created a gap between the communities, says Rajitha - By Sandun A. Jayasekera - Although I cannot speak the language, I have spoken on behalf of the Tamils for the last 40 years, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said adding he would continue to do so. Addressing the District Fisheries Organization (DFO) of Batticaloa at the Devanayagam Hall, Dr. Senaratne said he had stood for Tamil rights in Parliament and in the Cabinet and expressed his regrets at not been able to learn Tamil. “It is a shame if one could not speak his or her mother tongue. Sri Lankan children must first learn Sinhala and Tamil and be fluent in English as the second or international language. All Sri Lankans must come forward to heal wounds sustained by the Tamil community, if any, following the defeat of the LTTE. The language barrier has contributed to create a gap between the three communities in Sri Lanka. The time is right to correct this drawback, Minister Senaratne stressed. He said he was glad to see that the largest number of fisher folk, numbering 9,198, has taken the membership of the Batticaloa DFO. The Fisheries Ministry expects to introduce an insurance scheme and a pension scheme for the fishing community shortly, he said. The Government has taken several steps to develop the fishing industry, by training youth in modern fishing technology and introducing satellite technology to fishing craft, Minister Senaratne said. There are 22,726 fishing families in 223 fishing villages in the Batticaloa district. The fishing population is 82,667, number of multi-day fishing boats is 327 and the number of one day fishing boats is 84. There are 105 fisheries societies in the district in which 8,854 have obtained membership. Therefore, Batticaloa provides the bulk of the national fish production and deserves attention of the Government, he said (Daily Mirror : 9 June 2011).

300 Lankans to be deported from UK - By R.Sethuraman - Around 300 Sri Lankans are to be deported from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka on June 16, Tamil Mirror online learns. Sources in the UK told Tamil Mirror that the UK Border Agency had arranged a special charter flight to deport around 300 persons whose asylum requests had been turned down by the authorities. Mr. Nishan Paramjorthy, a human rights advocate in the UK told Tamil Mirror online that some of his clients had got notice about their “removal” from the UK Border Agency. He said most of the persons to be deported were Tamils. UK to deport 300 Lankans The scheduled time of departure of the special charter flight to Sri Lanka, from the UK, is 5.00 pm -- on June 16, according to the sources. Tens of thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils migrated to the UK during the war between the security forces and the LTTE; and an estimated 120,000 Sri Lankan Tamils live in the UK. The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora in the UK is the second largest -- after that of Canada (Daily Mirror : 9 June 2011).

Face it; (Terrorism) Head on - Sri Lanka became the first nation to eradicate terrorism in the 21st century on May 18th, 2009. In the post war period the Security Forces, especially the Army initiated programmes and courses to share its war experience with other counterparts. The first international seminar organized by the island, ‘Defeating Terrorism, Sri Lanka Experience,’ was a success as it enabled regional and western counterparts to gather the experience in combating terrorist groups head on by protecting the human rights of civilians trapped between the two sides. Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya encouraged countries facing terrorism challenges to face it head on and said Sri Lanka experience can be used to counter them. Making the opening address on ‘Defeating Terrorism, Sri Lanka Experience,’ he said that certain alliances are fighting against terrorism in parts of the world. “Victory came with many sacrifices. National security is no longer confined to the borders as we see in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The three day seminar, ‘Defeating Terrorism: the Sri Lankan Experience,’ was not organized to gain sympathy towards our country. What we wanted is to share our war experience and our counter terrorist warfare knowledge”, he said. “One fifth of the countries in the world attended the seminar. It shows the importance and the attention that has been drawn by the Army by defeating the most ruthless outfit in the world”, he added. “As Professor Rohan Gunaratne said, we will discuss with the Ministry of Defence in establishing an Army Information Centre to share information with the public and rest of the world”, Lieutenant General Jayasuriya said. The role of human rights in counterinsurgency operations, rehabilitation programmes to integration of ex-combatants into society and nation building were the other main topics discussed at the seminar (Daily Mirror : 9 June 2011).

Massive Protest aganist United Nations in Geneva

TN targets SL War crime allegations: - The Tamil Nadu Assembly today adopted a unanimous resolution seeking imposition of economic sanctions against Sri Lanka by India on issues concerning Tamils in the island nation, including alleged human rights violations, a report in the The Hindu said yesterday. The report added: The resolution moved by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa also wanted India to press the United Nations to declare as "war criminals" those who committed alleged crimes during the conflict in Sri Lanka. Ms. Jayalalithaa said only economic sanctions would "rein in" Sri Lanka, which she said, "did not heed the global opinion when it came to the Tamils issue". "If India and other countries impose sanctions, Sri Lanka has to listen to what we say", she said replying to the debate on the resolution. She said there were allegations about Sri Lanka committing human rights violations and preventing humanitarian aids from reaching the suffering Tamils, the issues which prompted her to move the resolution. The Chief Minister said Tamils had been struggling against being treated as "second class citizens in their own country" even after Sri Lanka got independence from the British. She, however, said terrorism had crept in the name of Tamil Eelam which had even resulted in fratricide. She recalled that after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 on Tamil soil, the sympathy here towards LTTE had turned into an anger against them. Ms. Jayalalithaa said it was on her insistence that the Centre had first banned LTTE in India in 1992. She also recalled that it was her government in 2002 which passed a resolution in the assembly demanding the arrest and extradition of slain LTTE leader V Prabhakaran in connection with Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. Taking a dig at her party’s main rival the DMK, she said that it failed to do anything for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils and took potshots at party president M Karunanidhi for organising a fast as Chief Minister demanding ceasefire after having "breakfast and calling it off later in the day". She alleged that he had betrayed the Tamils by announcing that a ceasefire was on which made scores of people to come out from the bunkers but they were killed in aerial bombings. Ms. Jayalalithaa said she did not intend to level charges against DMK but insisted that it was "selfish nature and helplessness of the previous DMK regime" which resulted in the death of Tamils (Island : 8 June 2011).

TN passes resolution seeking imposition of economic sanctions - CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a unanimous resolution seeking imposition of economic sanctions against Sri Lanka by India on issues concerning Tamils in the island nation, including alleged human rights violations. The resolution moved by chief minister Jayalalithaa also wanted India to press the United Nations to declare as "war criminals" those who committed alleged crimes during the conflict in Sri Lanka. Jayalalithaa said only economic sanctions would "rein in" Sri Lanka, which she said, "did not heed the global opinion when it came to the Tamils issue". "If India and other countries impose sanctions, Sri Lanka has to listen to what we say", she said replying to the debate on the resolution. She said there were allegations about Sri Lanka committing human rights violations and preventing humanitarian aids from reaching the suffering Tamils, the issues which prompted her to move the resolution. The chief minister said Tamils had been struggling against being treated as "second class citizens in their own country" even after Sri Lanka got independence from the British (Times of India ; 8 June 2011).

Russian Amb. on meet with TNA - Apropos The Island lead story captioned ‘LTTE rump in fresh bid to exploit global community’ in the June 8 issue, Russian Ambassador Vladimir P. Mikhaylov has sent the following statement: It is stated that "A delegation of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs met the Russian Ambassador in Colombo on Monday to urge Moscow not to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government". "I have to say that this information has nothing to do with the reality and misleads readers of your newspaper. I really had a meeting with some Tamil National Alliance Members of Parliament, during which they explained position of the TNA regarding national reconciliation. They didn't ask me not to support the Government of Sri Lanka. More than that, they assured me that the TNA adheres to peaceful means of political struggle and is going to solve all the existing problems through dialog. On my part I reiterated the well-known principled position of the Russian Federation and expressed hope that the dialog between the Government of Sri Lanka and representatives of Tamil community will bring complete reconciliation in near future." (Island : 8 June 2011).

Attempt to send Lankans to Australia foiled - An attempt by a human trafficking racket to send a group of Sri Lankans from Kochi to Australia was thwarted by the City Police on Tuesday. The police said they had taken 11 Sri Lankans, including two children, into custody from a lodge in the city based on an intelligence input that a racket was attempting to take Sri Lankans from Kochi to a foreign country. The Central police team conducted a surprise raid on the lodge and took the Sri Lankans into custody. They were later shifted to the Central Police Station for detailed interrogation. Preliminary investigation revealed that the Lankans had been camping in the city for the past one month. They were planning to board a flight from the Cochin International Airport, police said. A detailed investigation is on to collect more details about the persons. The state police have been on an alert after they arrested at least 38 Lankans from a lodge in Kollam in May 2010. Investigation at that time revealed that the Lankan Tamils were brought to Kerala by a racket based in Tamil Nadu for taking them illegally to Australia. The state police, in coordination with the Tamil Nadu police, also arrested a person identified as Shivakumar alias Shiva, of Jaffna, who was the kingpin of a humantrafficking racket that had alleged links with the LTTE (IBN Live : 8 June 2011).

Lanka appreciates Dutch probe, highlights limitations in global action - By Shamindra Ferddinando - Until the collapse of the LTTE in May 2009, the Netherlands hadn’t given the go ahead for a comprehensive investigation targeting the LTTE, though the Dutch Intelligence and Security Agency (AIVD) recommended action in October 2008. Sjors van Beek, in an explosive article captioned ‘Cover for Tamil terror’ carried in Norwegian paper Binnenlands Bestuur, dealt with what he called a Mafia-like extortion racket run by the LTTE under the very noses of various government and local government authorities. Had the Netherlands and other countries, which turned a blind eye to high profile fund raising operations, acted sooner, the LTTE would have lost its wherewithal to wage war, says an External Affairs Ministry official. Responding to a query by The Island, the official says even after the AIVD had called for action against the LTTE in October 2008, the probe got underway in August 2009. According to Binnenlands Bestuur, a team comprising 20 police crime investigators and two Inspectors from the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) had been engaged in a year-long probe. The newspaper quoted Corps of National Police Service (KLPD) as having said: "because of the bureaucratic set up and the way functionaries in the organization gave account of their actions the structure of the LTTE in the Netherlands was clarified in the smallest detail. The investigators had identified 38 suspects and five Tamil organizations involved in the Mafia-like extortion racket. The National Crime Squad has named the Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC), Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), Tamil Youth Organization (TYO), Tamil Art and Cultural Organization (TKCO) and Tamil Women’s Organization (TVO) as LTTE-linked organizations. The LTTE operatives in the Netherlands had been under surveillance for months as part of the ongoing operation. Binnenlands Bestuur revealed how detectives had observed LTTE operatives collecting money at Utrecht and detection of an e-mail directing the money to be handed over to an LTTE leader based in the Netherlands. Binnenlands Bestuur revealed that the LTTE had divided the Netherlands into seven districts and appointed separate heads to run fund raising operations. The LTTE had also made a series of other appointments to sustain its operation in the Netherlands, which Binnenlands Bestuur called a very professional set up (Island : 8 June 2011).

Govt. won’t give in to LTTE rump – Nimal - By Saman Indrajith - Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva on Wednesday told parliament that the next round of talks between the Government and the Tamil National alliance (TNA) would be held on June 23. He said the Government was committed to addressing contentious issues to achieve durable peace in the post-war era. "Any solution must be acceptable to all communities and not only to those living in the North and East," he said. The Minister was speaking during the debate on the extension of the emergency regulations in Parliament. The government wouldn’t give in to demands made by the LTTE rump, the minister said, while expressing confidence that the ongoing talks with the TNA could facilitate a negotiated settlement to the national question. The minister reiterated that the government wouldn’t succumb to international forces putting undue pressure on the GoSL at the behest of the LTTE rump (Island : 8 June 2011).

LTTE rump in fresh bid to exploit global community - TNA urges Russia to abandon Lanka

Diaspora reduced to making threats to civil servants - by Chamikara WEERASINGHE - Diaspora has been reduced to making threats over the Internet to Tamil government servants in Jaffna after their failed attempts to manoeuvre the United Nations and the international community against the government at various forums. State intelligence sources yesterday said Jaffna Government Agent Emelda Sukumar has become their latest victims since her participation in the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) hearings. She had been critical of the activities of the LTTE and the Tamil diaspora at the hearings. This daily contacted Jaffna Government Agent(GA) Emelda Sukumar to ask about this. Jaffna GA said she has been asked to withdraw from serving the government and President Mahinda Rajapaksa by unknown callers. "But I did not respond to these calls," she said. She has also received threats from the Diaspora through her e-mail account. Asked if she had any idea about these threats, Sukumar said most of these these threats are broadcast by Diaspora websites which have political affiliations with the TNA. "Anyway I hardly get the time to surf on the net to read this material for I have enough work in the district with many construction projects to be conducted." she said. "I also feel that some political parties are making these threats with an agenda to disrupt development activities," she explained. "They are jealous because I am a woman and they think I am standing in the way of their politics," she added. "The number of threats have increased following my participation in the international seminar on 'Defeating Terrorism-Sri Lanka Experience', which was held at Galadari Hotel, Colombo, she said. Sukumar said she was an invitee to the seminar where she made a presentation on the development activities that take place in the Northeast. Asked if she had done anything about the threats, Sukumar said she has informed Jaffna Police and Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe about it (Daily News : 8 June 2011).

Power-sharing, yes! Devolution, no! - by Malinda Seneviratne - There are two terms that are used frequently as though they mean the same thing by those who are determined to confuse the people for the vile purpose of pushing agenda that have no legitimacy and do not correspond to any on-the-ground reality: ‘power sharing’ and ‘devolution’. There are two kinds of arguments pertaining to ‘power-sharing’. First, there are those who believe that the current configuration of the political space is centralized and centralizing and therefore robs decision-making power from the peripheries. It is essentially a regionalist argument. The impetus for proposing a re-configuration is the mistaken or deliberately misleading notion that the current set up is anti-Tamil, the assumption being touted as fact being that two provinces of the above ‘periphery’ are ‘Tamil’, i.e. they (the North and East) are exclusive historical and traditional homelands of that community (Daily News ; 8 June 2011).

Is UN Chief Pro-Terrorist?! - By Shripal Nishshanka Fernando - Every action has a reaction and when a system is destabilized it works to re-stabilize by itself! Alas! What a shame! Current UN Secretary General Moon is making the good office worst in a rapid process. Without making this world body a puppeteer stage, whole peace-loving world shall clean the mess this man is creating. Ban Ki is trying to win the second term of this organization by propagandizing Sri Lanka and her human right activity. Ban Ki shall better be informed that Sri Lanka or Lankga as King Ravana ruled knows better human rights than many countries you conspire with. Banki is preyed with a carrot and he is unaware the carrot given to him is as deadly as the cyanide capsule which a terrorist gang used to use. The Ultimate Truth is that the world today is far better following Sri Lanka got rid of the neighbour born terrorism exemplary and spectacularly. Mr. Moon better act like a mannish leader or GO HOME! (LankaWeb : 8 June 2011).

Minister Weerawansa says: 'Opposition playing into hands of LTTE rump' - by Hemanthi GURUGE - Construction, Engineering, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that the Opposition is creating an environment for LTTE remnants abroad to make various accusations against the government. He said the LTTE rump is in the practice of trying to exert pressure on Sri Lanka which succeeded in eradicating one of the most ruthless terrorist outfits in the world. Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony at Wijayaraja Wewa in Polonnaruwa, the minister said, LTTE activists abroad level various accusations against Sri Lanka for which the Opposition is extending its fullest support. He said the US based Diaspora launched a protest against Sri Lanka last month while we staged a counter protest in New York. These organizations try to tarnish Sri Lanka's image abroad and the Opposition is paying lip service to them. People should be alert about conspiracies hatched against our motherland the Minister said. Forty six houses will be constructed under the NHDA's Sevana programme at a cost of Rs 9 million. The project is expected to be completed within six months (Daily News ; 8 June 2011).

LTTE rump in fresh bid to exploit global community - TNA urges Russia to abandon Lanka - By Shamindra Ferdinando - A delegation of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs met the Russian Ambassador in Colombo on Monday to urge Moscow not to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government.  The TNA, which once declared the LTTE the sole representatives of the Tamil speaking people and the Diaspora has stepped-up its campaign to have a war crimes probe launched, while having talks on devolution with the government. The next round of talks is scheduled for June 23.  As part of GTF’s strategy to solicit the support of the Tamil Diaspora, the UK-headquartered Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has prepared a tool-kit (draft letter /e-mail) to be sent to members of the British parliament and other legislative bodies in other parts of the world, through voters, an authoritative Sri Lankan official says. It has gone to the extent of advising how to conduct a telephone conversation with members of parliament and their staff to ensure their support for international war crimes probe.  This follows the screening of what the GTF called the Sri Lanka execution video being declared authentic by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, during the 17th Session of the Human Rights Council.  The GTF was established in 2009 with members drawn from fifteen countries on five continents following the decimation of the LTTE fighting cadre on the Mullaitivu front. Responding to a question by The Island, the official said that the focus of the operation was the UK, with the GTF urging constituents to pressure their MPs on an international independent war crimes probe in Sri Lanka at parliamentary question time and Prime Minister’s question time. The official said that the GTF was trying to cause some uproar ahead of the screening of the Channel 4 documentary on June 14 in the UK. UK based sources told The Island that Channel 4 is broadcaster which commissioned the hour long documentary, whereas Channel 4 News based at the Independent Television News (ITN) did the research, production and presentation. Channel 4 is based at 124 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2TX, while Channel 4 News is based at the ITN building- 200 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8X (Island : 7 June 2011).

Expat Lankans demand Moon discard ‘Darusman report’ - By Sujeeva Nivunhella - A large group of Sri Lankan expatriates residing in Switzerland, France, Italy, UK and other European countries recently conducted a protest in Geneva to pressure the UNSG Ban ki-Moon to discard the controversial ‘Darusman report’ which dealt with accountability issues in Sri Lanka. Switzerland based Eric Makawitage told The Island that over 2,000 Sri Lankans participated in the demonstration. "There were people from Germany, Norway and Sweden,too. Five buses and several vans from Paris and 17 buses from Italy brought the people. There were Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslim participants," he said. Responding to a query, he estimated the number of Tamil participants at 200. At the end of the demonstration, the group handed over the following letter to the UN: We, the peace-loving people of Sri Lankan origin wish to bring the following facts to your notice. As you are well aware, Sri Lanka is a member of the United Nations for the past six decades and it has proudly demonstrated its unstinted belief in the cherished principles of the UN. Hence, we expect a fair treatment from all the UN bodies as well as its Chief Executive Officer, the Secretary General on issues pertaining to Sri Lanka. We consider that the appointment of a ‘Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka’ to advice the UNSG and then release the so-called report of the panel is totally beyond the mandate of the Secretary General of the UN. It is well known that the said report was borne outside of an intergovernmental process which also has no official status in the UN system. Furthermore it is an unwarranted and unnecessary interference in the internal affaires of Sri Lanka which is a sovereign state. We wish to point out that neither the UN General Assembly nor the UN Security Council has authorized the appointment of an expert panel or the release of its report. The UN Charter clearly states that the Secretary General shall perform his functions as entrusted by the UNSC, UNGA or other UN body such as the Human Rights Council. None of the above mentioned UN bodies directed you to such a cause of action. On the contrary, the UN Human Rights Council has passed a resolution with 29 votes in favour and 12 against not to interfere in the Sri Lankan issue (Island ; 7 June 2011).

Lanka won’t ask other countries to condemn Darusman report - GL - By Saman Indrajith - External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris on Tuesday said that Sri Lanka wouldn’t ask foreign governments to condemn the controversial ‘Darusman Report’. The Minister said that such a course of action would give undue importance to the report of the UN Panel of Experts. The minister was responding to a question raised by DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake regarding a joint statement issued after ministerial level talks between Sri Lanka and India on May 16, 2011. The Minister rejected accusations by the DNA MP that India was exerting pressure on Sri Lanka on various issues. He said India had been supportive of Sri Lanka and had not supported moves by some countries to set up an international mechanism to look into accountability issues in Sri Lanka. The Minister, while referring to the joint statement and Dissanayake’s statement point by point, said that only the government of Sri Lanka took the diplomatic initiative to brief the Indian leaders on the controversial report by the UN Advisory Panel. "We never wanted India to issue a statement condemning this report. We have already rejected this statement. If we ask other foreign nations to condemn it more and more, it will amount an undue recognition of the report which has no connection with the UN whatsoever. It is a report by a panel appointed by the UN Secretary General," he said. He said, "Some foreign nations asked for an international tribunal against Sri Lanka. But, India never supported it which is a reason for satisfaction. During my visit to India, I also had talks with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. I never wanted him to issue a statement condemning this report." Also, he said that Sri Lanka had sought India’s support when and where necessary only. "We want to solicit their support when and where necessary. This issue against Sri Lanka is being discussed in New York and at the UN Human Rights Council," he said. Commenting on his visit to Indonesia to participate in the meeting of the Non Aligned Movement, he said that he interacted with the representatives of 22 countries, and all of them were briefed about this report. ‘We did not ask any of them to issue statements condemning this report. That is not our intention (Island ; 7 June 2011).

Transparency, RIP - It is now clear that the UN gods have feet of clay. No less a person than UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has retracted UN criticism of Bahrain on the grounds that it was based on wrong information and the UN was misled as regards the situation in that country. Intriguingly, the UN bigwigs who cannot get their facts right during a popular uprising in Bahrain claim to be au fait with what is said to have happened at the height of a fiercely fought war in Sri Lanka. For ascertaining information about this country, most of the Colombo-based western diplomats and UN officials rely on a select group of self-appointed opinion makers including some NGO activists beholden to them for dosh, free booze, chow and junkets. And their cables mostly contain what is discussed at wine and cheese parties in Colombo as a cursory content analysis of some of the diplomatic files disclosed by WikiLeaks reveals. These opinionated envoys and international civil servants make it a point to avoid, like plague, those who are conversant with the internal affairs of the host country and have the courage to tell them what they do not want to hear. Therefore, it is only natural that their conclusions, more often than not, turn out to be wrong because they are based on mere hearsay and wrong information. Those who express opinions different from theirs get treated like lepers. US Defence Attaché in Colombo Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith was bold enough to tell Sri Lanka’s critics a home truth at a recently concluded international conference here. Questioning the authenticity of a claim by the LTTE that some of its leaders had offered to surrender to the army, he pointed out that the much touted claim had been made by some Tigers who could not make vital decisions in the outfit. However, the unsubstantiated allegation by the LTTE is being flaunted as credible evidence of war crimes! (Island : 7 June 2011).

Regime blues and the political realities pertaining to the Chelvanayakam Option - by Malinda Seneviratne - Coalition politics took centre stage the moment Proportional Representation became operational (with the 1989 General Election). From that moment, both major parties, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) could think of going it alone. Since then scrambling to put together a coalition has preoccupied leaders of both parties. Winning was difficult. Maintaining parliamentary majority was tough. Horse-dealing, consequently, is not a one-off thing. It is part of the political daily-grind. Not every coalition is alike, even those led by the same party. Chandrika Kumaratunga’s People’s Alliance, led by the SLFP was pro-federal and ever ready to play ball with Anton Balasingham as well as other Eelamists (closeted and otherwise). The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), again led by the SLFP became staunchly anti-federal and refused to be swayed by the fairy stories regarding ‘Negotiations with the LTTE’ once Mahinda Rajapaksa took over that party. The United National Front, led by the UNP under Ranil Wickremesinghe was the political heir to Chandrika’s PA. Both were played by the minority parties. The UPFA under Rajapaksa was different in that the minority parties and other coalition partners had to fall under his agenda umbrella. All coalitions are made of politicians and they are by nature swayed by considerations of expediency. They will stay or go depending on their assessment of popular support for the person or party they side with or abandon. This is why all leaders need to be extremely alert to shifts in key constituencies. Let’s hold on to this idea for a moment. Let’s move to today-reality (Daily Mirror ; 7 June 2011).

"I will give what people in North want, not what LTTE remnants want" - President President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he would not give in to demands of the LTTE that come from certain Northern political elements, but would give what the people in the North want after discussing power devolution with the North and South political leadership. A political solution which meets the needs of the people in the North and signifies a common Sri Lankan identity will be granted to them without being driven by foreign influences, President Rajapaksa said yesterday after commissioning of the Kokavil Multi-functional Transmission Centre in Kokavil, Mullaitivu. President Rajapaksa also said finding a political solution is a matter within our reach and discussions are on to finalize a political solution. He also said that a political solution cannot be given forcibly and it should emerge from the hearts of the people both in the North and South. President Rajapaksa also said that the solution should be a result of discussions between political leaders in the North and the South and discussions are in progress to this effect. Some groups are demanding things similar to those made by terrorists indirectly, the President said. He added that those demands won't be granted on whatever grounds and stated that a political solution will be granted that meets the needs of the people in the North. The President also said with the commissioning of the Kokavil tower, the right to information of the people in North that was prevented by the terrorists, is guaranteed again. He added that destruction of the Kokavil Tower, interrupted the understanding between the people in North and South. "Thereafter the terrorists imparted a distorted picture about the people in South in the minds of the youth in the North. There was no means to change that distorted picture. "The people of the North did not have the right to information and speech," he said. He said that last year a Cabinet meeting was held in Kilinochchi. "It was historic as it was the first Cabinet meeting held in Kilinochchi in Sri Lankan history." He stated that the Cabinet meeting was held there to emphasise that all parts of the country had to be developed equally. "When we come back we see our attempts are fruitful," President Rajapaksa said. "Infrastructure is being developed and the citizens here should know what happens in the country to strengthen the bonds between the communities. President Rajapaksa also said that the commissioning of the Kokavil tower contributes immensely to strengthen the bond between people of the North and South (Sri Lanka Defence Ministry : 7 June 2011).

Kokkuvila transmission tower re-commissioned

The original name of kokkavil is Kokkuvila - Kokkavil(Giranika [Killinochchi]) KOKKUVILA, KOKAAVILA -  The form "Koka" is used for heron-like birds, storks, cranes etc in Prakrit. In Sanskrit it is more often applied to the Cuckoo. "Kokku" is used in Tamil for the mango (tree), and also for cranes and similar birds. The Sinhalese origin of this type of place-names in Jaffna was first pointed out in the early part of the 20th century by Messrs. B. Horsburgh. (1916. .doc file) and J. P. Lewis, both of the Colonial CCS. The late S. GnanaPrakasar, the philologist of international fame, agreed with them and furnished his own list of place-names of Sinhala origin found in the North and East. He mentioned villages ending in "vil" like Kandavil, Kokkuvil, Inuvil, etc.; those ending in "vattei", like Polvattei, ittavattei, etc.; villages from the word "kumbura" like Markkamburei, etc., from "yaya" like Moolay etc., from "deniya" like Narandanei, etc., from "eliya" like Puloly, as examples. As part of the post-war development, a radio and Internet transmission column (highest in South Asia up to 2011) has been constructed in Kokaavila and opend in June 2011.

Original names of villages in the North and East of Sri Lanka

http://dh-web.org/place.names/barelist.htm

Much blood spilt on 13th Amendment but India still wants it? - by Gomin Dayasiri - They say 13 is an unlucky number. Irrespective of numerology, 13th amendment [13th] to the Constitution was never rosy. Indo Sri Lanka Accord conceived the 13th- an Indian lasso to loop Sri Lanka off the saddle. Genie of the 13th was released deceptively by an eerie spirit of India, at a ceremony the Defence Minister Lalit Athulathmudali declined to attend and in protest Mahinda Rajapaksa took to the streets. The President learnt lessons on India and the 13th while in the opposition when High Commissioner Dixit at India House over reached his title with a regal show of arrogance in a stellar performance of an Ugly Indian, as the Indian Army held sway on our soil. The timing is of the essence-Indian/Sri Lankan relationships during the 13th were at their lowest ebb-we were administered an unjust spanking by the Big Brother in the Orwellian mould, with the induction of the Indian Peace Keeping Force [IPKF]. An un-solicited foreign intervention- India’s next military visitation - after bifurcating East Pakistan into Bangladesh. Mahinda Rajapaksa will not forget the events under the 13th that led the JVP to tunnel underground and commence a reign of terror. So much of unnecessary Sri Lankan blood was spilt in the South over the 13th associated with the Indian military invasion. In Vadamaratchchi, Prabhakaran was cornered but not captured, instead set foot loose under Indian pressure that prolonged the war by another 22 years watched in silent disgust by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, then a young officer at Vadamaratchchi. Defence Secretary learnt the importance of keeping India in a friendly neutral corner till the war ended and the designs India fabricates, with its on/off friendship. Sri Lankan Armed Forces with their ego dented and shame inflicted, in dismay were compulsorily ferried from the North and East on Indian Air Force flights to be instantly replaced by the IPKF. It was a 24-hour red notice to quit after Sri Lankans helplessly watched with heads bowed the symbolic Indian airdrop of pulse and cereal in an un-erasable Indian diplomatic howler (Daily Mirror : 7 June 2011).

MR challenges Tamil Diaspora - Sandun A. Jayasekera reporting from Kilinochchi - President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday challenged the Tamil diaspora to donate a single dollar for the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka if possible, if they genuinely had any feeling for them. Addressing a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the multi-purpose transmission tower at Kokavil in Kilinochchi, President Rajapaksa further stressed that not a single member of the so called vociferous Tamil diaspora in foreign countries claiming to protect the rights of Tamils has donated a single dollar for the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka.MR challenges...“They have residences in Colombo, Kilinochchi and Jaffna. They also have residences in Chennai, Europe, Canada and the US and collect funds for the diaspora by speaking English. Many of them do not speak Tamil. They do not know Tamil even as much as me. But they are efficient enough to collect funds for the Tamil diaspora.,” he said. President Rajapaksa charged that the Tamil Diaspora had used its funds not to help Tamils but to spread misinformation or utter lies to create division among the Tamils and other communities. “What they want is to renew their lost course of Eelam dream by creating mistrust among Tamils themselves and others. But the Tamil people in Sri Lanka are intelligent enough to realize the modus operandi,” he said. President Rajapaksa yesterday gave away Rs. 100 million worth of self employment loan certificates to ex-LTTE combatants who had been rehabilitated and given skill development training and also to war widows in Kilinochchi (Daily Mirror ; 7 June 2011).

Getting the North more fully integrated - The launching of the phenomenal Kokavil transmission tower under the auspices of President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday was another landmark in the closer integration of the Northern Province with the rest of Sri Lanka. While the memorable nature of the occasion was marked by the fact that the self-supporting, multi-purpose transmission tower is the tallest such facility in South-East Asia, there is no overlooking the remarkable boon it would prove to be to the people of the North. Yesterday we quoted Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka Director General Anusha Pelpita as saying that one of the chief strengths of the tower is that it would provide the people of the North with better access to radio, TV and Internet facilities, after 30 long years. The latter point is a reference to the wanton destruction unleashed on the tower by the LTTE, in the early years of the conflict, which completely incapacitated the tower and ensured that the Northern populace was almost completely cut away from the rest of the country (Daily News : 7 June 2011).

President pledges at opening of Kokavil transmission tower: A political solution signifying common Sri Lankan identity - by  Sandasen Marasinghe in Kilinochchi - *Kokavil tower destruction interrupted North-South bond *Some are demanding things similar to those made by terrorists President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that a political solution which meets the needs of the people in the North and signifies a common Sri Lankan identity will be granted to them without being driven by foreign influences. President Rajapaksa also said that discussions are on to finalize a political solution that would be granted to the people of the North. He made this observation at the commissioning of the Kokavil Multi-functional Transmission Centre in Kokavil, Mullaitivu. President Rajapaksa said that finding a political solution is a matter within our reach and no foreign force can interfere in it. He also said that a political solution cannot be given forcibly and it should emerge from the hearts of the people both in the North and South. President Rajapaksa also said that the solution should be a result of discussions between political leaders in the North and the South and discussions are in progress to this effect. The President said that some groups are demanding things similar to those made by terrorists indirectly. He added that those demands won't be granted on whatever grounds and stated that a political solution will be granted that meets the needs of the people in the North. President Rajapaksa said that the lives of the people in the North that were destroyed by terrorism will get a boost in the same manner the Kokavil Multi functional Transmission Tower was built. The President also said with the commissioning of the Kokavil tower, the right to information of the people in North that was prevented by the terrorists, is guaranteed again. He added that destruction of the Kokavil Tower, interrupted the understanding between the people in North and South. "Thereafter the terrorists imparted a distorted picture about the people in South in the minds of the youth in the North. There was no means to change that distorted picture (Daily News : 7 June 2011).

Civil-Military Cooperation in rehabilitating people - by Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, MP - Opening remarks at the session on Civil and Military Cooperation at the recent seminar on ‘Defeating terrorism: the Sri Lankan experience’. I am honoured to chair this session today, on the second part of our experience in defeating terrorism. On the first day we had a succinct overview of what had taken place, along with careful analyses of the sort of terror we had to deal with. Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP with Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya at the seminar on ‘Defeating terrorism: the Sri Lankan experience’ held in Colombo recently. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage. Then, yesterday, we had graphic accounts of what had to be done to overcome the terrorist forces in Sri Lanka. The stage was held exclusively by the Sri Lankan services, in explaining this first and most vital part of our fight against terror. The officers who spoke explained very coherently the careful planning, the coherent principles, the brilliant innovations and the systematic implementation that they put into practice. I had been following the operations during those days, in terms of my responsibilities for Peace as well as, later, for Human Rights (Daily News : 7 June 2011).

Will not give in to LTTE elements - MR - by Sadun A. Jayasekera reporting from Kokavil - President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that he would not give in to demands of the LTTE that come from certain Northern political elements, but would give what the people in the North want after discussing power devolution with the North and South political leadership. The President expressed these views at the commissioning of the Kokavil Transmission Tower this morning (Daily Mirror : 7 June 2011).

Canadian police discover migrant ship’s link to Norway

India Will Regret the 13 Amendment - by Dilrook Kannangara - There is nothing good about the 13A which was enacted under duress. It must be scrapped or made powerless. However, India insists on its full implementation. According to the extreme left (admirers of the Cuban dictator) and the extreme right (the bankrupt liberals), India is Lanka’s gateway to the world. Sadly almost all the neighbours of India find it the gateway to hell! Owing to India’s meddling in internal affairs of all its neighbours, they have drifted away from the South Asian giant. Pakistan, Kashmir (which is considered a separate nation by some powerful neighbours of India), China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Arunachel Pradesh (which is considered a separate nation by some powerful neighbours of India) and the Maldives have teamed up with the Asian superpower to ward off Indian pressure. India’s only friend in the region is Sri Lanka but most Sri Lankans find no nation more spiteful than India due to Indian interference in the island nation (LankaWeb ; 6 June 2011).

Channel 4 Video is Fake, Edited and Video taken by Video Camera - by Siri Hewawitharana, Sydney Australia Sydney, 06 June, (Asiantribune.com): It seems new Channel 4 video at UN is worse than the previous one even though new video suppose to show old video clip with added drama and whole video is fake with a date indicating UTC 2009-07-15 13 :17:23 and taken by a Video Camera and Not by a mobile phone as indicated. Worst part is UN new Rapporteur Christof Heyns hired a new US based video specialist Mr Grant Fredericks to analyse the video and surprised, surprised his conclusion is video is Edited using Philips editing software and Never Came from the mobile phone since video is using a Optical Zoom which is not available in Any mobile Camera that is available to date. To me video editing is so obvious that all its need is to look into the video end to see more than one video layer and audio is not in synchronized with the video as indicated by the previous Channel 4 video…. The technical foot print is identical on both videos indicating it is edited by the same software and by the same idiot. Also Mr. Jeff S. Spivack is now giving different and conflicting answers but avoiding the main criticism that video is edited using a PC and he use childish or dishonest analysis saying rudimentary editing possible on a mobile phone cannot do this type of a video… Who he is kidding? At one part he says the video is edited using Philips software and using a PC and other part he said it cannot be done with the mobile phones editing applications…. How does he answer Mr Grant Frederick’s analysis saying these are high quality video that came from a Video Camera? (Asian Tribune: 6 June 2011).

Would not give in to northern separatists' demands: Rajapaksa - Touring the former LTTE region of Kilinochchi, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that his government was all for accommodating the wishes of the northern Tamil people but would not give in to the demands of those who have separatist agenda. Rajapaksa was making an indirect reference to his ongoing talks with the main Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), aimed at achieving a political solution to the ethnic issue over which the LTTE fought a bloody separatist war for 30 years. Rajapaksa said certain political elements in the north were making demands similar to that of the LTTE but the government will not give in to them. He, however, said his government was willing to give what the people of the North want after holding talks on devolution of power with the political leadership. The TNA which has so far held six rounds of talks with the government's high-powered ministerial team is pressing for maximum devolution of power in the north and east provinces that are dominated by Tamils (Indian Express : 6 June 2011).

SL questions reliability of ‘UN mechanism’ after Pillay retracts criticism of Bahrain - By Shamindra Ferdinando - The Sri Lankan government says admission by the UN that it has been misled with regard to developments in Bahrain, where the ruling party is battling the Opposition, is indicative of serious shortcomings in a UN mechanism to deal with domestic problems of member states. Defence and External Ministry sources pointed out that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who had been pushing for an international war crimes tribunal on the basis of the controversial ‘Darusman Report’ on accountability issues in Sri Lanka, on Sunday (5) had admitted that they were deceived with regard to situation in Bahrain. International news agencies quoted Pillay as having told Social Development Minister and Acting Health Minister Dr. Fatima bint Mohammed Al-Balooshi, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Children’s Rights Committee in Geneva, at the UN, that certain information received by the UN about the developments in Bahrain was untrue. A senior Foreign Ministry official said that in the wake the unprecedented statement attributed to Pillay, the UN should reveal who had misled it with false information regarding Bahrain. "Was it the UN mission in Bahrain, the Opposition or the well paid human rights watchdogs as in the case of Sri Lanka," he asked. Pillay’s retraction of some of her earlier criticism of the Bahrain regime couldn’t have come at a better time for Sri Lanka targeted by a section of the international community. Sri Lanka is facing a tough time at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva, the FM official said. Sources said that a recent statement attributed to US Defence Advisor in Colombo Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith, in which he had questioned the very basis of the war crimes allegations leveled against Sri Lanka, too, revealed the UN could be mislead or manipulated to facilitate political agenda directed at a certain country. Pillay was also quoted as having acknowledged that the situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain was by far different, and thus incomparable to ongoing unrest in other countries in the region. A London based source told The Island that in Bahrain all the major news channels had been there to witness things first hand, but in Sri Lanka there were no independent news channels to report on the war, yet Navi Pillai refuses to believe what happened in Bahrain where the cameras and reporters were everywhere but harks on about Sri Lanka where the alleged war crime reports were compiled from hearsay (Island : 6 June 2011).

Kokavil transmission tower opened - by Dasun Edirisinghe - President Mahinda Rajapaksa commissioned the Kokavil Multi Purpose Transmission Tower yesterday. The tower had been used by the LTTE to broadcast its transmission before blowing it up in 2009, when security forces were advancing. TRC Director General Anusha Pelpita said that the 175-metre tower had been constructed at a cost of Rs. 450 mn. He said that the tower was to begin digital transmission covering the entire Northern Province since yesterday. "This is the Sri Lanka’s first ever multi-channel broadcasting tower which will be allocated for the providers of services of high speed internet, radio, television, and telecommunications transmissions, as well as military communication operations," said Pelpita. The foundation stone to construct the Kokavil transmission tower was laid in March, 2009. The construction of the site came to a standstill for six-seven months due to floods in the North. The transmission tower was constructed with the consultation of local engineers and using local manpower supervised by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau Sri Lanka. The project was launched under the ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ development programme (Island : 6 June 2011).

Lanka appreciates Chinese support to safeguard sovereignty - The Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne expressed appreciation for China’s support to Sri Lanka regarding its development and safeguarding of its state sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sri Lanka welcomes the active role China plays in the international community, the Premier has said. The Prime Minister has hailed the bilateral friendship with China when he met the Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province on Sunday. The Premier is in Kunming to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th China Kunming Import and Export Fair and the fourth South Asian Countries Trade Fair, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported. Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo noting the special relationship between the two countries that dates back over 2,000 years, has said that China cherishes its ties with Sri Lanka and is ready to make concerted efforts to reinforce traditional friendship. "China is willing to see Sri Lanka achieve rapid and prosperous development, and is willing to see the development of emerging economies and developing countries," Dai has said. The Chinese State Councilor has officially opened the five-day fair in Kunming. The fair runs until June 10 (Island : 6 June 2011).

Much blood spilt on 13th Amendment, but India still wants it?

Read more about the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in Sri Lanka

Canadian police discover migrant ship’s link to Norway - Before MV Sun Sea, left Thailand in July, carrying almost 500 Sri Lankan migrants, the smugglers made the passengers sign contracts that spelled out how much each owed for the journey to Canada.The contracts were then mailed to Norway for safekeeping. They were proof of millions worth of uncollected debts, not to mention highly sensitive. The problem was that they were mailed to the wrong address. According to newly released details of the case, the contracts — in which Sun Sea passengers pledged to pay the smugglers between $5,000 and $30,000 upon reaching Canada — were mislabelled and delivered to the wrong person. The recipient handed them to Norwegian police, who passed them on to their Canadian counterparts. The gaffe has given Canadian officials a unique insight into the smugglers’ system of payment, which involved an up-front deposit of about $5,000 and a hefty debt that was to be paid off after arrival in Canada. It has also linked the smuggling operation to Norway. The Norwegian connection and the blunder that brought it to light are described in a transcript of an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing held in Vancouver on April 7. A declassified copy of the transcript was recently released to the National Post. "Now, these are a series of payment contracts signed by various individuals who ended up travelling on the MV Sun Sea," Kenny Nicolaou, a Canada Border Services Agency representative, explained at the hearing. "You can see the general tenor of the contract. Essentially it says, ‘I paid this much up front, depending on the situation, and I owe this much, name of family member in Canada who pledges to pay on my behalf once I arrive." Mr. Nicolaou said the Sun Sea’s arrival in Canada was "the end result of a sophisticated, well organized, for profit human smuggling operation orchestrated by a network of agents in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia." (Island : 6 June 2011).

Ban ki-Moon virtually certain to get second term - UNITED NATIONS (AP): The worst kept secret at the United Nations is that Ban ki-Moon wants a second term as Secretary-General and will almost certainly get it, possibly this month. He is expected to launch his re-election campaign Monday. As he travels the world, working behind the scenes and publicly to help defuse crises and push for action on issues like climate change and women’s rights, Ban has also been quietly lobbying for support from the 192 UN member states for a second five-year term. Egypt’s UN Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz, whose country heads the 120-member Non-aligned Movement of mainly developing countries and China, said last month that he knew of no opposition to Ban. "And my feeling is among the countries of the Non-aligned Movement that all of us are in support of his election," he told The Associated Press. UN diplomats said Ban, who was formerly South Korea’s foreign minister, is expected to announce his candidacy for a second term at a news conference on Monday. Ban has scheduled the news conference to discuss his recent travels to Ivory Coast for the president’s inauguration, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the African Union summit, as well as to Nigeria, France and Italy. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because there has been no official announcement. Ban’s spokesperson would not confirm that the UN chief planned to announce that he is seeking a second-term. "During the past four-and-a-half years, the Secretary-General has been working hard to address multiple global challenges, with a strong sense of commitment and mission," said spokesperson Martin Nesirky. "He believes that when the appropriate time comes, he will be able to express his views about his future." (Island : 6 June 2011).

LTTE attempts to de-list from EU terror list - LTTE activists in Europe have appealed to the European Court of Justice to order the European Union to have the organization taken off the list of terrorist organizations, wire services reported yesterday. A petition to the Court, through their lawyer, claims that "the LTTE was involved in an armed conflict with the Sri Lankan government from 1987 to 2009 in the pursuit of the right to self-determination for the Tamil population. " Their attorney Victor Koppe argues that the proscription of the LTTE as a terrorist organization has frustrated the exercise of this right. The petition adds, "The LTTE was militarily defeated during the final stage of the war in May 2009 and is no longer active in Sri Lanka. It has declared that it will no longer engage in military strategies to further its political goals, thus the organization, as described in the Council Decision, does no longer exist. Victor Koppe argues that the decision is not sufficiently reasoned and does not meet the procedural criteria required by EU law to proscribe terrorist entities (Island : 6 June 2011).

Moon Report and Credible Allegations - By Parakrama Karunaratne - Earlier I pointed out that the so-called agreement that Moon has been referring to with our President as arising out of the Joint Statement was false and baseless as such was never agreed; further I referred to appointing as panelists persons who have displayed or being known to be antagonistic to SL (The Island 25/05). However, some sections of the international community as well as their paid organizations appear to have totally ignored the very basis of inventions and fabrications originating form the very constitution of the panel and woven around the entire report. Reportedly, the US State Department "remains deeply concerned by the findings" of the panel and are "committed to ensuring that there is a credible accounting of, and accountability for violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka." Equally important is the European Parliament’s resolution embodying statements welcoming the panel’s report and the initiative taken by UNSG to appoint an advisory panel. All these persons have not examined the basic norms that any prudent person would apply to any situation, especially more to a sensitive issue relating to a sovereign state. It appears that bashing SL gives them certain sadistic perverse pleasures (Island : 6 June 2011).

The truth about Pillay - by P. T. Dewaraja - It is most surprising that no commentator, to date, has exposed the real reason for Navaneetham Pillay’s bitterness against the government of Sri Lanka. She may carry a South African passport and dress in Western style - but it has long been obvious to us in Sri Lanka, that her comments and actions betray her ethnic affinity with, and fondness for, the monsters of the LTTE. Blood, after all, is thicker than UN dollars (Island ; 6 June 2011).

The devolution of police powers to provincial councils under 13th Amendment will cause security concerns, says Karuna, the former LTTE military leader.

File Photo : Karuna with Pillian

Read more about the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in Sri Lanka

President opens Kokavil tower today - by Irangika Range - President Mahinda Rajapaksa will open the tallest self-supporting transmission tower in South East Asia- the Kokavil Transmission tower-in the Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province today. The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka has spent Rs.330 million to construct the 174 metre high multi-purpose transmission tower. Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s Director General Anusha Pelpita said the tower will provide the Northern people better access to radio, TV and Internet facilities after 30 years. The project was jointly launched by the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and the Media Ministry under the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and full supervision of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The tower will also be used to introduce digital radio and television transmission using the Digital Video Broadcasting’s DVB-T2 digital terrestrial broadcasting standard through the Kokavil tower for the entire Northern Province. This will help to provide high quality and clear television, radio and telecommunication coverage to the entire Northern Province. He said the tower is to be utilized for TV, radio and telecommunication transmissions as well as military communication operations. Sri Lanka Army gave tremendous support to make the project a success. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Independent Television Network commenced test transmissions in April. ”The TRC expects to provide space for several private media and telecommunication channels, especially Tamil channel transmission space through this tower,” Pelpita added. He said that the tower which was first constructed in 1982 was destroyed by the LTTE in July 1990. The TV and radio transmissions were interrupted for the entire Northern region once the tower was destroyed. Now the Northern people have a opportunity to watch TV and listen to the radio without transmission interruptions after several decades, he said. Pelpita further said that the foundation stone to construct the Kokavil transmission tower was laid in March, 2009. The construction of the site came to standstill for six-seven months due to floods in the North. The transmission tower was constructed with the consultation of local engineers and using local manpower supervised by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau Sri Lanka. ”We now have an opportunity to give a clear picture and provide information to the Northern people regarding the government’s massive development drive and other social and political issues in the country,” he added (Daily News ; 6 June 2011).

SL Delegation at UN HRC directed to use ‘new ammo’ Lt. Col. Smith’s remarks in Colombo - by Shamindra Ferdinando - In spite of the US State Department declaration that a comment by US Defence Attaché Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith at a recently concluded military symposium in Colombo was his personal opinion, the government has directed the Sri Lankan delegation at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva to make use of his statement to counter adverse propaganda against the country. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has brought Lt. Col. Smith’s statement to the notice of Human Rights Minister, Mahinda Samarasinghe, now leading the Sri Lankan delegation at the 17th Sessions of the HRC, government sources told The Island. Although the US State Department spokesperson, Mark Toner is quoted as having told last Friday’s (June 3) State Department briefing that Lt. Col. Smith was at the symposium as an observer, the US and those gunning for Sri Lanka at the HRC sessions couldn’t turn a ‘Nelsonian eye’ to the new development, sources said. Responding to a query by The Island, Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that those seeking the truth shouldn’t hesitate to examine the statement attributed to the Colombo-based US Defence Attaché. Army headquarters said that it wouldn’t be fair to dismiss the statement attributed to Lt. Col. Smith on the basis that he was at the symposium as an observer. "What matters is that he made that statement, questioning the very basis of a very serious charge against the Government of Sri Lanka," a senior army official said. Lt. Col. Smith said at the symposium: "I’ve been the Defence Attaché here at the US Embassy since June 2008. Regarding the various versions of events that came out in the final hours and days of the conflict — from what I was privileged to hear and to see, the offers to surrender that I am aware of seemed to come from the mouthpieces of the LTTE — Nadesan, KP — people who weren’t and never had really demonstrated any control over the leadership or the combat power of the LTTE (Island ; 5 June 2011).

Ex-B’caloa jailbird recipient of Canada bound anti-SL propaganda material - LTTE ‘banker’ took up residence in Canada, though receiving refugee status in Norway - by Shamindra Ferdinando - The recent detection at the Colombo Port of a large consignment of a Canada-bound container containing anti-Sri Lanka propaganda material has revealed the alleged involvement of so-called War Victims and Human Rights (CHVHR), in the LTTE operations in Canada in spite of a ban. Canada-based sources told The Island that Anton Philip Sinnarasa (aka) Father Sinnarasa, one of those who escaped from the Batticaloa maximum security prison in the mid 1980s headed the CHVHR. Sources said he had started operations in Canada though Norway had granted him refugee status. Sources said that the detained propaganda material had been addressed to CHVHR. Responding to a query by The Island the intelligence sources said that Canada-based LTTE operatives had ordered the consignment from Tamil Nadu, a key centre for LTTE propaganda operations. Sources identified the CHVHR contact in Tamil Nadu as Agni Subramanian. Sinnarasa was detained in Batticaloa for his alleged involvement with the LTTE. The LTTE had allegedly given him millions of rupees robbed from a government bank at Neerveli, for safe keeping. Sinnarasa subsequently married, allegedly from a family deeply involved with the LTTE and worked full time for the group (Island ; 5 June 2011).

High-level Indian team to visit Lanka - The Indian Express has reported that a high-level Indian team, comprising National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar is expected to visit Sri Lanka on June 16 and 17 to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues. The Indian team would meet a three-member Sri Lankan team comprising Secretary to President, Lalith Weeratunga, Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the IE says. The IE report adds: "When the two teams were set up during the Eelam War IV, the understanding was that they would meet periodically to discuss all bilateral issues, SL is currently concerned about the renewed threat from the Western lobby on the issue of war crimes while the Indians are concerned about the slow pace of their development projects in the island nation." (Island ; 5 June 2011).

Failed asylum seekers lead protests targeting SL cricketers - by Sujeeva Nivunhella in London - In spite of heavy campaigning, the UK based LTTE activists have failed to attract the youth for their protests, targeting the touring Sri Lanka cricket team. There were only about 30 people at a demonstration opposite the Lord’s cricket ground on Saturday, in London, where the second cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and England is being played. The first demonstration attracted about 50 persons, at the first warm-up match at Uxbridge in mid May and about 10 activists at next match in Cardiff. Although the LTTE lobby campaigned hard to pressure the British public to boycott matches, all tickets for the first three days of the Lord’s Test have sold out. The majority of those supporting anti-Sri Lanka protests are those who have failed to obtain refugee status, sources said claiming that the UK-based LTTE activists were concerned that the British government would deny asylum to those arriving there, because the war is over (Island ; 5 June 2011).

TN govt. asks Centre to take up Tamils issue with Lanka - The Tamil Nadu Government urged the Centre to impress upon the Sri Lankan government, the need for taking up immediate measures to rehabilitate the Tamils in their own area. Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, in his address to the 14th Assembly on Friday said "lakhs of Tamils have perished during the recent war in Sri Lanka and the remaining were leading a pathetic life of subjugation in their own homeland."He said the AIADMK government would take necessary steps to renovate the Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camps in the state, enabling them to live with dignity in Tamil Nadu. Quality housing, drinking water, sanitation and health facilities would be provided in these camps, he said adding besides providing necessary facilities for the children of refugees to get a proper education, special employment and training would also be arranged for them (Island ; 5 June 2011).

U.S. distances itself from Defence Attache’s remarks - The United States has sought to distance itself from the comments made by its Defence Attaché stationed here — who doubted the intentions of LTTE’s unconditional surrender offer in May 2009 at a seminar on defeating terrorism — and said that these were personal remarks. In a press statement on June 3, Mark C. Toner, Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesman, State Department, Washington, DC, said: "Remarks earlier this week by the U.S. Embassy’s Defense Attaché at a conference in Colombo reflected his personal opinions. They do not reflect the policy of the United States Government. The United States declined invitations to participate in this conference, and our Defence Attaché attended to observe the proceedings as part of his normal duties. A red-faced State Department hurried to clarify that the United States "remains deeply concerned by the findings of the Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka. We are committed to ensuring that there is a credible accounting of, and accountability for, violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka. We believe that the Sri Lankan Government must act quickly and credibly to address the violations alleged in the report and to adopt the measures necessary to achieve national reconciliation and build a united, democratic, and peaceful Sri Lanka." The Defence Attaché, Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith told the seminar that he doubted the credibility of rebel surrender claims. He said that the offer of surrender came from the "mouthpieces" of the LTTE, and these persons seemed to have no control over the leadership. One of the most-watched cases in Sri Lanka is the White Flag Case, which pertains to the killing of surrendering LTTE men by the Sri Lankan Army. A Sri Lankan English newspaper quoted former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, as saying that the surrendering LTTE men were ordered to be shot dead by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Mr. Fonseka, now in jail, has deposed in the High Court that he was misquoted. International agencies and U.N. experts’ panel report also reflects the view that the surrendering LTTE men were shot dead by the Army. Col. Smith’s assertion contradicts this contention by the West that Sri Lankan troops killed surrendering rebels. The three-day seminar on ‘Defeating terrorism — Sri Lanka experience’, organised by the Sri Lankan Army and supported by two Chinese firms, ended on June 2 (island ; 5 June 2011).

Another group of rehabilitated former LTTE cadres were reintegrated into society - The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms has released 968 former combatants after the completion of the rehabilitation programme at the Pompamadu and Punethottam Rehabilitation Centres in Vavuniya. Addressing a ceremony held at the Vavuniya Urban Council Grounds, Deputy Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera said that the government would release all the ex-combatants being rehabilitated by December this year (Island : 5 June 2011).

British Defence Minister meets Prof. Peiris in Singapore - External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris had bilateral discussions with Britain’s Secretary of State for Defence, Dr. Liam Fox, in Singapore on Sunday. This meeting took place on the sidelines of the 10th Asia Security Summit, where Prof. Peiris delivered an address under the theme, "Armed Forces and Transnational Security Challenges". Vice Admiral D. W. A. Dissanayake, Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, was also present at Prof. Peiris’ meeting with Dr. Fox. (Island ; 5 June 2011).

Seeman looks for dream Lankan girl - Even as he battles a raging allegation of rape by an actress, Tamil film director and leader of Naam Thamilar Katchi, Seeman seems to be busy searching for his Lankan Tamil dream girl that he had met in Vanni area of northern Sri Lanka almost about six years ago, the Indian Express reports. The IE reports says: "Speaking to Express after a news article was published in some sections of the international media on his impending marriage with a former LTTE cadre, Seeman said, "During my visit to the Vanni region in northern Lanka around six years ago, I saw Yarlmathy and wanted to marry her to fulfil my Tamil national consciousness. "However, after the final phase of Eelam War, nobody is aware of her whereabouts, whether she is living in any of the internally displaced camps or she died during the raging war," Seeman said. "Though it has been several years since I saw her, the search is on and I will be marrying her once she is located," affirmed Seeman. A news article published from Canada by DBS Jeyaraj elaborated that Seeman had rescued her from one of the Lankan camps after the war and ‘shifted’ her to India. Rubbishing the article published by Jeyaraj, TADA Chandrasekar, a long time friend of Seeman and a senior lawyer, said, "We also read the news and there is no truth in it and as usual, Jeyaraj published wrong and unsubstantiated news." Another close friend of Seeman, who wished to remain anonymous, said that there had was a concerted campaign taking place to tarnish Seeman’s image both locally and internationally. According to available information, Yarlmathy had worked with the LTTE Peace Secretariat and headed the English section there. She got married to one Alex, a deputy to senior LTTE leader S P Thamilselvan, in mid 2007. Both Thamilselvan and Alex died in Lankan Air Force’s aerial attack in November 2007." After the all out war between Lankan forces and the LTTE ended, there were conflicting versions emerging about Yarlmathi’s whereabouts. Some unconfirmed reports indicated that the girl was last seen in one of the camps for internally displaced people set up by the Lankan government to accommodate people living in the LTTE controlled areas (Island ; 5 June 2011).

In search of another diplomatic victory 2 years after the war - By Kalana Senaratne - Two years after the end of the armed conflict, Sri Lanka is in search of yet another diplomatic victory, yet again at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. Reason? One of the recommendations contained in the Report of the UNSG’s Panel of Experts is that the HRC should be invited to reconsider its May 2009 Special Session Resolution regarding Sri Lanka in light of the Report. Furthermore, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, in her opening statement at the 17th Session of the HRC, has urged the HRC to "reflect on the new information" contained in the UNSG-Panel report "in light of its previous consideration of Sri Lanka…" The telling impact of the diplomatic victory achieved in May 2009 is all too clear. Sri Lanka would expect a similar performance, should the HRC decide to revisit the matter. Another victory for Sri Lanka would be an immense blow for the States pushing for the establishment of an international accountability mechanism. A resounding victory secured at the HRC with the assistance of China and Russia (members of the HRC) would foreclose the possibility of any adverse resolution being adopted elsewhere, especially at the Security Council. This is why Sri Lanka’s performance in Geneva is so critical and decisive (Island ; 5 June 2011)..

Those casualty figures - A report on the recently concluded Defence Seminar in the internet edition of The Hindu dated June 2, 2011 and titled "No Clarity on Sri Lankan Civilian Casualties", R.K. Radhakrishnan states: "Two years after the defeat of the LTTE, Sri Lanka says it is yet to figure out how many civilians died during the battle." We wonder whether India has any statistics on how many Tamil civilians were killed, (and tortured and humiliated in other ways), during the IPKF occupation of Jaffna, now that over 20 years have passed since that failed enterprise ended. Honestly, at a time when so many Tamils had escaped the clutches of the LTTE and left the shores of Sri Lanka illegally, and many under false names in "human-smuggling" boats bound for Australia, Canada and other developed countries for various reasons including mostly the economic, how can any country assess the number of civilians "killed"? While the army can assess how many soldiers died etc. etc., it is an almost impossible task to put out numbers of civilian killed. Furthermore, the fact that during those last stages of the war, the estimated numbers of civilians by the World Food Program, ICRC, and other Humanitarian organizations was far less than the actual numbers that eventually escaped into the Army-controlled area from the NFZ as is now acknowledged, just goes to show how difficult it is to estimate these numbers (Island ; 5 June 2011).

Why the 13th Amendment should be repealed - By Gunadasa Amarasekera President, Patriotic National Movement - The Agreement Prof. G. L. Peiris has signed with India on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government has once again brought up the issue of the 13th Amendment to the fore and created a situation wherein we will have to decide whether we are to implement it fully, amend it, or repeal it totally. We seem to have reached a crisis situation with very little chance to play around. No hedging or prevarication appears to be feasible. Before presenting our views as to what needs to be done regarding the 13th Amendment it may be useful to understand briefly how we reached this crisis situation. In 1987, when the Indo-Sri Lankan accord was signed paving the way for the 13th Amendment and the Provincial Councils Bill, what motivated India to do so was very clear. No better proof of it is needed than the statement made by Rajiv Gandhi in Chennai on his way here to sign that accord. “Sri Lanka like Bhutan will be within our orbit,” was what Rajiv Gandhi told the Tamil Nadu MPs who had gathered there. Indira Gandhi selected Prabhakaran to achieve this aim taking him to be a puppet that could be manipulated. Little did she realise that he was no puppet, but a man with a mind of his own, and a vision of his own, with a dream of a greater Eelam, a Dravidasthan at a future date. He was not prepared the toe the Indian line. That sad realisation with the passage of time, coupled with the failure of the IPKF, and the dissolution of the Provincial government of Vardharaja Perumal made India realize that it should lie low, neither helping, nor hindering us to destroy Prabhakaran. That non interference in the last stage was in self interest. No sooner was Prabhakaran removed from the scene than India started its old game. Before the lapse of even two days and even before rigor mortis had set in upon Prabhakaran, an Indian emissary was sent here to remind us about the 13th Amendment. That was in May 2009. Since then all those politicians, all those top bureaucrats who came here had only one thing to say - implement the 13th Amendment. We were reminded that it was the sacred duty on our part to abide by this new amendment, forgetting the unholy way in which it was introduced. However their demand was not heeded by President Rajapaksa. One year passed; there was all talk and promises but no action. By May 2010 India was becoming desperate. So were those new found allies, Ban Ki-moon and his masters. Probably they all realised that this was the last chance. Mahinda Rajapaksa was all out to develop the North and the East and was fast winning over the hearts and minds of those poor Tamil masses, leaving no room to the separatists, and their backers. Time was ripe for a new modus operandi. Moon had quietly initiated the first step in that direction, unnoticed by those erstwhile advisors and pundits. In the bonhomie following his visit just three days after the defeat of the terrorist outfit, Moon saw to it that Mahinda Rajapaksa puts his signature to an agreement to initiate an accountability process for addressing violations of Human Rights. How this had been twisted to suit Ban Ki-moon’s agenda has been pointed out by Parakrama Karunratne, in his article ‘Moon Panel Report and some aspects’ (The Nation ; 5 June 2011).  (Re-produced in full in Sri Lanka News Online : 5 June 2011).

It’s ‘Rethink Time’ for Mahinda Rajapaksa - by Malinda Seneviratne - The recent demonstrations by FTZ workers in Katunayaka and the overzealous response by the Police, with at least the tacit approval of the political leadership and probably direct sanction, took me to the early eighties. The then Government, elected in a landslide in 1977, cracked down hard on striking workers in July 1980. It broke the back of the trade union movement and buried for all time the Old Left as an effective champion of workers’ rights. The ‘Left’ was made open for consumption and the JVP did just that. It took over the political space and by the end of the decade had killed hundreds of Left activists. That it seized the ample opportunities provided by the UNP regime to call for insurrection and complemented beautifully the unleashing of regime-terror by counter-terrorism and thereby covered itself with the glory of getting 60,000 mostly unarmed youth killed is a different issue altogether. The lesson is that working class grievances are made for hijacking. Indeed, this is applicable to all segments of society. Representatives don’t always represent the aggrieved but work instead to further their own agendas. Take the LTTE for instance. Where did it take Tamil ‘grievances’ except to the most miserable situations one could dream of? (The Nation ; 5 June 2011).

A vote of no-confidence on constituency begs return of favour - by Malinda Seneviratne - For thirty long years, the LTTE could not be defeated. For a variety of reasons. The negatives were always there such as the lack of political will, overestimation of enemy, underestimation of capacity, disunity, the sway of pro-LTTE forces, inability to counter LTTE propaganda abroad, a largely unsympathetic international community, foul play by India and numerous Tiger-bailout efforts. The positives came together eventually. The most important among them was the overwhelming support for the strategy adopted. It was not only clear that the LTTE needed to be militarily defeated, but this position became the thrust of the Government’s policy with respect to the issue at hand. Finally the will of the majority prevailed over the preferences of the spoilers, those who insisted that the LTTE could not be militarily defeated, that the stated grievances be taken as givens never mind the lack of substantiation, that a negotiated settlement was possible etc. It was no cake walk. The Government had to fight on several fronts. The economy had to be taken care of. International pressure had to be neutralized. Political stability had to be maintained. The necessities pertaining to combat had to be provided and sustained. One of the least acknowledged pluses was the fact that the position taken was not only popular, but correct on all counts. This was what cushioned setbacks. The people knew there would be costs and they were willing to bear them (Lakbima News ; 5 June 2011).

900 former LTTE combatants to be released today - The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms has made arrangement to release another 900 former combatants of the defeated terror organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who have completed the rehabilitation program at the Pompamadu and Punethottam rehabilitation centers in Vavuniya. The ex-fighters, who have received vocational training during their rehabilitation program, will be reintegrated into the society in a ceremony today held at the Vavuniya Urban Council Grounds, the Commissioner of Rehabilitation Brigadier General Sudantha Ranasinghe said. According to authorities out of the 11,644 ex-LTTE cadres surrendered or arrested at the end of the war, 6,500 had been rehabilitated and reintegrated in to the society. The Sri Lankan government recently said all the former female LTTE combatants have been released and they are with their families now (Colombo Page : 5 June 2011).

Surrender of top LTTE leadership: US records show Defense Attaché was correct - by daya Gamage - Despite the U.S. State Department spokesman dismissed what the Defense Attaché of the American Embassy in Sri Lanka commented about the surrender of the Tamil Tiger top leadership in mid-May 2009, the Asian Tribune archives which maintains official U.S. Government records very clearly shows what Defense Attaché Lawrence Smith disclosed at Colombo defense conference was in fact correct. During a question-and-answer session at the defense seminar in Colombo Smith said that the offers by the leaders of the terrorist group LTTE to surrender in the final hours of the conflict lack credibility and needed to be examined carefully before coming to conclusions. The U.S. Department of State in a press briefing on Friday, June 3 said the remarks made by the earlier this week by the U.S Defense Attaché to U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Smith reflected his personal opinions. Drawing from the official statements, pronouncement, and even from a classified cable sent by then American ambassador Robert Blake, the Asian Tribune is in a position to confirm that what the American Defense Attaché said was the correct developments during the last stages of the GSL-LTTE fight at Nathikadal in the Mulliativu water front. The controversial statement made by Lt. Col. Lawrence Smith is as follows (Asian Tribune : 5 June 2011).

Controversial video shown at UN Human Rights Council; Interested parties are awaiting UN reaction - By Wilson Gnanadass - It was not a shock, for the Sri Lankan delegation currently participating at the 17th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council when the controversial video footages depicting scenes of human rights violations allegedly committed by government soldiers was shown. The screening of the video was done Friday (3) evening in the presence of ambassadors, foreign dignitaries, ministers and high commissioners including the Sri Lankan delegation. According to a story on website the Sri Lankan officials attending the screening have reacted with anger, describing the disturbing footages as fake and further condemning Channel 4 that exclusively put out these footage. It is believed that a documentary based on this is to be aired in Britain on June 14 that would include pictures of alleged execution of Tamil prisoners. Following the screening UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Christof Heyns had remarked saying; “What is reflected in the extended video are crimes of the highest order.” Saman Zia-Zarifi, the Amnesty International Asia Programme director has said in the discussion following the video presentation that it was now clear that Sri Lanka’s actions likely constituted war crimes. However, deputy solicitor general A.M.D. Nawaz had been quick to counter this saying that this video was not authentic (The Nation : 5 June 2011).

Indian special envoys due in two weeks - The Indian special envoys namely Shivshankar Menon, Pradeep Kumar and Nurupama Rao are likely to arrive in Sri Lanka for talks, in two weeks from now. Sources were not certain of the days of their arrival but said the delegation could arrive on either June 16 or the following day. “The precise date is still not fixed,” they said. The trio, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Foreign Secretary Nurupama Rao will meet Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga. Top government sources said the talks would be centered on the day-to-day development and added this is “their regular visit” (The Nation : 5 June 2011).

Rape charged leveled against the film director and LTTE supporter Sebastian Seeman: Actres Vijayalakshmi - Sathyalaya Ramakrishnan reporting from Chennai Chennai, 05 June, (Asiantribune.com): The Chennai City Police has registered a rape case against Sri Lankan origin and strong supporter of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran and the Tamil film director Sebastian alias Seeman on a complaint lodged by famous cine actress Vijayalakshmi. According to the police department sources, 'Asian Tribune learned that the police will soon summon for questioning Seeman and Vijayalakshmi who had on Wednesday accused the director of rape and harassment. On Friday, denying all the charges, Seeman told reporters, ‘I am very much available and won't run underground. The police registered a case against me, but I won't approach the court for anticipatorily bail. I suspect this as the handiwork of a few enemies of mine. I will face Vijayalakshmi's complaint legally'. "I gave money to Vijayalakshmi many times since 2008, to help to tide over her financial crises. This is what she has given me in return". Seeman added. In her four page complaint submitted to the Commissioner of Police J K Tripathy, Vijayalakshmi of Valasaravakkam has mentioned about her relationship with Seeman. She has revealed about her relationship for the past three years. It is learnt that when Seeman refused to marry her, Vijayalakshmi has approached the police commissioner to initiate action against Seeman and she also alleged him with a rape complaint' a police officer said. Based on her complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 417(punishment for cheating), 420(cheating), 354(outraging the modesty of women), 376(sexual assault), 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 4(1) of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act. We will summon both for questioning. First we will interrogate Vijayalakshmi and ask her to submit the relevant documents to substantiate her complaint. Subsequently we will question Seeman, a police source said (Asian Tribune : 5 June 2011).

Police powers to PCs will cause security concerns: Karuna - By Arthur Wamanan - The devolution of police powers to provincial councils is not practicable and would cause further security concerns for the government, SLFP Vice President and Deputy Minister of Resettlement, Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman said. Speaking to The Nation, Muralitharan pointed out that such a mechanism could be implemented in countries like India, which has a large geographical area, where devolution of powers to the provincial governments were needed. He also said that if police powers were devolved, maintaining law and order and rule of law in the contexts such as the Eastern Provincial Council would be an absolute impossibility. Muralitharan also welcomed talks between the government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to find solutions for the immediate needs of the war-affected people and also to the longstanding ethnic question. “It does not matter whether a permanent solution is reached through these dialogues. The main issue is that the TNA has come forward to talk to the government. This could be used as a platform for the TNA to express their concerns,” he said (The Nation ; 5 June 2011).

Call for equal terms for Lankan Tamils in TN - Addressing the first sittings of the Tamil Nadu State Assembly after Jayalalitha Jeyaram took over as Chief Minister, Governor Surjith Singh Barnala said all Lankan Tamils living as refugees in Tamil Nadu would be accorded the same social benefits the Indians in Tamil Nadu enjoy. He also said that the Tamil Nadu State government will urge the Centre to accord these facilities, according to South Indian Tamil newspapers. Governor Surjith Singh Barnala presided over the inaugural sitting of the AADMK state government on Friday held at the George Fort. The Governor also said that he would personally urge the Centre to request the Sri Lankan government to accord all facilities to the internally displaced people in the North of the country following the defeat of the LTTE two years ago. (The Nation : 5 June 2011).

Sri Lankan experience proves nothing is impossible - By Shanika SRIYANANDA - The international seminar - Defeating terrorism - the Sri Lankan experience- organised by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) was a genuine effort and a fine platform to give an overall picture to the entire world how the mighty lions of the Sri Lankan Security Forces defeated the world's ruthless Tigers - LTTE - two years ago. It is a complete package for one to understand the vital components - committed and firm political leadership, adaptation of correct military strategy in attacking terrorists, the correct selection of the military officials to lead the military, rescuing displaced people used as a human shield by the LTTE and implementation of three Rs - resettlement, rehabilitation and reconciliation - wiping out the scourge of terrorism in Sri Lanka. As the Army Chief Lt. General Jagath Jayasuriya said Sri Lanka and its military don't have anything to hide about how they fought to defeat terrorism. The three day seminar proved there is 'nothing to hide' but there is a success story, which was achieved through sheer dedication, commitment and genuine efforts to usher in a peaceful era, to teach the whole world. "It is a saga to be shared with the world. It is our story of courage, valour and glory of compassion, humanity and joy of peace, freedom and democracy. Above all it is the story of epic political resolve and the will to deliver a nation from the grip of terrorism, wherein strong political will and national support was key to victory. Victory for Sri Lanka came with many sacrifices", Lt. Gen. Jayasuriya said in his welcome address. He said Sri Lankan approach to counter terrorism has been unique and a paradigm shift from the traditional approach to counter terrorism. " Most importantly I hope it will bring out the intricacies of dealing with humanitarian issues which is sine-qua-non and the complexities of fighting non-state actors within the obligations of the Geneva Conventions, all of which we were able to overcome with much sacrifices", he said (Sunday Observer : 5 June 2011).

President to commission Kokavil tower tomorrow - by Mohammed NAALIR - President Mahinda Rajapaksa will commission South East Asia's tallest multi-purpose transmission tower at Kokavil in Kilinochchi tomorrow. The height of the tower is 174 metres. When the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) was set up in 1982 the Japanese engineers selected two locations to set up transmission stations - Kokavil for North and at Pidurutalagala for the rest of the country. A 100 metre high transmission tower was set up in Kokavil. The Kokavil tower was destroyed in 1990 by LTTE terrorists, Mass Media and Information Ministry Secretary W.B. Ganegala said. Addressing the media at Mass Media and Information Ministry Ganegala said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa instructed Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to reconstruct this tower under the Uthuru Wasanthaya Northern development drive. The foundation stone for the tower was laid in 2009 by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the then Mass Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. The material for the tower were brought from China. Amidst various difficulties Sri Lankan engineers, tower constructors and workers successfully completed the construction work. The new tower will have the capacity for digital television and radio transmissions, telecommunication and military communication. Thus it is called a multi-purpose transmission tower, according to Ganegala. He said that the Government has decided to introduce latest digital technology to Sri Lanka from Kokavil tower. The Northern people will experience the benefits of digital technology before the end of this year. The tower will cover the entire Northern region beyond Anuradhapura. Transmissions will be carried out using the latest digital technology, the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB)-T2 technology. The people in the northern region are deprived of correct Information as they get only commercial programs telecast by South Indian television channels. The new tower will keep them informed of the latest development projects implemented by the Government and further build mutual understanding between the North and the South, Ganegala added (Sunday Observer : 5 June 2011).

Indo-Lanka ferry to arrive next week - By S. Selvakumar - The much awaited Indo-Lanka passenger shipping service between Colombo and Tuticorin is very unlikely to get underway by next week despite assurances by the Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd. While India was ready with a semi luxury vessel Scotia Prince, Colombo was still following tender procedures to charter a vessel but high ranking Shipping Corporation sources assured The Nation on Friday that the service would commence anytime between June 10 and 15. Sources said the Indian vessel would dock at the Colombo Harbour next week with an initial complement of 200 passengers but it remains to be seen how Colombo could reciprocate by next week without still obtaining the services of a vessel. However all other infrastructure facilities were ready at the Colombo harbour that include immigration counters, customs passage, a special jetty and facilities for passengers to spend time until the departure of the vessel (The Nation ; 5 June 2011).

India reiterates joint statement - By Our Dipomatic Editor - The Indian Government will insist on following up on the points contained in the controversial Joint Statement issued a fortnight ago following the visit of Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris to New Delhi for bi-lateral talks. India’s position will be reiterated when the postponed visit to Colombo of a high powered delegation of Indian officials takes place late next week. National Security Adviser Shiv Shanker Menon and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao are confirmed to comprise the Indian delegation that will hold talks with Sri Lankan leaders during their visit to Colombo. A meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa is also expected. Indian Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar who was also due in the original delegation may not be part of the delegation as there was a likelihood of a switch in his post. There was no confirmation of whether he would be replaced by his successor should he not be coming as part of the delegation. The fact that India wishes to follow up on the Joint Statement was told to Sri Lanka’s Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who met several Indian leaders during an official visit to New Delhi during this week. The Indian leaders whom he met, including External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Mr. Menon and Ms. Rao had stated that they want to "see progress on the Joint Statement", Mr. Wickremesinghe told the Sunday Times on his return to Colombo on Thursday. Minister G.L. Peiris came in for some stick from pro-government nationalist forces for agreeing in the Joint Statement to what was referred to as "a devolution package building upon the 13th Amendment" which would provide for "genuine reconciliation" in Sri Lanka. He was also criticised for stating in the Joint Statement that he had "affirmed his Government's commitment to ensuring expeditious and concrete progress in the ongoing dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka and representatives of Tamil parties" (Sunday Times : 5 June 2011).

How Elite Forces throttled LTTE - By Brigadier Nirmal Dharmaratne - (Excerpts from a paper the brigadier presented at the Colombo military seminar on Defeating Terrorism — The Sri Lankan experience this week) It is very unlikely, that the military history of the only nation that has won a counter insurgency campaign in the twenty first century would be complete, without the story of its Elite Forces. The special operations community is represented by the finest fighting outfit of the Sri Lanka Army, organized into two Regiments, namely the Commandos and Special Forces. These Special Operations Forces operating from the sharp end of strategy through to the operational level and at times tactical level, executing a multitude of missions, spearheaded the campaign. Striking at the terrorists leadership in the depth of the LTTE controlled areas, destroying and disrupting their reserves and indirect fire weapon systems in the mid battle space, and at times counter attacking to restore critical defences, these Elite Forces made a seamless contribution to the success of this campaign which is unparalleled in the history of counter insurgency (Sunday Times ; 5 June 2011).

Over 1m landmines yet to be cleared - By Dinidu de Alwis - More than one million landmines are yet to be cleared from an area of approximately 400 square kilometres in the conflict affected areas, a government official said last week. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Defence, Brig. K. M. U. Wijeratne said, “according to an estimate, 1.6 million landmines have been laid in Sri Lanka, of which 366,870 have been cleared. This leaves the country with an estimated number of 1.23 million landmines still to be cleared”. He said that demining operation had been in place in Sri Lanka since 2003 with the assistance of a US-backed organisation, following the Norway-brokered ceasefire agreement of 2002. Wijeratne added that the Sri Lanka Army, the only state-actor in the demining process, used mechanical, manual, and mine-detection dogs in their operations. According to Wijeratne, the process is meticulous and tedious, as manual de-miners, who engage in an extremely risky process, are only able to clear 10 square meters a day. He added however, that dogs can detect mines in an area of 700 square meters a day – less than one-hundredth of an average cricket ground (The Nation : 5 June 2011).

The war as it was Sri Lanka’s military top guns discuss experiences and answer questions on how they overpowered the LTTE in the decisive stages of the military offensive - By Chandani Kirinde - Most Sri Lankans and the world outside had a selective version of the decisive last three years of the military campaign in the north and east that ended dramatically with the annihilation of the LTTE leadership in May, 2009. However, last week, at an open forum of a three day seminar in Colombo, titled, ‘Defeating terrorism –the Sri Lankan experience’, senior field commanders who served in the frontlines spoke on how they fought a formidable and uncompromising enemy, the LTTE. The seminar was attended by more than 300 delegates from over 40 countries. The seminar, touched on contributions made by members of the Special Forces and other specialized units of the Sri Lanka Army who played a less known but indispensable role in supporting infantry troops to bring to an end a war that had dragged for 30 long years. The crucial role played by the Navy and Air Force in assisting ground troops too was discussed while progress of post-war issues such as resettlement, rehabilitation and re-integration of ex combatants were highlighted. Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who delivered the key note address on the opening day gave a comprehensive picture of how the Government set about overcoming an enemy which by 2005 had, “grown from a small organization of armed individuals to a large, sophisticated terrorist outfit with very advanced combat capabilities.” (Sunday Times : 5 June 2011).

All systems ‘go’ for LG polls in the North -  JVP, UNP say civil administration in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu unstable due to de-mining, IDP resettlement Preparations for the upcoming local government (LG) elections for the remaining 67 local bodies have begun with special attention on the Northern Province. Elections to 234 of the 335 local councils were held on March 17, 2011. Elections for 34 local bodies were not held because of the Cricket World Cup tournament, while elections to another 65 councils were postponed due to legal challenges against rejection of nominations. However, both UNP and JVP party representatives expressed their concern over conducting a fair election in the Northern Province which includes LG bodies in the Mullaitivu district, which were not ready for elections last March as the de-mining operations and resettlement of the Internally Displaced were still in progress. JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath said that there were threats to party members and the situation is not conducive for an election campaign, as the civil administration is not stable in areas such as Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu,” he said. He admitted that, even a basic campaign initiative such as putting up posters too is not a possible option in the current viewpoint, while adding that basic preparations for the election had started, as the JVP will be contesting in all the electorates wherein elections are held in a few week’s time. Meanwhile, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that preliminary steps for the upcoming election were taken last week and a meeting of the organisers of the respective areas to be held in the coming week. “Then we can get a clear idea as to the situation in the North and how we could conduct the elections,” he said, explaining that security is the main concern to conduct a fair election (Sunday Times : 5 June 2011).

Sharp drop in Jaffna voters due to migration - by P.Krishnaswamy - Tamil political leaders and analysts have expressed shock and dismay over the steep decline in the number of voters in the Jaffna electoral district, as revealed in the Electoral Register for 2010. They said that the opportunistic Tamil leadership, who promoted secessionist policies, should be blamed for this unfortunate situation. They expressed concern over the sharp drop in the population of the Jaffna district which would have an adverse political, social and economic impact on the society unless a constructive political approach is adopted by the Tamil leadership. According to the revised 2010 electoral register for the Jaffna electoral district, comprising the Jaffna and Kilinochchi administrative districts, the number of registered voters is 484,791 as against 816,005 voters in the 2009 register. The difference of 331,214 is an astonishing 41 percent inspite of the number of eligible voters among the natural increase who would have been added to the 2010 register. Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Industries Development, EPDP leader and Jaffna parliamentarian Douglas Devananda told the Sunday Observer that the secessionist policies promoted by the pro-LTTE Tamil leadership, their outlook aimed at short-term political benefits and their failure to take advantage of several rare opportunities provided by successive governments for a political solution have mainly contributed to the current social and political instability of the Northern Tamil community (Sunday Observer : 5 June 2011).

Defence attaché’s view rattles US - by Dinidu de Alwis - A reference the Colombo based US defence attaché has made on the controversial ‘White Flag’ incident has caused a rift between him and the US State Department. While the defence attaché in Colombo said that the most plausible explanation that he has heard about the disputed ‘white flag’ incident came from the ground commanders who made presentations at a conference organised by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence, the US State Department was quick to issue a counter statement distancing itself from the defence attaché’s statement. The US State Department said in its statement that the comments made by the defence attaché during a Q&A session during the defence seminar held in Colombo was his own and did not reflect US policy on Sri Lanka. The Defence Attaché further said in the same Q&A session that the reported offers for surrender came not from the high ranking LTTE leadership, but from “Nadesan, KP – people who weren’t and never had really demonstrated any control over the leadership or the combat power of the LTTE”. The Q&A session is found on the official Defence Seminar website. The seminar organized by the Ministry of Defence to share the learning experiences from the last stages of the war was held in Colombo from May 31 to June 2 (The Nation : 5 June 2011).

Digging up past will only bring about hatred - By Arthur Wamanan - Former LTTE strongman now turned SLFP Vice President and Deputy Minister of Resettlement, Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan says that digging up the past would only bring about hatred among the people. In an interview with The Nation, the deputy minister pointed out that those who called for international investigations on alleged war crimes wanted another war in the country. He added that Sri Lanka should talk to the current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa Jayaram and maintain a cordial relationship with the state. Following are excerpts: (The Nation : 5 June 2011).

Viru Daru Diriya (VDD) donations to "War Heroes" exceed A$131,340 (Rs 12.67 million).

Viru Daru Diriya (VDD) Fund was established in Melbourne, Australia to help the children and families of the Sri Lankan armed forces. We strongly believe that helping the education of the children of those who have sacrificed to protect our motherland Sri Lanka is the prime duty of all Sri Lankans (see details)

Sponsoring over 500 Children of "War Heroes"

Please help this welfare organisation in Melbourne

Contact Viru Daru Diriya (click here)

http://www.virudarudiriya.com

The nationalist papers - A second note on devolutionist lunacy - by Malinda Seneviratne - Emboldened perhaps by the joint statement issued by the External Affairs Ministers of Sri Lanka and India, with particular reference to the 13th Amendment, the advocates of devolutions seem to have come out of the woodwork. Typically, however, they’ve failed to acknowledge the deceit and tall stories upon which the 13th was based, and at best can only gloss over India’s hegemonic play over this and relevant issues. The smarter, i.e. those who know that traditional homeland arguments are just plain and simple bunkum, have over the years switched to a developmentalist approach; they claim that devolution would enable people of particular regions to better their lives. So it’s not ‘ethnic’ anymore, but ‘economic’ as far as such people are concerned. They deliberately avoid discussing the vexed issue of resource anomalies across regions. If, as I have argued many times, the logic of devolution for more profitable economic development is carried to its obvious conclusion, one comes to the uncomfortable truth that the resource-heavy or economically powerful regions resisting the centre from skimming surpluses for the purpose of diverting much needed assistance to the poor cousins elsewhere (Island : 4 June 2011).

How can India – a total failure – help Sri Lanka? - by H. L. D. Mahindapala - The 118 members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that met in Bali last week would have gone home feeling that it is no longer the prestigious moral force that stood in the middle of two big power blocs competing for dominance at the height of the Cold War. When the two titans were teetering on the verge of a nuclear holocaust new nations coming out of centuries of colonialism looked up to India as the leading light of the day. The post-colonial regimes had faith and trust in the voice of India which was raised and articulated eloquently their aspirations in the UN by towering figures like Nehru’s sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, and mostly Krishna Menon who, in this talkathons, poured scorn on the West with unmitigated contempt to restore the dignity and the respect which were denied to them under Western colonialism. The voice of India meant everything to the small nations sandwiched between the big powers. India’s moral stature had peaked to Himalayan heights because it was seen as the protector and guardian of the new nations. Looking back it seems that it was only a false start. Over the years India has lost that moral stature. India has failed to live up to the ideals on which it was founded. The Gandhi-Nehruvian code of politics no longer inspires even the Indians. Asia witnessed two great political forces that changed the map of the world in the post-World War II era: 1) Mao’s Chinese nationalist revolution (Marxism was only a veneer) that overthrew the Western hegemony exercised through corrupt and pro-American Chiang Kai-shek and 2) the non-violent revolution led by Mahatma Gandhi. Both caught the imagination of the world as two different kinds of political moralities that could pave the way for the future (Lankaweb : 4 June 2011).

Defeating Terrorism-the Sri Lankan experience: SL Security Forces were like fathers to the Northern people - GL - External Affairs Minister Prof G.L. Peiris said there are certain qualities that make up military commanders. “In our case the qualities were again very different. It was like a father of a family looking after his children. It was not a relationship between conqueror and conquered. Not at all. It was a relationship that was pervaded by empathy and compassion and there is no more convincing testimony to that than the word’s that were uttered to me by the chief incumbent of the Kayts temple and all the other junior monks who were within on the occasion when he uttered these words to me,” Prof Peiris, said speaking on ‘Challenges and Prospects of Counter Terrorism’ at the ‘Defeating Terrorism - The Sri Lankan Experience’ international seminar held at the Galadari Hotel on May 31. The full text of the speech: “I am pleased to have this opportunity of sharing some thoughts with you on Sri Lanka’s experience with regard to counter terrorism, because this subject is of far more than merely national interest. I am personally aware that all over the world, in universities, in research institutes, in think tanks, there’s a great deal of interest in what occurred in Sri Lanka, how was it possible for a country with limited resources, with a relatively small army, navy and air force, to overcome this challenge posed by what was described by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America as the ‘most ruthless terrorist organization in the world’. It was something that was considered impossible. “In the end, almost all governments that interacted with us explicitly stated their opinion that Sri Lanka may be able to win a battle or a skirmish, but victory against the LTTE in the field of battle, was inconceivable. This was the advice which we received almost uniformly. How was it possible then, for Sri Lanka to achieve this victory? This was a matter which has evoked widespread interest (Daily News ; 4 June 2011).

Kokavil: Lanka’s first ever multi-channel broadcasting tower - The government will open the tallest self supporting transmission tower in South East Asia - the Kokavil Transmission tower in Mullaitivu District on June 6, Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s Director General Anusha Pelpita said.  The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka has spent Rs. 330 million to construct the 174 metre multi purpose transmission tower. He said that the tower will provide the people of the North with better access to radio, TV and internet facilities after 30 years.  The project was jointly implemented by the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and the Media Ministry on the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the close supervision of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.  The tower will be administered by the TRC. It is Sri Lanka’s first ever multi-channel broadcasting tower.  The tower will also be used to introduce digital radio and television transmission using the Digital Video Broadcasting’s DVB-T2 digital terrestrial broadcasting standard through the Kokavil tower for the entire Northern Province.  This will help to provide high quality and clear television, radio and telecommunication coverage to the entire Northern Province.  He said the tower is to be utilized for TV, radio and telecommunications transmissions as well as military communication operations. Sri Lanka Army gave tremendous support to make the project success.  ‘The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Sri Lanka Rupawahini Corporation and the Independent Television Network commenced the test transmissions in April.  The TRC expects to provide space for several private media and telecommunication channels especially Tamil channels transmission space through this tower,’ he added (Daily News : 4 June 2011).

Another 750 former combatants to be rehabilitated - by Ridma DISSANAYAKE - Rehabilitation Commissioner General Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe stated that 750 former combatants who were rehabilitated at Pompamadu and Punethottam rehabilitation centers will be reintegrated into society at a ceremony that will be held at the Vavuniya Urban Council ground on June 05. These former combatants have been given vocational training and education facilities to improve their skills and knowledge. These rehabilitants are married and have children, he said. A cricket carnival will also be held on June 04 to coincide with the event (Daily News ; 4 June 2011).

Diaspora and discrimination - An interesting fact about the international community of Tamil immigrants, which is commonly called the ‘Tamil Diaspora’, is that it comes disproportionately from the tiny Jaffna peninsula, not from vast and populous Tamil Nadu. This reflects in part the huge outflow from this island following Black July 1983. The events of that diabolical month left Tamil people (and indeed many from the majority community) permanently scarred. Some were driven into the arms of the terrorists and the remainder were imbued with a feeling of not belonging in their own country. This feeling of not belonging was exacerbated among those who fled their motherland. The bitter-sweet taste of nostalgia for a land and a past now gone is made bitterer by distance (Daily News : 4 June 2011).

All former female LTTE combatants in Sri Lanka released now - The Sri Lankan government has released all the former female combatants of the defeated terror organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and they are with their families now, a senior diplomat said. Addressing the plenary session of the 17th session of United Nations Human Right Council on Protection and promotion of Women in Geneva Friday, Sri Lanka's envoy Sugeeshwara Gunaratna said the Sri Lankan government has been successfully engaged in the task of rehabilitation and reintegration of its ex-combatants. "All female ex-combatants who were beneficiaries of this program have now been released and are back with their families," the envoy said. The envoy announced that all female ex-combatants who were forcibly recruited by the LTTE have undergone rehabilitation and those who wish to pursue their education are being given every opportunity to do so. Other female fighters have been engaged in vocational training and other government programs, Gunaratna added. Describing the measures taken by the Sri Lankan government for the protection against violence on women in the former war-torn areas, the diplomat said the government has established additional women and children's desks in police stations and recruited Tamil speaking police officers, both men and women (Colombo page ; 4 June 2011).

India must apologize to Sri Lanka - Whilethe LTTE is blamed for carrying out 30 years of terror in Sri Lanka, the question that needs to be answered is who actually created this group, why was it created, for how long was it meant to exist and to what extent did the creators have actual control over their creation? India must now answer and India must now apologize for the thousands of people whose lives it has helped kill by aiding a terrorist organization. When India originated the idea to start a freedom struggle in Sri Lanka, India did not invest in training, equipping and financially supporting the LTTE to have it wither away nor did India desire or plan to allow the LTTE to actually declare an Eelam. That was why India came down hard on the GOSL and demanded the release of Prabhakaran when he was cornered in Vadamarachchi. This was in 1987 and had Prabhakaran been caught at that time Sri Lanka would have not lost thousands of people that perished as a result of LTTE bombs and suicide missions. For all these deaths, India stands personally accountable. In planning for LTTE to prevail, India had all eventualities carefully thought out and it is within this web of deceit that other players came to be involved. For the West, the LTTE was a weapon to be used to forward their own agenda in the region. A foothold in Sri Lanka meant not only the possession of the economic gateway but it was a perfect place to destabilize India and to watch over China and Russia. Let us at all times remember that tomorrows economic power houses belong to the East. Which is why plenty of give and take prevailed allowing LTTE undue privileges merely because it was allowing itself to be prostituted for various reasons by various parties which explains how it came to have a profit of $300m annually through many illegal activities that the world powers were very much aware of but kept silent. Actions that were taken internationally were merely to show they remained committed to ending terror but it was not anything that had sincerities, otherwise why would terrorism be thriving today if terrorism does not have the in-direct support of powerful countries? (Daily Mirror : 4 June 2011).

Kokavil Transmission tower in Mullaitivu back in service

The Sovereignty of Sri Lanka is inalienable - By Garvin Karunaratne It is sad that anyone who argues for the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and points out that India is unduly interfering and pressurizing us as they did when India imposed the 13 th Amendment on us by holding a gun at President Jayawardena, is called an India basher. Is it not a fact that President Jayawardena was held at ransom- sorties of fighter jets flown over Colombo, an Indian destroyer appearing off the port of Colombo and a drop of food over Jaffna- and President Jayawardena caved in meekly. They also argue that we should be happy playing second fiddle to India. Becoming a vassal of India may look good to some pseudo academics who are not at home in international relations (LankaWeb : 3 June 2011).

Speaker of the House of Commons: Dealing with the Ban ki-Moon-Darusman report on Sri Lanka - by Asoka Weerasinghe, Canada - Dear Mr. Speaker: Permit me to congratulate you on your appointment as the Speaker of the House of Commons yesterday, to which you were elected democratically after the sixth round of a secret ballot. While you carry an enormous responsibility at your young age to preside over the House of Commons, to be an impartial observer, referee and an umpire to maintain order and decorum, I reckon that it is also incumbent up on you to see that the business of the House has some validity and value given back to us tax payers, who voted you all into parliament as care takers of our great country. And also to see that unwarranted Emergency Debates on issues outside the shores of our vast land which really do not concern us be rejected. One such incident as you know happened during the 40th Parliament’s 2nd session on Wednesday, February 4, 2009. This was the Emergency Debate on Sri Lanka called by the NDP’s Jack Layton, who was then the fourth party leader in the House and yesterday took the Chair as the Leader of the Official Opposition. Mr. Speaker that was the day when the Chamber of the House was turned into a mock Theatre of a Tamil Tiger Blarney Gong Show, as none of the actors then, like Jack Layton, Paul Dewar, Judy Sgro, Jim Karygiannis, Bob Rae, Olivia Chow, and John McKay, and the Parliamentarians Maria Minna, Robert Olipahnt, and Andrew Karnia who lost their seats, and Derek Lee and Albina Guarneiri who retired from politics could stand under the Peace Tower with a clear conscience and tell Canada, “See, what we said about Sri Lanka that day were true and we used our time in Parliament productively and effectively”, as absolutely none what they said were true. And if I may use an unparliamentary language, “every one of them lied through their teeth about Sri Lanka.” (LankaWeb : 3 June 2011).

Military confab concludes: Sri Lankan Forces take a bow: Hailed as among the best in the world - by Sandasen Marasinghe - The military officers who attended the three day international seminar ‘Defeating Terrorism - Sri Lankan Experience’ were unanimous that Sri Lanka’s Security Forces were among the best in the world considering the strategies that were used and their humane aspect during the humanitarian operation. They made these observations during the panel discussion after the seminar organized by the Sri Lanka Army led by Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya directed by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, came to an end at the Galadari Hotel yesterday. The Pakistan Military representative General Abdul Wadood thanked the security forces of Sri Lanka, the people and the government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa for securing the security of the region. He went on to thank the organizers for providing this opportunity to share the Sri Lanka’s experience and making arrangements to conduct the seminar openly. Dr David Kilcullan during the seminar stated that Sri Lanka has made a very good beginning to prevent the country going back to a civil war whereas most of the other countries that brought civil wars to an end haven’t been successful in this regard even after decades. He added that the Sri Lanka has showed the world how the job could be done. The Military Representative of Brazil Colonel Severino Paixao stated that the security forces have ended the operation in a well organized manner and was excellent the manner they engaged in dealing with the matters such as rehabilitation, reconciliation after the elimination of terrorism. The Military Representative of Sudan Brigadier Mohamed Ibrahim said that they were suffering from a same kind of terrorit menace. He added that he thought if they tried the same process in their country they too could solve their problem. He also said that it was commendable the manner in which the President of Sri Lanka handled the international pressure against the operation (Daily News ; 3 June 2011).

The Jaffna district secretary says the government has provided maximum facilities for the people in the north even during the time of the terrorist rule - Jaffna district secretary Mrs. Imelda Sukumara says the government even during the period of terrorist rule in the north, has extended maximum facilities to the people in the area. She says that she has a good understanding on this issue as she served the Wanni area during this period. The government has contributed in large measure especially in the provision of food and essential items as well as in the implementation of numerous development projects. The district secretary further said that however, the tiger leadership has ordered her to refrain from reporting the progress of these programmes. Mrs. Sukumara made these remarks addressing the international conference on Sri Lanka’s experiences in defeating terrorism, which ended yesterday. The district secretary further said that there have been threats on her life from the LTTE organisation and the Tamil diaspora due to her involvement in the development programmes for the people. Former LTTE leader Thamilselvam was one person who directly made an impact on her to keep away from reporting on the progress of the project. She stressed that the government during the time of the war and after the war have provided all facilities for the welfare of the people (SLBC : 3 June 2011).

Seeman under “Assange” type operation - Seeman, the leader of Naam Thamizhar party, has been booked under six sections by the Chennai Police. Actress Vijayalakshmi has reportedly given complaints against Seeman for rape, cheating etc. According to her story Seeman loved her for three years, wished to marry her but finally cheated. She claims to have enough evidences for their relationship. This episode comes closely after the news reports about the proposed marriage of Seeman with a Srilankan Tamil widow. What is surprising is that whether Seeman can be booked under a rape charge since the allegations appear to be a failed relationship. If true then it could only come under consensual sex. The attempt by the police to book Seeman under rape charges raises many questions. Seeman has denied the charges as false allegations. The Naam Thamizhar activists allege that this is a conspiracy to entrap Seeman since he was speaking against the policies of Indian Government on Srilanka. The popularity of Seeman has been on the rise after his recent election campaign conducted in many small and big towns of Tamil nadu which went against the Congress party. He suddenly became a force to reckon with in the Tamil nadu Politics.Therefore the forces who were defeated by him were expecting an occasion to defame him for their political survival. It seems that they have joined hands with the Government of Srilanka against Seeman. Seeman, a film director rose to fame about three years back when he spoke against the Government of India for encouraging the Srilankan Government in committing genocide against Tamil. He was booked under NSA by the previous DMK Government. Seeman turned a bitter critic of Congress party and Sonia Gandhi. Since DMK maintains an alliance with DMK he criticizes DMK and Karunanidhi too (Truthdive : 3 June 2011).

Historic Army conference on defeating terrorism Ends with positive note Curtains came down on the landmark three-day international seminar, 'Defeating Terrorism - The Sri Lankan Experience' on Thursday (2) forenoon at Colombo Galadari Hotel, in which transparent deliberations and presentations over Sri Lanka's military success against terrorism were comprehensively discussed in an assembly of more than 80 delegates, representing 41 countries, including Sri Lanka. The seminar, first of its kind in the island was attended by a panel of internationally acclaimed experts on terrorism and other reputed resource personnel, including all robust ground commanders in the Army, Navy and Air Force who actively contributed to the completion of the victorious Humanitarian Operation that brought durable peace to Sri Lanka after thirty years of ruthless violence. The seminar, themed on a concept mooted by Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence focused on a variety of perspectives like 'Challenges and Prospects of Counter Terrorism', 'Evolution of LTTE and International Networking' 'Overview of Counter Terrorism', 'Humanitarian Operation', 'Force Multipliers in Counter Terrorism', 'Combat Service Support and Evolution of Training', 'CIMIC IDPs, Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Reintegration of Combatants and De-mining', 'Nation Building,' 'Wonder of Asia', etc in stark comparison and contrast with global menace of terrorism, terrorist trends, predominance of both political will and military efforts, reconciliation, threats to national and international security concerns, effective counter mechanism, prevention of resurgence of violence, re-evaluation of traditional approaches, etc. A wide range of issues, uncommon in other conflicts were also taken up, referring to the Sri Lankan case (Sri Lanka Defence Ministry : 3 June 2011).

LTTE held civilians as human shield says former Mullaittivu GA -  "Tamilchelvam gave a warning once not to send any progress report to anybody because it was very damaging to the LTTE's politics aboard".  "The government looked after the people providing free education and free medical facilities even during the war time". "My people, my public servants, the people in Wanni are surviving and safe guarded and provided security by the government forces in Sri Lanka. Finally, I have to thank now that we are doing a very respectable resettlement program in our area. People are very happy and now we are rapidly resettling every month around 10,000 people", stated the former Government Agent of Mullaittivu Mrs Imelda Sumkmar on Thursday( 02nd June). "During war time in Mullaittivu also around 50 children were entering University every year. That's how the government looked after the people providing free education and free medical facilities" she stated. "During the war period, even though then Security Forces Wanni commander and present commander of the army Lt General Jagath Jayasooriya informed me to take the civilians out from un-cleared area, I was unable to do it as LTTE terrorists used civilians as human shield keeping them as hostages. ", former Government Agent of Mullaittivu Mrs Imelda Sumkmar said yesterday, 2nd June, addressing the final day's session of the defence symposium, 'Defeating Terrorism Sri Lankan Experience' held at the Galadari Hotel Colombo. Mrs Imelda Sukumar served as the government agent in Mullaittivu and she was in-charge of all civil administration in entire Mullittivu district to provide humanitarian assistance for the civilians trapped by terrorists, before taking over her new appointment as the Government Agent Jaffna on 13th July 2010. Speaking at the Seminar she further explained, how the government and security forces had provided humanitarian assistance for the people under LTTE tyranny, throughout the period which the humanitarian operation was on progress. "Commissioner General of Essential Services ordered us to maintain a buffer stock of essential items for three months in order to look after the people. Also, we maintained stocks for medicines for three months. " she added. "During the war people were not allowed to move - they had no freedom of movement in LTTE areas. The success from terror of our country was due to the well maintaining of justice, love with respect and discipline by the armed forces and the Government", she further stated. Click to view full speech delivered by the former Mullaittivu GA Mrs. Imelda Sumkmar at the 'Sri Lankan experience' -Defence Symposium in Colombo on 02nd June, 2011 (View the video of the speech in Sri Lanka Defence Website ; 3 June 2011).

Arantalawa is a temple called ‘Never Again’ -by Malinda Seneviratne -  There are villages whose names are not known only by residents and a few others living in the neighbourhood. Twenty four years ago, few or none in Colombo would have known of a village called Nuwaratenne. Twenty four years ago, to the day, i.e. June 2, 1987, something happened which helped carry that name to most households across the country, via television, radio and newspapers. The name was mentioned because an abduction took place close to this village. The name was forgotten because those who were abducted were killed in cold blood in a different place. That place had a name-Arantalawa. A bus carrying 34 bikkhus accompanied by four others was ambushed on that day near Nuwaratenne. It was the LTTE, liberators to some, revolutionaries to others, called sole-representatives of the Tamil people by themselves and their lackeys, here and abroad, thought to be invincible then and right up to the end of 2008. There were about 20 of them, armed with guns and swords. The liberators ordered the driver to take the vehicle into the jungles of Arantalawa. The liberators did their work. At the end of it all, the four lay persons, 30 young novice bikkhus and their mentor, the Chief Incumbent of the Vidyananda Maha Pirivena, the Ven. Hegoda Sri Indrasara Thera, were liberated from their respective corporeal cages and sent swiftly along to their next sansaric destination. Four of the novice bikkhus or samaneras, wounded but trapped under the bodies of those who had been machine gunned or cut and slashed by the liberators, survived. Only one thing remained. A name-Arantalawa (Daily News : 3 June 2011).

Resettlement has reached final stages: Host of programmes underway in N-E - Certain local and foreign powers are attempting to underestimate the government's successful programmes launched for the benefit of the Northern and Eastern provinces for the past two years, after ending the 30 year war against LTTE, the Government Information Department said in a release yesterday. Certain foreign powers cannot endure the fact that a country like Sri Lanka without any modern military equipment, was successful in completely eliminating the world's cruelest terrorist organisation, the release added. It said: "The resettlement of 275,000 displaced civil population in their previous habitat has reached its final stage due to the government's humanitarian operation launched for the benefit of the people of Northern and Eastern Provinces while certain Western Countries including partners to the peace talks were of belief that it was impossible for the government to end the terrorism. "The Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim people were displaced due to LTTE terrorism. Over 5,000 private institutes fell inactive inconveniencing the people of the North who were unable to obtain essentials with the disruption of the transport facilities on the A9 main road, as the LTTE launched an attack on the Muhamale area in 2006. "However, it was the government's intervention which made it possible for the people of the North to obtain their essential food items thereafter, although it has been forgotten by those who are always criticizing the government's policies. The World Food Programme and the United Nations Organization with many of its institutions extended its fullest cooperation to implement the programmes aimed at ensuring the living of those people. "Facilities with the capacity to store 5,000 metric tons were established in Vavuniya with the cooperation of the World Food Programme and the United Nations Organization. "Certain powers and foreign institutions accusing the Government of violating human rights maintain silence about the resettlement of about 375,000 displaced persons in their own villages. These powers who appealed to postpone the resettlement process in the East, level various allegations against the government without any possibility to disrupt the Government's humanitarian operation. "There are sections included in the 1972 Constitution regarding the protection of human rights. But as President Mahinda Rajapaksa said at the second anniversary commemoration of war victory, human rights could be protected only after stopping the robbing of the right to live (Daily News ; 3 June 2011).

A loverly bunch of coconuts - Philip Alston on centre stage again - by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP - Continued from yesterday - This article was written after the last Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial killings decided bizarrely that, despite anomalies, the original Channel 4 video was genuine. Now his successor has said the same about the latest Channel 4 version, which is supposed to be an extension of that original video, but is given a different date. But that too would probably not have made a difference to your approach since Hewavitharana’s main crime is that ‘it would appear that he is a member of a network of Sri Lankan Professionals’. You seem to live in an Orwellian world in which Sri Lankans are generally bad and untrustworthy, but anyone who attacks the Sri Lankan government, Channel 4, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, is good and trustworthy. I concluded my letter by saying that ‘Your performance however is slightly redeemed in that, at the end of your release, you say that, following our report, “my conclusion is that the views expressed do indeed raise several issues which warrant further investigation before it could reasonably be concluded that the video is authentic” (Daily News : 3 June 2011).

Zero casualties in mine clearing - by Sandasen Marasinghe - “The Sri Lankan Army is the only army in the world that has cleared 366,870 landmines without causing any damages to any mine-clearer within two years,” said Brigadier Udayantha Wijeratne of the Engineers Squad of the Sri Lanka Army. He made this observation yesterday delivering a speech in the presence of military representatives of 41 countries at the ‘Defeating Terrorism-Sri Lankan Experience’ seminar held at the Galadari Hotel. He also said that the landmines that were strewn by the LTTE in the North and East are being removed by the Army manually, mechanically and by using trained dogs. He said that there is 400 square kilometres still to be cleared (Daily News : 3 June 2011).

'Kokavil transmission tower, a boon to North' - by Irangika Range - The Kokavil tower, the tallest multi-purpose transmission tower in South East Asia, will be opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on June 6.  Addressing the media in Colombo yesterday, Media and Information Ministry Secretary W B Ganegala said that the people living in the North and Vanni will be able to have clear TV and radio reception after 30 years with the setting up of this tower.  Around Rs 450 million has been spent for the construction of the 174 metre tower which is situated at Kokavil, the centre point between Jaffna and Vavuniya. The tower is to be utilized for television, radio and telecommunications transmissions as well as military communication operations. The project was carried out under the supervision of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa on the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa under the Uthuru Vasanthaya programme. It will provide television, radio and telecommunication coverage to the entire Northern Province which was devastated by the 30 year conflict.  Ganegala said that the tower which was initially constructed in 1982, was destroyed by the LTTE in July 1990. Television and radio transmissions were interrupted in the entire Northern region after the tower was destroyed. Now the people of the North have the opportunity to watch television and listen to the radio without transmission interruptions after several decades.  He said that the foundation stone to construct the Kokavil transmission tower was laid in March 2009. The construction of the site came to a standstill for six-seven months due to floods in the North. The transmission tower was constructed with the consultation of local engineers and using Lankan manpower supervised by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau Sri Lanka. The Army made a tremendous contribution to the project by providing security and supervision.  The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Rupavahini Corporation and the Independent Television Network commenced test transmissions in April. "We also expect to give an opportunity for a few privately owned TV, radio and telecommunication networks operations to use this tower in the future," he said (Daily News : 3 June 2011).

Seminar not held to gain sympathy - Army Chief - By Supun Dias - Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya insisted that the three day seminar, ‘Defeating Terrorism: the Sri Lankan Experience,’ that had been organized by the Army was not an attempt to gain sympathy. “What we wanted to share was our war experience and our knowledge on counter terrorism”, the army commander said. “Defence forces representing a fifth of the known world attended the seminar. It shows the attention the defeat of the most ruthless outfit in the world by our army had drawn”, he added. “The seminar was a good opportunity for us to clarify any questions that the international defense authorities had for us. Most of them wanted to know more about the campaign conducted by the Army to eradicate the LTTE”, he said. “As Professor Rohan Gunaratne said, we will discuss the possibility of establishing an Army Information Centre with the Defence Ministry. This would help us share relevant information with the public and the rest of the world”, Lieutenant General Jayasuriya said (Daily Mirror ; 3 June 2011).

LTTE held civilians as human shield says former Mullaittivu Government Agent

Vaiko at EU ‘hearing’ a joke says Lanka - Sri Lanka says Wednesday’s so-called hearing on Sri Lanka in Brussels had been a yet another attempt by the LTTE rump to flex its muscles. Sources say Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) General Secretary Vaiko had been present at the hearing aimed to discuss the way forward for Tamils in Lanka. The Indian press reported that Vaiko had been invited for the hearing by a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Paul Murphy. Responding to a query by The Island, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasingha said that the so called Nordic Greens "hearing" in European Parliament had no official standing, a mere gimmick to cover up for the loss of face suffered at recent ‘urgency’ resolution on Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Aryasinha has made the following comment about the so called "hearing" held in the European Parliament on 01 June 2011 titled "Sri Lanka Two years after the war: will the perpetrators be brought to justice?" " The event held on Wednesday at the European Parliament with a handful of MEPs attending has no official standing and is a mere party event organized by the European Nordic Left/Nordic Greens Left (GUE/NGL), a fringe political party which has 35 out of 736 members in the European Parliament." " The Nordic Greens, together with other Left parties played a leading role three weeks ago in moving for an ‘urgency’ resolution on Sri Lanka seeking the "immediate establishment of an international justice mechanism on Sri Lanka" to give effect to the Darussman Report, which attempt was rejected in a formal plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 12 May 2011." "Wednesday’s event is a mere gimmick to cover up for the loss of face suffered at the recent ‘urgency’ by the Nordic Greens, as well as other LTTE sympathizers in the Diaspora and INGOs who backed the move. It was largely attended by members of the pro-LTTE Tamil community, and several well known longstanding LTTE activists such as Vai Gopalasamy alias Viko from Madras who is no longer a MP and Selvarajah Gajendran, former MP from Sri Lanka who was not even given nomination by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to contest the 2010 general elections in Sri Lanka." (Island ; 2 June 2011).

Now, US suspects credibility of LTTE surrender offer Sri Lanka Defence Symposium: Dismisses KP, Nadesan as ‘mouthpieces’ with no real authority - By Shamindra Ferdinando - Amidst a furore over unsubstantiated war crimes allegations levelled against the Sri Lanka Army, especially the ‘killing of a group of LTTE personnel and their families carrying white flags’ on the Vanni east front, US Defence Advisor Lieutenant Col. Lawrence Smith on Wednesday (1) questioned the very basis of the allegation. Responding to a query by retired Indian General Ashok Kumar Metha on Wednesday, the second day of a three-day symposium on the Sri Lankan combined military campaign (Aug 2006-May 2009), the US official emphasised the need to examine the credibility of the alleged attempts made by Kumaran Pathmanathan aka KP and Nadesan, in charge of the ‘LTTE police’, to arrange for a surrender of LTTEleaders in the final days of the battle. The official said that the surrender offers he was aware of seemed to have come from those who had nothing to do with the command of the LTTE fighting cadre on the ground. Although the Indian General, now a regular commentator on regional military affairs, had directed the questions at Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva, the then Gen. Officer Commanding (GOC) of the celebrated 58 Division, the US official responded spontaneously. A senior Sri Lankan official told The Island that Lt. Colonel Smith’s statement couldn’t have come at a better time for the government of Sri Lanka, now battling a concerted effort by a section of the international community to target post-war Sri Lanka at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva. Discussing the situation on the final days and hours of the three-decade long conflict, the US official, who has been in Sri Lanka since June 2008, pointed out that the likes of KP and Nadesan had no real control over the LTTE in spite of being the group’s mouthpieces. Smith said that the surrender offers had come from those who worked for the LTTE but never had control over the LTTE leadership or the combat power of the LTTE. "We need to examine the credibility of such offers before coming to a conclusion," the US official said (Island : 2 June 2011).

A loverly bunch of coconuts - Philip Alston on centre stage again - by Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, MP - This article was written after the last Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial killings decided bizarrely that, despite anomalies, the original Channel 4 video was genuine. Now his successor has said the same about the latest Channel 4 version, which is supposed to be an extension of that original video, but is given a different date. I thought earlier comments on that initial attempt to frame us as it were are worth considering. Obviously I have no expertise in video (or mobile phone technology) and cannot comment on the incident depicted or the editing/splicing that is alleged. However I do understand logic, and the claim of an expert that a man might have been drunk or asleep while people were being shot through the head all around him is too preposterous for even a UN Special Rapporteur to take seriously. And surely such lawyers must understand that, once evidence is so badly tainted, it would be absurd to assume it should lead to further criminal proceedings. At the height of campaigning for the Sri Lankan Presidential election, Prof Philip Alston issued a missive regarding the Channel 4 video which I read with great interest. He reported there that he had finally engaged three experts to check on the authenticity of the video he saw on Channel 4. This was something he should have done a very long time ago, well before he rushed publicly into the matter. Indeed I noted in my initial response to him that, almost as soon as we got the letter, we were also ‘sent a press release which you had had dispatched to our Mission in Geneva at 15.37 on that same Friday afternoon, a release which seems to make your letter redundant.’ (Daily News : 2 June 2011).

Another 800 ex-LTTE cadres to be released in Sri Lanka - The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms has taken steps to release another 800 former Tamil Tiger combatants upon completion of their rehabilitation program at the Pompamadu and Punethottam rehabilitation camps in Vavuniya, the government announced today. The Ministry plans to release the former fighters at a ceremony to be held at the Vavuniya Urban Council grounds on June 5. The Government Media Unit said the Ministry has made arrangements to hold a cricket match on June 4 to coincide with this event. The government says the programme is aimed to link-up the North and South on a permanent basis while completely freeing the Tamil youth from the war psychosis. Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills Development Dullas Alahapperuma, Minister of Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms Chandrasiri Gajadeera and the parents of the rehabilitated youth are to participate in the ceremony (Colombo Page ; 2 June 2011).

Sufficient food & medical supplies during final battle - Ex-Mullaithivu GA - The government had send stocks of food, medicine and other essential items to have a buffer stock during the final months of the end battle against the LTTE, the former Mullaithivu Government Agent Emelda Sukumar said today.  Speaking at the international defence seminar organized by the Sri Lanka Army, she said that she was threatened by former political wing leader P. Thamilselvam not to send the monthly progress reports to the government as they would damage the image of the LTTE internationally.  Sukumar, who is presently the Jaffna GA, said the government continue to send cement stocks to the North knowing that the LTTE was building bunkers using those cement stocks.  Sukumar also said though the government allowed the civilians to come to the government control, the terrorists used them as a human shield.  She was the GA of Mullathivu for eight years under the LTTE control (Sunday Observer ; 2 June 2011).

Over 70% of the ex- LTTE cadres reunited within a year and half - Over 70 percent of the ex- LTTE cadres reintegrated back into the society with in a year and half of ending the final battle in May 2009, it was revealed at the three day international seminar organized by the Sri Lanka Army . The Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen Sudantha Ranasinghe said that Sri Lanka would be the worlds first success story on rehabilitation.  The are 4,301 ex-LTTEers are now undergoing rehabilitation in state run rehabilitation centres. All child soldiers have been reintegrated with their families and are continuing their formal education, he said.  According to Maj. Gen. Ranasinghe, out of those who sat for the university entrance examination two got selected to do medicine, one to the engineering faculty and ten to do arts and commerce degrees (Sunday Observer : 2 June 2011).

India must apologize to Sri Lanka - By Shenali Waduge - “Whatever “grievances” Tamils in Sri Lanka or Tamil Nadu or anywhere in the world put forward, India will never grant Tamil Eelaam in either Sri Lanka & especially Tamil Nadu & that is what ALL Tamils must finally realize & finally accept. India will encourage renegades to a country’s system like Prabakaran because such detractors provide the basis for interfering in a country’s internal affairs. That is why terrorism today is nothing but a business & not only India, the US, UK, EU nations & all other powerful countries are exploiting terrorism to advance their own interests.” While the LTTE is blamed for carrying out 30 years of terror in Sri Lanka, the question that needs to be answered is who actually created this group, why was it created, for how long was it meant to exist & to what extent did the creators have actual control over their creation? India must now answer & India must now apologize for the thousands of people whose lives it has helped kill by aiding a terrorist organization. When India originated the idea to start a freedom struggle in Sri Lanka, India did not invest in training, equipping & financially supporting the LTTE to have it wither away nor did India desire or plan to allow the LTTE to actually declare an Eelaam. That was why India came down hard on the GOSL & demanded the release Prabakaran when he was cornered in Vadamarachchi. This was in 1987 & had Prabakaran been caught at that time Sri Lanka would have not lost thousands of people that perished as a result of LTTE bombs & suicide missions. For all these deaths, India stands personally accountable (Sinhale Hot News : 2 June 2011).

Sri Lanka seeks new international laws to fight terrorism

Defeating Terrorism – Sri Lankan experience: Strategic political, military moves underlined success - Tigers used no fire zones to hold civilians as human shields - Majors General explain humanitarian op - Highlights LTTE brutality - by Sandasen MARASINGHE - The Majors General who commanded the humanitarian operation against the LTTE, told military representatives of 41, countries yesterday that the political leadership and Security Forces’ commitment paved the way to eliminate terrorism from Sri Lankan soil. They emphasized this yesterday, the second day of the three day international seminar ‘Defeating Terrorism - Sri Lankan Experience’ organized by the Sri Lanka Army to share the experience of Sri Lanka with other nations, under the direction of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. During the first session of the seminar yesterday, Majors General Nandana Udawatta, Prasanna Silva, Chagy Gallage, Jagath Dias and Shavendra Silva spoke on how the humanitarian operation was fought in the North and East and won by the Security Forces. The speakers also stressed LTTE brutality by pointing out, among many other matters, how the LTTE used the No fire Zones for military activities, using their own people as human shields, recruiting children for military activities and using suicide cadres at the final stage of the operation to attack civilians and military personnel. Major General Nandana Udawatta said that a well defined political and military strategy supported by the will of the public was the key factor in the victory over terrorism. In response to a question raised by a visiting military representative, Major General Gallage stated that no support was obtained from the Karuna faction at an operational level nor at tactical level in the humanitarian operation in the East (Daily News : 2 June 2011).

Nordic Greens ‘Hearing’ in EU Parliament, a mere gimmick - Ambassador Aryasinha - Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha has made the following comment about the so called “hearing” held in the European Parliament on June 1 titled “Sri Lanka Two years after the war: will the perpetrators be brought to justice?” The event held yesterday at the European Parliament with a handful of MEPs attending has no official standing and is a mere party event organized by the European Nordic Left/Nordic Greens Left (GUE/NGL), a fringe political party which has 35 out of 736 members in the European Parliament. The Nordic Greens, together with other Left parties played a leading role three weeks ago in moving for an ‘urgency’ resolution on Sri Lanka seeking the “immediate establishment of an international justice mechanism on Sri Lanka” to give effect to the Darusman Report, which attempt was rejected in a formal plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on May 12. Yesterday’s event was a mere gimmick to cover up for the loss of face suffered at the recent ‘urgency’ by the Nordic Greens, as well as other LTTE sympathizers in the diaspora and INGOs who backed the move. It was largely attended by members of the pro-LTTE Tamil community, and several well known longstanding LTTE activists such as Vai Gopalasamy alias Viko from Madras who is no longer an MP and Selvarajah Gajendran, former MP from Sri Lanka who was not even given nomination by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to contest the 2010 general elections in Sri Lanka (Daily News : 2 June 2011).

Denouncing the Tamil National Alliance, and a word from my friend Thurai a Tamil from Kokuvil, living in Europe. - By Charles.S.Perera  - The Tamil National Alliance is misleading the Tamil people of Sri Lanka making them believe that it is the TNA that could solve their problems. The danger in TNA is that it is creating a problem between the Sinhala and the Tamil Communities that never existed. The Independence from the British colonial rulers was demanded by Sinhala, Tamil, Malay and they had no intention of breaking up Sri Lanka between the Sinhala and the Tamils after Independence. The idea of separation was a later development which is now called the ethnic problem. The ethnic problem was created by the Tamil politicians, Ponnambalam, Chelvanayagam, Suntharalingam and the rest, to create for themselves a Tamil enclave of which they would have been the rulers, keeping the ordinary Tamils within their caste frame, denied of priviledges preserved for the high caste Tamils. The TNA politicians are the worst of the Tamil politicians, having had their birth in the womb of terrorism, and brought up in its cradle. In reality they should not have existed after the elimination of terrorism. However they found “respectability” in the aftermath of the settlement of IDPs and the general election that followed in which they were able to garner the votes of a “ terror shocked” Tamil population that was settled immediately after terrorism. They are now trying their best running after every “demon” haunting Sri Lanka after the demise of terrorism, such as Ban Ki Moon, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Western “democracies” hanging on to the “dollar strings” of pro-terrorist Tamil diaspora, to clear the blood stains of terrorism left on them by Prabhakaran and his terrorist cohorts- the TNA politician’s proper milieu, their “godparents” (Lankaweb ; 2 June 2011).

How Karuna cadres assisted Army - By Supun Dias - The war-time’s Army Task Force-1 Commander Chagi Gallage said yesterday the breakaway Karuna cadres were not used by the military on a tactical or operational level during the war against the LTTE but were directed to block a withdrawal route after the troops captured Vakari in the East. He made these comments during the seminar on ‘Defeating Terrorism; the Sri Lankan Experience’ and when questioned by an Indian military delegate about the involvement of the Karuna cadres in the operation conducted in the East, which at the time was Karuna’s stronghold. Major General Gallage said the expertise of the Karuna cadres was used by the Army to learn the locations of LTTE bases in the East. When asked whether these cadres were forced to support government troops, the then 57th Division Commander Jagath Dias said that they supported the security forces on a mutual understanding. Major General Gallage commanded the 59th Division during the capture of Mullaitivu during the last phase of the war. The Task Force-1 under his command was instrumental in capturing LTTE strongholds in Thoppigala, Silavatura and Vakarai. The seminar, on its second day yesterday, was organised by the Army to share, with some 300 military and civilian delegations from 41 countries, its experiences in counter terrorist warfare and the humanitarian operation to rescue civilians in LTTE custody (Daily Mirror ; 2 June 2011).

Maj. Gen. Gallage Says Karuna Cadres Not Used In Operation - Major General Chagi Gallage has said that cadres affiliated to LTTE defector Karuna Amman were not used at a tactical or operational level during the humanitarian operation in the North and East. Major General Gallage who headed the Task Force 1 during the humanitarian operation against the LTTE in 2009 has made the statement at the conference on “Defeating terrorism: The Sri Lankan experience” held in Colombo. Gallage’s comment was made in response to a question posed by an Indian military officer attending the conference. According to Gallage, the Karuna cadres were not used in the operation although they had shown a willingness to join the troops. Major General Galle has added that the only time they were used was to man a withdrawal route after the fall of Vakarai along the Batticaloa – Trikonamadu route (Sunday Leader).

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS CASTIGATE BAN KI-MOON’S MOCK PANEL - By JAYANTHA GUNASEKERA - PRESIDENT’S COUNSEL - It appears that the EU Parliament has now become wiser and realized what frauds the LTTE Diaspora are. Quoting the CDN, “the European parliament on 13th May 2011 defeated an attempt to seek the immediate establishment of an international justice mechanism on Sri Lanka during an urgent debate called by the Socialist Green Parties at the Strasbourg Plenary Sessions, to draw attention to the so called UN Panel report, on accountability issues in Sri LankaHowever, the remarks made about the Sri Lankan judiciary was baseless and unwarranted. Geoffrey Van Orden heading a group in the EU Parliament said, “we regret that we are having this debate today. I suspect that it has been prompted by extremist elements in the Tamil diaspora – the same people who have helped to sustain the LTTE terrorist campaign over many years, through political activities and funding, often from the proceeds of crime. Instead of trying to bring together the peoples of Sri Lanka, there are those that seek to continue a campaign of hatred and division. They see this Darusman report as a weapon in this campaign and just want to put the SL government in the dock. This approach is malicious and counter productive.” (Daily Mirror : 2 June 2011).

The UN War Crimes Probe Agitation Reeks Of Bias And Conspiracy Against The Government of Sri Lanka Instigated By Disgruntled Tiger Sympathetic Sycophants And Their Powerful Sponsors. - Insight By Sunil Kumar May 31st. 2011 - If the current agitation by the nations conniving to have Sri Lanka investigated for war crimes is tolerated withing any legality conforming to International Law it would surely be a travesty of justice and an insult to what is easily describable as a trend setting manoeuvre that wiped out the deadliest terrorist organization in the world within legitimate means and those urging the cause needs to be examined for their conflicts of interest and what motivates them as it surely appears to be more the agitation by Tamil Tiger sympathetic sycophants like Naveen Pillai and Darushan amongst a host of others in what could be a carefuly orchetrated global conspiracy to bring the Nation of Sri Lanka to disrepute to suit their own agendas. They must never be permitted to succeed in the best interests of safeguarding Sovereign Nations’ rights to defend themselves from the plague whch is sweeping the world today. And sources such as the the European Union, the USA, Britain, France, Ireland and Switzerland who keep agitating the UN urging it to probe Sri Lanka ‘war crimes’ need to get their act together, their own backyards cleared of their culpabilities toward Human Rights violations aroung the world for which they in turn have collectively contributed to shamelessly and brazenly and are now hounding Sri Lanka (LankaWeb : 2 June 2011).

India-Sri Lanka joint statement - By Neville Ladduwahetty - A Joint Statement was signed between India and Sri Lanka on May 17, 2011. The focus of this article relates to two issues in paragraphs 4 and 5 of that statement. Paragraph 4 states inter alia: "A devolution package, building upon the 13th Amendment (13thA), would contribute towards creating the necessary conditions for such reconciliation". Paragraph 5 states inter alia: "The External Affairs Ministry of India urged the expeditious implementation of measures by the Government of Sri Lanka, to ensure resettlement and genuine reconciliation, including early return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their respective homes, early withdrawal of emergency regulations, investigations into allegations of human rights violations, restoration of normalcy in affected areas and redressing humanitarian concerns of affected families". India's unshakeable conviction that "building upon the 13th Amendment" would be the way to foster reconciliation is beyond comprehension. At a fundamental level, reconciliation requires acceptance of a proposition by the affected parties. In this instance, the 13thA was imposed on Sri Lanka to meet the demands of the Tamil leadership against serious objections of the Sinhala community. These objections have not abated. They have instead persisted since it was imposed in 1987, and grown more vocal since then. Under the circumstances, how could a political arrangement that meets the expectations of the smaller fraction of a minority community against the objections of the larger fraction of a majority community bring about reconciliation, let alone "genuine reconciliation"? This simple logic seem to have eluded successive Indian Governments judging from the number of occasions they have repeated that only the 13thA or building upon it is the only path to political reconciliation with the Tamil community (Island : 1 June 2011).

"Darusman report based on unsubstantiated information from pro-LTTE propaganda outlets"- Prof Rohan Gunarathna - The final session in the first day of the international seminar, "Defeating Terrorism-The Sri Lankan Experience" at Colombo, Galadari Hotel was addressed by the globally-acclaimed expert on terrorism, Prof Rohan Gunaratna who presented an overview of the LTTE modus operandi across continent. Prof Gunaratna elaborating on reasons that were attributable to the defeat of LTTE terrorism said firstly, the Army was able to detect hideouts and disrupt LTTE supply lines in partnership with naval troops, secondly, the Army had the luxury of attracting recruits to the Army on a large scale as the MoD was closely interacting with the people at that stage. Thirdly, the clear and determined will of the President of Sri Lanka, despite international pressure, managed the international pressure in an excellent manner. As the theatre of war was in full swing, the LTTE reached out to British, US and Canadian constituent members and heavily lobbied asking them to organize an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka but when they were asked to surrender by the European Union and other sympathetic nations they declined, which in turn angered those powers. Instead, the LTTE expected to buy space as a ceasefire as they had been in the practice of doing so in previous instances, taking the governments for a ride (Sri Lanka Defence Ministry : 1 June 2011).

Israel lashes out at UN system over Goldstone war report - Believes SL can handle Moon Panel report - By Shamindra Ferdinando - Israel believes Sri Lanka knows how to deal with UNSG Ban ki-Moon’s expert panel report on accountability issues in Sri Lanka, says outgoing Israeli Ambassador Mark Sofer. New Delhi-based Sofer, accredited to Colombo, says, "We have seen the report and we believe the government of Sri Lanka knows how to deal with it. We have discussed the issue with President Mahinda Rajapaksa." Ambassador Sofer was briefing the media at the Park Street Hotel, Colombo yesterday (1) ahead of a reception on the occasion of the 63rd Independence Day of the State of Israel. Ambassador Sofer took over the Israeli diplomatic mission in New Delhi in 2007 following stints in Peru, Norway, New York and Ireland (Island : 1 June 2011).

SL fought a different cause to save lives of besieged Tamils – Prof. Peiris - The victory against the LTTE was not through a conventional war. It was different from an orthodox military approach. Sri Lanka had to fight for a different cause to save lives of thousands of besieged Tamil civilians, for whom the LTTE claimed that it was fighting for, External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said. Contributing to the first session on ‘Challenges and Prospects of Counter Terrorism’ in the ongoing ‘Defeating Terrorism - The Sri Lankan Experience’ international seminar, yesterday, at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo, he said that the Sri Lanka Army, not only defeated LTTE terrorism, but also enabled Tamil civilians en masse to get access to livelihood. It was a war of strategy, perceptions, humanitarian concerns, survival and psychological orientations. The extent of psychological penetration into civilians by LTTE for years as well as the fear-psychosis that gripped the northern society was evident in all sectors, including little children in the area, he said. "No space was left by the LTTE for articulation of any dissent as in the case of the brutal murder of my good friend and Tamil intellectual, Dr Neelan Thiruchelvam who was brutally gunned down by the LTTE. In the same way, the LTTE did not allow anyone to surrender to the international organizations giving up violence. The Army had multiple roles to play; protecting Tamil civilians, its own troops and arsenal on one hand and feeding thousands fleeing LTTE atrocities on the other. In a way, it was playing a fatherly role while treating the sick too alike at the same time," Prof. Peiris said. "It’s a matter of sadness that the Darusman Report did not make any mention of this fear-psychosis created by LTTE among civilians in their findings. Nor have they recognized the Army’s efforts in rescuing so many lives of civilians who were fleeing from LTTE clutches to safety. The quintessential of the whole humanitarian operations, as pointed out by Secretary Defence, has not addressed the socio-cultural dimensions that exist among ethnic groups in this part of the Asian society either," he noted (Island ; 1 June 2011).

Northern railway track construction expedited  - by Irangika RANGE - All railway tracks on the Northern line will be completed within the next two years, Transport Minster Kumara Welgama said.  The construction work of two railway lines, Omanthai-Kankesanthurai and Medawachchiya-Thalaimannar have been expedited on the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.  He appreciated the concessionary credit facilities amounting to about US$ 800 million offered by India for the railway projects in Sri Lanka which will enable speedy reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Northern region.  The 159 kilometer Northern rail track from Omanthai to Kankesanthurai consists of 85 bridges, 16 stations and 12 sub stations all of which need to be rebuilt. Many state and private institutions have come forward to assist the construction of railway stations in the North.  The reconstruction of the Medawachchiya-Thalaimannar section will be carried out in two stages. In the first phase the track from Medawachchiya to Madhu Road will be reconstructed while the track from Madhu Road to Thalaimannar will be completed in the second phase.  The new signaling and tele-communication network system will also be established on the Northern railway line under this project. He said the restoration of two railway lines are expected to be finished by the project's due date. 'We have already opened the Omanthai railway station on May 27. The Yal Devi train now reaches Omanthai after 20 years. "The government has allocated huge amounts of money through the last year budget to uplift the railway service in the country. Our aim is to strengthen the railway service which is a low-cost method in transporting passengers and goods which will benefit Northern people who suffered immensely due to the conflict (Daily News : 1 June 2011).

Blessed are those who gave despite threat, abuse and scandalous pilfering - by Malinda Seneviratne - In the mid-eighties, when the then government was facing a growing threat of by-any-means separatism that included bomb explosions targeting civilians, assassination of prominent politicians, academics and professionals and guerrilla attacks on the Security Forces, I remember President J.R. Jayewardene quoting Marcus Tullius Cicera, ‘Laws are silent in time of war’. My father, a senior member of the Administrative Service, observed then, ‘this does not mean that administration should cease’. It came under threat, yes, but the administrative apparatus, regardless of numerous obstacles to smooth operation, did not stop. Not then and not during the last days of the conflict. Throughout the 30 years of conflict, from the most senior public servant right down to the lowly, thankless but nevertheless indispensible Grama Niladhari, everyone worked (Daily News ; 1 June 2011).

Sri Lanka as a supreme model on defeating terror - On the question of defeating terrorism, Sri Lanka is indeed a supreme model and it is a most uplifting experience for her to be sharing her rare expertise in this field with the rest of the world. This country is currently the venue for an international conference titled 'Defeating Terrorism - The Sri Lankan Experience', and there is no doubt that the Lankan state would be considering it a privilege to be in a position to impart her knowledge in resoundingly defeating terrorism with many other countries who may be compelled to grimly confront this terrible scourge. The conference could not have got off to a better start than to listen to Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa's comprehensive and thorough going account of how Sri Lanka dealt deftly with LTTE terror. As his speech sufficiently indicates, a multiplicity of factors contributed towards the complete trouncing of terror in this country. It was not only a question of the Lankan state using what is called its 'legitimate coercive capability' to deal firmly with the Tigers, although this factor did play a decisive and monumental role in crushing the LTTE war machine. It was really a question of a number of military and non-military factors synchronizing perfectly or coming together harmoniously in a multi-pronged confrontation of the evil of terror (Daily News : 1 June 2011).

Army had multiple humanitarian roles to play fighting LTTE - Minister Peiris tells seminar delegates Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris contributing to the Session One on 'Challenges and Prospects of Counter Terrorism' in the ongoing 'Defeating Terrorism - The Sri Lankan Experience' international seminar at Colombo Galadari Hotel said on Tuesday (31) that the Sri Lanka Army, not only defeated LTTE terrorism, but also enabled Tamil civilians en masse to get access to livelihood. The victory against the LTTE was not a conventional war and it was different from an orthodox military approach. Sri Lanka had to fight for a different cause to save lives of thousands of besieged Tamil civilians, for whom the LTTE claimed that it was fighting for, Prof. Peiris added. It was a war of strategy, perceptions, humanitarian concerns, survival and psychological orientations. The extent of psychological penetration into civilians by LTTE for years as well as the fear-psychosis that gripped the northern society was evident in all sectors, including little children in the area, he said. "No space was left by the LTTE for articulation of any dissenting voice as in the case of the brutal murder of my good friend and Tamil intellectual, Dr Neelan Thiruchelvam who was brutally gunned down by the LTTE. In the same way, the LTTE did not allow anyone to surrender to the international organizations giving up violence. The Army had multiple roles to play; protecting Tamil civilians, own troops and arsenal on one hand and feeding thousands fleeing away from LTTE atrocities on the other. In a way, it was playing a fatherly role while treating the sick too alike at the same time", Prof. Peiris said (Sri Lanka Defence Ministry : 1 June 2011).

Defence Secretary at military symposium: ‘SL happy to share ways of defeating terror’ - Stresses importance of following the Lankan path amidst terrorist threat in many countries - Hopes others learn from Lanka’s experience for a peaceful world - Good relations with regional allies vital - Speaks of collapse of Vadamarachchi operation due to strained ties with Delhi - by Sandasen MARASINGHE - ‘No country in the world should suffer from terrorism as Sri Lanka has suffered, said Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and expressed his hope that the other nations will learn from the Sri Lankan experience of defeating terrorism in greater detail, defeat international terrorism and bring safety to the entire world. The Defence Secretary made this observation while delivering the keynote address at the three day international exhibition “Defeating Terrorism the Sri Lankan Experience” organized by the Sri Lanka Army to share its experience with the other nations in which military representatives of 42 countries participated. He also stated that so many countries the world over are facing problems posed by domestic and international terrorism and it is important to share lessons learnt from the Sri Lankan experience in combating terrorist tactics, providing humanitarian assistance and dealing with political and international factors (Daily News : 1 June 2011).

INTERPOL keeps mum on KP - By Easwaran Rutnam - The international police agency, INTERPOL, refused to comment on the Red Notice alert for the arrest of Tharmalingam Shanmugam Kumaran, better known as Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP), despite it being publicly known that he was now in the custody of the Sri Lankan government. When contacted by News Now.lk, the press office of INTERPOL said that it does not comment on specific cases or individuals and therefore cannot comment on the warrant for KP. KP appears on the list, based on a warrant issued by a Chennai court, in connection with the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Media reports over the weekend said that soon after KP was arrested in August 2009 in Malaysia, his name was taken off the wanted list of INTERPOL, but after KP claimed, in a media interview two weeks ago, that the LTTE was responsible for the assassination of Gandhi, his name has reappeared as a wanted person. When asked why INTERPOL has put KP on the list again and if the agency would request Sri Lanka, which is a member of INTERPOL, to hand him over to India, the INTERPOL press officer said "we would advise you to contact the authorities in the countries where you believe there may be an investigation ongoing". The officer noted that if or when police in any of INTERPOL’s 188 member countries share information with the General Secretariat, in Lyon, in relation to investigations and fugitives, this information remains under the ownership of that member country. He said INTERPOL does not therefore comment on specific cases or individuals except in special circumstances and with the approval of the member country concerned (Island ; 1 June 2011).

Are we serious about a solution based on Indo-Lanka Accord ?

Read more about the 13th Amendment to the Constitution)

News Archives

• 2011 May 16 to 31
• 2011 May 01 to 15
• 2011 April 16 to 30
• 2011 April 01 to 15
• 2011 March 16 to 31
• 2011 March 01 to 15
• 2011 February 16 to 28
• 2011 February 1 to 15
• 2011 January 16 to 31
• 2011 January 01 to 15
• 2010 December 01 to 31
• 2010 November 21 to 30
• 2010 November 11 to 20
• 2010 November 01 to 10
• 2010 October 01 to 31
• 2010 September 01 to 30
• 2010 August 23 to 31
• 2010 August 01 to 22
• 2010 July 16 to 31
• 2010 July 01 to 15
• 2010 June 16 to 30
• 2010 June 01 to 15
• 2010 May 16 to 31
• 2010 May 01 to 15
• 2010 April 16 to 30
• 2010 April 01 to 15
• 2010 March 21 to 31
• 2010 March 11 to 20
• 2010 March 01 to 10
• 2010 February 11 to 28
• 2010 February 01 to 10
• 2010 January 21 to 31
• 2010 January 01 to 20
• 2009 December 22 to 31
• 2009 December 11 to 21
• 2009 December 01 to 10
• 2009 November 22 to 30
• 2009 November 11 to 21
• 2009 November 01 to 10
• 2009 October 25 to 31
• 2009 October 18 to 24
• 2009 October 11 to 17
• 2009 October 06 to 10
• 2009 October 01 to 05
• 2009 September 26 to 30
• 2009 September 20 to 25
• 2009 September 16 to 20
• 2009 September 10 to 15
• 2009 September 01 to 10
• 2009 August 20 to 31
• 2009 August 05 to 22
• 2009 August 01 to 04
• 2009 July 11 to 22
• 2009 July 01 to 10
• 2009 June 14 to 26
• 2009 June 01 to 13
• 2009 May 24 to 31
• 2009 may 15 to 23
• 2009 may 12 to 14
• 2009 May 03 to 11
• 2009 May 01 to 02
• 2009 April 29 to 30
• 2009 April 23 to 28
• 2009 April 14 to 22
• 2009 April 01 to 13
• 2009 March 21 to 27
• 2009 March 14 to 20
• 2009 March 08 to 13
• 2009 March 01 to 07
• News prior to March 2009