Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tamils to Supreme Court: Can the U.S. Arrest Rajapaksa?
Clickhere-Tamils for Obama to Supreme Court: Can the U.S. Arrest Rajapaksa?
Tamils for Obama to Supreme Court: Can the U.S. Arrest Rajapaksa?
Tamils for Obama, a political group of American Tamils, wrote to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts asking for his opinion on whether Mahinda Rajapaksa (president of Sri Lanka and possible author of crimes committed during the recent Sri Lankan civil war) can be arrested as he travels through the U.S. this fall.
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(PRWEB) August 31, 2010
Can the U.S. arrest Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa as he travels through this country to visit the United Nations this fall?
Tamils for Obama asked that question in a letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
"The United States has arrested and deported accused war criminals in the past," explained a spokesman for the Tamil American group. "Our country arrested accused Nazis decades after the crimes they were supposed to have committed took place, so this is not unprecedented.
"We guess that this is different because the accusations come from international civilian organizations--the International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and so forth--rather than courts of law. They say that there is plenty of evidence that Sri Lankan government forces, which were ultimately commanded by President Rajapaksa, committed what would probably be considered war crimes.
"The international organizations mention the government's intentional shelling of civilian refugees in protected areas, intentional shelling of hospitals, and violent actions against humanitarian organizations," the spokesman said. "Those would be war crimes by almost anybody's definition."
The spokesman also said that "There was also evidence of execution without trial of prisoners. The evidence hasn't been tested by any court yet, but we hope an American court will be willing to look at it."
"We also noted that the U.S. and NATO intervened when there were reports of atrocities being committed in Bosnia," the spokesman added. "Armed intervention is at least as serious as legal intervention, or so we think.
"We know we are not legal experts," said the Tamils for Obama spokesman. "Our letter to Chief Justice Roberts is to ask his opinion. This is a complicated matter, so we know that high-level legal knowledge is required. We hoped that Mr. Roberts would share his thoughts with us."
"We also hope this matter will become something for public discussion. If we can get lawyers and judges talking about it, we think that this is step in the right direction."
The spokesman mentioned that similar letters had been sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal , New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Senator Patrick Leahy (Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee) and the other eight Supreme Court justices.
To read the whole letter go to: www.Tamilsforobama.com/Letters/Letter_to_John_Roberts831.html
To read the Tamil version of the press release go to the link: www.Tamilsforobama.com/pressrelease/PR_Letter_to_John_Roberts831_tamil.html
Tamils for Obama's letter to Chief Justice Roberts concluded with links to accounts of President Rajapaksa's war time behavior. These included:
To read accounts of Mr. Rajapaksa's wartime conduct from the International Crisis Group: http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka/191-war-crimes-in-sri-lanka.aspx
To read accounts of Mr. Rajapaksa's wartime conduct from Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/05/08/sri-lanka-repeated-shelling-hospitals-evidence-war-crimes
Tamils for Obama is a politically active association of Tamil Americans. The group believes that the ultimate solution to ethnic strife in Sri Lanka will necessarily include some form of political separation of Sri Lankan Tamils from the government dominated by the majority Singhalese. Tamils for Obama supports peaceful measures that if believes advance this goal of a political solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic problems.
Tamils are an ethnic group living mainly in the northeast of Sri Lanka and southern India. During the final weeks of the recent civil war, the Sri Lankan government killed about 1,000 Tamil civilians per day, according to the United Nations, and about 40,000 in 2009. The Tamil are a population in Sri Lanka has borne the brunt of a civil war they regard as genocide. One-third of the Tamil population has fled the island and formed a substantial diaspora overseas. Tamils for Obama is comprised of Tamils who have settled in the U.S. or who were born in the U.S.
To contact the group, call at (617) 765-4394 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (617) 765-4394 end_of_the_skype_highlighting and speak to, or leave a message for, the Communication Director, Tamils for Obama.
www.TamilsForObama.com
###
Contact
Communication Director
Tamils for Obama
(617) 765-4394 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (617) 765-4394 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
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Tamils for Obama to Supreme Court: Can the U.S. Arrest Rajapaksa?
Tamils for Obama, a political group of American Tamils, wrote to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts asking for his opinion on whether Mahinda Rajapaksa (president of Sri Lanka and possible author of crimes committed during the recent Sri Lankan civil war) can be arrested as he travels through the U.S. this fall.
Email PDF Print .
(PRWEB) August 31, 2010
Can the U.S. arrest Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa as he travels through this country to visit the United Nations this fall?
Tamils for Obama asked that question in a letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
"The United States has arrested and deported accused war criminals in the past," explained a spokesman for the Tamil American group. "Our country arrested accused Nazis decades after the crimes they were supposed to have committed took place, so this is not unprecedented.
"We guess that this is different because the accusations come from international civilian organizations--the International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and so forth--rather than courts of law. They say that there is plenty of evidence that Sri Lankan government forces, which were ultimately commanded by President Rajapaksa, committed what would probably be considered war crimes.
"The international organizations mention the government's intentional shelling of civilian refugees in protected areas, intentional shelling of hospitals, and violent actions against humanitarian organizations," the spokesman said. "Those would be war crimes by almost anybody's definition."
The spokesman also said that "There was also evidence of execution without trial of prisoners. The evidence hasn't been tested by any court yet, but we hope an American court will be willing to look at it."
"We also noted that the U.S. and NATO intervened when there were reports of atrocities being committed in Bosnia," the spokesman added. "Armed intervention is at least as serious as legal intervention, or so we think.
"We know we are not legal experts," said the Tamils for Obama spokesman. "Our letter to Chief Justice Roberts is to ask his opinion. This is a complicated matter, so we know that high-level legal knowledge is required. We hoped that Mr. Roberts would share his thoughts with us."
"We also hope this matter will become something for public discussion. If we can get lawyers and judges talking about it, we think that this is step in the right direction."
The spokesman mentioned that similar letters had been sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal , New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Senator Patrick Leahy (Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee) and the other eight Supreme Court justices.
To read the whole letter go to: www.Tamilsforobama.com/Letters/Letter_to_John_Roberts831.html
To read the Tamil version of the press release go to the link: www.Tamilsforobama.com/pressrelease/PR_Letter_to_John_Roberts831_tamil.html
Tamils for Obama's letter to Chief Justice Roberts concluded with links to accounts of President Rajapaksa's war time behavior. These included:
To read accounts of Mr. Rajapaksa's wartime conduct from the International Crisis Group: http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka/191-war-crimes-in-sri-lanka.aspx
To read accounts of Mr. Rajapaksa's wartime conduct from Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/05/08/sri-lanka-repeated-shelling-hospitals-evidence-war-crimes
Tamils for Obama is a politically active association of Tamil Americans. The group believes that the ultimate solution to ethnic strife in Sri Lanka will necessarily include some form of political separation of Sri Lankan Tamils from the government dominated by the majority Singhalese. Tamils for Obama supports peaceful measures that if believes advance this goal of a political solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic problems.
Tamils are an ethnic group living mainly in the northeast of Sri Lanka and southern India. During the final weeks of the recent civil war, the Sri Lankan government killed about 1,000 Tamil civilians per day, according to the United Nations, and about 40,000 in 2009. The Tamil are a population in Sri Lanka has borne the brunt of a civil war they regard as genocide. One-third of the Tamil population has fled the island and formed a substantial diaspora overseas. Tamils for Obama is comprised of Tamils who have settled in the U.S. or who were born in the U.S.
To contact the group, call at (617) 765-4394 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (617) 765-4394 end_of_the_skype_highlighting and speak to, or leave a message for, the Communication Director, Tamils for Obama.
www.TamilsForObama.com
###
Contact
Communication Director
Tamils for Obama
(617) 765-4394 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (617) 765-4394 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
.Past News Releases Subscribe . .PRWeb Home News Center
Gen. Fonseka suddenly takes ill –Doctors advise him to take rest
Click Here.www.lankaenews.com | Gen. Fonseka suddenly takes ill –Doctors advise him to take rest
Gen. Fonseka suddenly takes ill –Doctors advise him to take rest
(Lanka-e-News 2010.Aug.31 10.00PM) Because Colombo District M P Gen. Sarath Fonseka took ill suddenly , the Doctors f the Naval Force were summoned and he was subjected to intensive care and examination.
While the Doctors have advised Fonseka to take rest , his blood has been sent for medical examination.
Owing to his sick condition , the trial that was scheduled for today (31) in the second military Court was postponed until tomorrow.
Evidence of witnesses for Fonseka was to be heard today , in connection with the case where Fonseka has been charged allegedly for wrongfully passing a tender for Hi Corp Co. of his son in law, Dhanuna Thilakaratne in order to clinch an Army weapons purchases deal when Fonseka was the Army Commander and the Chairman of the Tender Board.
Gen. Fonseka suddenly takes ill –Doctors advise him to take rest
(Lanka-e-News 2010.Aug.31 10.00PM) Because Colombo District M P Gen. Sarath Fonseka took ill suddenly , the Doctors f the Naval Force were summoned and he was subjected to intensive care and examination.
While the Doctors have advised Fonseka to take rest , his blood has been sent for medical examination.
Owing to his sick condition , the trial that was scheduled for today (31) in the second military Court was postponed until tomorrow.
Evidence of witnesses for Fonseka was to be heard today , in connection with the case where Fonseka has been charged allegedly for wrongfully passing a tender for Hi Corp Co. of his son in law, Dhanuna Thilakaratne in order to clinch an Army weapons purchases deal when Fonseka was the Army Commander and the Chairman of the Tender Board.
“Operation KP”: Extraordinary rendition of New Tiger Chief
Click Here-dbsjeyaraj.com » “Operation KP”: Extraordinary rendition of New Tiger Chief
Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias “KP” a.k.a. Kumaran Pathmanathan is currently in the custody of Sri Lankan officials at a secret location. A team of terrorism investigators is interrogating the man who was designated last month as head of the re-structured Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Earlier Foreign secretary Palitha Kohona confirmed KP’s arrest to the “Daily Mirror”.Cabinet minister Keheliya Rambukwella did the same to “Rupavahini”. Presidential siblings Gotabhaya the defence secretary and Basil Rajapakse the presidential adviser also confirmed the arrest to BBC and “Hindustan Times” respectively.
Controversy surrounds the circumstances of KP’s arrest. While some news reports state that KP was arrested in Thailand other reports say he was apprehended first in Malaysia and then brought to Colombo via Bangkok. Another report says he was arrested in Singapore.
Pathmanathan or KP as he is generally known married a Thai national in 2003. He was residing in suburban Bangkok. In recent times KP was traveling between Malaysia and Thailand frequently.
Apparently KP found Kuala Lumpur (KL) a convenient venue to meet with people in connection with his new role as Global tiger chief.
The new LTTE chief, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, also known as KP, is seen seated in the foreground with (from left) Velupillai Prabakaran, Anton Balasingham and ‘Col.’ Sankar behind him.
The former chief arms procurer of the tigers was appointed by Velupillai Prabhakaran as head of the LTTE’s newly created International relations department in January this year.
LEADERSHIP
After Prabhakaran’s demise in May this year KP donned the mantle of LTTE leadership as he was the senior most tiger alive. This move was opposed by some sections of the tigers overseas led by Perinpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan.
After protracted intra-tiger discussions an accord was reached last July.KP was to be “Thalaimai Seyalar” (Chief secretary/secretary general) and head the organization. Nediyavan was in charge of administering overseas LTTE branches as chief of the Diaspora affairs department. An executive committee was also formed.
KP’s leadership was recognized indirectly in an official press release by the re-structured LTTE which stated as follows:
“We, the Executive Committee of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, wish to officially let our beloved Tamil people and the international communityknow that Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who had been appointed as Headof International Relations by our National Leader, will lead us into the next steps of our freedom struggle according to the vision of our esteemed leader.”
CABAL
Despite this agreement there was an influential cabal within the Diasporic tigers that refused to accept KP’s leadership. This cabal continued to oppose and obstruct KP within the movement. It was suspected that Nediyavan was backing this cabal in a conspiratorial bid to topple KP.
It was against this backdrop of an internal hostile environment that KP set about consolidating his leadership. Since KP himself was proclaimed as wanted by the Interpol and also due to health reasons KP had begun avoiding international travel.
As a result many members of the Tamil Dispora had to visit Malaysia to inter-act with the global tiger chief. Even a TV crew from “Channel Four” in Britain went to KL to interview the new tiger supremo. KP himself shuttled between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
On Wednesday August 5th KP who was in KL went around noon to the “First Tune Hotels” at 316 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman road in the heart of KL city. His mission was to meet with two visitors from London, England.
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VISITORS
Apparently KP has a few guys with him who function as aides, chauffeurs and bodyguards. But when he goes out to meet people he trusts, KP travels with only the driver of his vehicle.
On the day in question KP had gone to the Tune Hotel with his driver a man called “Appu”. KP went up to the hotel room with his visitors who were waiting for KP outside the hotel building. Appu parked the vehicle and stayed inside it.
One of the British visitors was Balasingham Balendran, the younger brother of former tiger political commissar Balasingham Mahendran alias Nadesan. The other was Nadesan’s own son who had gone to London some years ago and was staying with his paternal uncle.
The trio was engaged in amiable conversation when a friend called KP on his cellular phone at about 2 pm. KP removed his glasses and laid it on a table and began chatting. At one point KP had signalled to Balendran and nephew that he was going out to the corridor to talk and went out with the telephone.
The British visitors waited inside the room for about 15-20 minutes. Nadesan’s son then went out but could not see KP anywhere. Uncle and nephew then began searching for KP but the veteran tiger leader had vanished.
There was no sign of KP’s vehicle or Appu either. A much worried Balendran began calling his Tamil contacts to relate the tale of KP going missing suddenly.
PERTURBED
Meanwhile the friend who had telephoned KP was also perturbed. This trusted confidante had been engaged in conversation with KP when he heard a sudden “thud” sound and a noisy commotion.
Then KP’s phone went dead. The agitated friend kept on ringing KP but there was no answer and then the mobile was switched off.
This friend too began alerting KP’s contacts and aides in KL about the incident. They went to the place KP was staying in thinking that KP may have gone back suddenly for some reason.
[Tune Hotel-KL]
But there was no KP. But KP’s insulin, syringes and other medical items were in his room. KP being a diabetic never travelled around without his insulin.
Now KP’s aides were worried as they knew the boss wouldn’t have gone anywhere far without his insulin. When the British visitors informed KP’s aides of what they knew it was possible to surmise what had happened by comparing notes.
KP’s friends and aides realised that the new LTTE leader had been seized or abducted by some persons. Naturally they suspected the Malaysian authorities of having a hand in this. But the finger of suspicion also pointed to Sri Lanka and India also. As the story of the missing KP went buzzing on the global Tamil grapevine there was a lot of suspense and speculation about what had exactly happened.
VERSIONS
The news began breaking out “semi-officially”. Newspapers and news agencies began reporting that the new LTTE chief KP had been arrested in Thailand.Army spokesperson Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara told Reuters that KP had been arrested in Bangkok and that was all “we knew at the moment”.But things were not so simple as that.
There were two conflicting versions about what had happened.According to one account KP and Appu were transported to Bangkok from Kuala Lumpur by his “abductors”. An impression was then created that KP was arrested in Thailand. A Police team from the terrorism investigation dept in Sri Lanka went to Thailand and brought KP to Colombo by a special flight rom Bangkok.
The second version however states that the Sri Lankan team had gone to Malaysia. They had taken custody of KP in Kulala Lumpur and brought him to Colombo by air. The special flight had tarried in Bangkok briefly.
But according to a Thailand News Agency report, Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had said on Friday (7th) that he has ordered the country’s security agencies to provide details following a news report that the head of Sri Lanka’s recently defeated Tamil Tiger separatists was captured in Thailand.
The French news agency Agence-France-Presse (AFP) earlier reported that Selvarasa Pathmanathan, a foreign-based leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was returned to Sri Lanka on Thursday for questioning after being arrested in Thailand.
The Thai premier said that he was informed of the matter late Thursday (6th) night and that he had assigned the security agencies to seek more details.
Acting Government Spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said that an initial report said that Pathmanathan had travelled in and out of Thailand but it was not identified where he was arrested.
Mr Panitan, however, noted that Mr Pathmanathan reportedly was married to a Thai and lived in the northern part of the country.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Special Branch police chief Theeradej Rodphothong said that the LTTE head was captured in Singapore, not in Thailand.
Lt-Gen Theeradej noted that Thailand was mentioned in the news report becuase the LTTE head formerly had a Thai wife and he usually moved among three Southeast Asian countries-Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
From this news report it was possible to figure out that Thai officials were concerned about reports that KP was arrested in Bangkok. Reading between the lines it appeared that Thailand was uncomfortable about the publicity regarding KP’s alleged arrest in Bangkok. Apparently he was not arrested in Thailand and the story about KP being arrested in Bangkok amounted to “fiction” propagated by Colombo to shift focus away from the Kuala Lumpur connection.
CONFIRMATION
Though information about the mode and manner in which KP was arrested or was brought to Colombo is yet hazy there is confirmation from informed sources at Katunayake that two persons were seen being whisked away in vehicles with tinted glassesby officials in plains clothes. The faces and heads of both handcuffed men were covered with masks. This was after nightfall.
The two men in official custody were presumed to be KP and Appu. They had been taken to a secret location for interrogation.Subsequently Basil Rajapakse told “Hindustan Times” that KP was being questioned in Colombo. There was no mention of Appu.
Two years ago in September 2007 there was much excitement in Sri Lanka when KP was detained by authorities in Thailand. It was expected that KP would be deported to Sri Lanka or India.But nothing further materialised and KP was soon “free”. But this time there seems to have been a difference
Two developments are to be noted in the “capture” of KP in Malaysia.
DEVELOPMENTS
Firstly the request made by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on May 29 to Malaysian Defence Minister Dr Ahamd Zahid bin Hamidi YB Dato Seri to hand over ‘KP’to facilitate ongoing investigations into LTTE operations overseas.The appeal was made on the sidelines of the 8th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. A Foreign Ministry press statement on Bogollagama’s meet with his Malaysian counterpart didn’t refer to Sri Lanka’s call for KP’s extradition though it said Sri Lanka had urged Malaysia to proscribe the LTTE.
Secondly, Sri Lank a had recently appointed Brigadier Udaya Perera as Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia to meet the new threat posed by the LTTE. Subsequently promoted as Major-General, G.V. D. U. A .Perera is the first serving army officer to receive a diplomatic appointment. The appointment followed after Perera impressed foreign ministry mandarins at a special meeting called to brief top envoys of several countries in the run up to the final battle.It was also understood that Gen. Udaya Perera’s prime yet unpublicised assignment was “operation KP”.
It had become obvious that KP was using Malaysia for key LTTE operation s for quite some time. In recent times KP’s presence in KL became noted after the Norwegian envoy in Colombo went up to Malaysia to meet him. Another person who confessed to meeting KP in Malaysia was the “disgraced” Lt. Colonel from the Sri Lankan army in custody for alleged LTTE links. Senior UN officials had also contacted KP in Malaysia.
Though details are scanty there is reason to believe that Sri Lanka with the aid of “intelligence officials” from other countries had accomplished the feat of seizing and transporting KP from Kula Lumpur to Colombo. It is also assumed that the exercise amounted to an “extraordinary rendition” on the lines of what the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been doing in the aftermath of the twin towers assault on September 11th 2009. More details about “Operation KP” are likely to be revealed in the near future.
CAPTURE
Another factor in the KP capture is the fact that the overseas LTTE is hopelessly divided. The venomous attacks on KP in sections of the tiger media abroad indicate a very high level of hostility towards KP. Given the familiar tiger trait of betraying their own to the “enemy” for selfish purposes there is strong suspicion that valuable “inside” information about KP’s moves was leaked out.
Another puzzling aspect is KP’s reckless disregard for his safety. He had two warrants issued against him by Interpol yet KP was brazenly going public. He met with people openly, granted print, TV and Radio interviews, wrote regularly in his own blog and engaged in telephone conversations on a global scale. This made him highly vulnerable as far as law-enforcement officials were concerned.But he did not play safe and adopt a low –key profile .
According to circles close to KP the reason for his confidence was due to the “protection” he enjoyed from a very powerful “Agency”. It was this “agency” that had rescued KP when he was arrested in 2007. It was this “agency” that had extended its protective umbrella over him. But what had happened now? Had KP outlived his usefulness to the “agency”? or had “operation KP” outsmarted even this powerful entity? The answers may be forthcoming in the days to come.
There is jubilation in many circles that the last of the great tigers has been caught. But in another sense KP’s arrest could be a major setback to the cause of peace. Though KP had not abandoned the Tamil Eelam goal he wanted to do away with the armed struggle. KP’s stated ambition was to transform the LTTE into a democratic, non-violent organization. It was this which caused resentment among the hard-liners surrounding nediyavan. With KP gone the chances of the LTTE making this much-needed transition seem remote.
MYLIDDY
The man known as KP was born on April 6th, 1955 in the northern coastal town of Kankesanthurai (KKS). His name was Pathmanathan and his father’s name was Selvarasa. Though he was known by a number of names and aliases in his later life, KP’s real name was Selvarasa Pathmanathan.
KP, though born in KKS, was a native of Myliddy, also a coastal area in the Valigamam north region. Myliddy was essentially an agriculture cum fisheries area but also had a proud tradition of rearing the finest racing bulls. Myliddy carters used to win almost all ‘vandil chavaris’ (cart races) held in Jaffna during more peaceful and prosperous times.
Pathmanathan was one of eight children. His father was a fisherman from Veeramanickthevanthurai in Myliddy. The traditional occupation of the people here was fishing but they were not originally of a fishing caste.
The place derives its name from a Maravar Chieftain named Veeramanickathevan from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, who settled in Myliddy with his clan centuries ago. The Maravars are of the Mukkulathor warrior caste and the people of Veeramanickthevanthurai also trace their lineage as being Kshatriya.
Pathmanathan had his education at Nadeswara College, KKS and Mahajana College, Thellipalai. He was involved in the politics of the Federal Party (FP) and later the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Pathmanathan’s radicalisation was mainly through another native of Myliddy, Pushparajan, who succumbed to cancer some years ago.
Pushparajan was one of those who pioneered the Tamil Ilaingar Peravai or Youth Front in the ’70s and was detained without trial for many years then.
Pathmanathan’s pet name at home was Kutty (pup or cub). This was the name most Myliddy people called him as well. During his childhood he was very thin and as a result, he was nicknamed ‘oosi’ (needle) in school.
Pathmanathan was not a very bright student and required more than one attempt to qualify for his O/L and A/L examinations. He entered the Jaffna University in his 20s but did not complete his degree.
It was during his campus days that the letters ‘KP’ attached on to him. Apparently there were two Pathmanathans in the same batch and in order to differentiate among them, he became KP. Since he was also known as Kutty, the K in Kutty and the P in Pathmanathan became KP. The tall, light-skinned, handsome KP was a big hit with the girls.
MILITANCY
While at the Jaffna campus, KP was attracted to Tamil militancy. Initially he joined the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) led by the legendary Thangathurai and Kuttimani. KP doubled up as a TELO militant while being an undergrad. His nom de guerre in the TELO was ‘Kumaran.’ Kumaran participated as a lookout in the Thinnevely Bank robbery where Rs. 1.08 million was robbed.
There was a major split in the original LTTE in 1980. Kandiah Umamaheswaran broke away with a large number and formed the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The residual cadres under Velupillai Prabhakaran were a dejected lot. For about two years the LTTE under Prabhakaran tied up with the TELO under Thangathurai-Kuttimani. It was then that KP began interacting with Prabhakaran.
The Neervely robbery on March 25, 1981 was a watershed in the history of the Tamil militant movement. The People’s Bank van was collecting hard cash from the branches in the Vadamaratchy sector and returning to Jaffna along the Jaffna-Point Pedro Road. It was waylaid at Neervely and a massive sum of Rs. 8. 1 million rupees was robbed.
This was a combined TELO-LTTE operation. KP’s role in this was to ride a motorcycle behind the People’s Bank van and its escort police vehicle. There were no walkie-talkies or cellular phones then. At one point KP had to speed up ahead of the vehicles and alert the militants lying in wait that the target was approaching. KP did his part and sped away. He did not participate in the robbery directly.
But suspicious officials had noted down the motorcycle number, which actually did not belong to KP but to a fellow undergrad, who had absolutely no idea that KP had borrowed it to use in a robbery. The motorcycle was traced and the innocent owner arrested. This led to a massive varsity demonstration demanding his release, but KP had flown.
INDIA
In what was perhaps the first of his many escapes from the law, KP simply abandoned everything and fled to India. He was then staying at 180, KKS Road in Jaffna. KP was then in his final year but was compelled to give up his studies. He never completed his degree.
After fleeing to India, KP dropped out of Tamil militancy for a while. He teamed up with smugglers cum racketeers in Bombay (now Mumbai), on the fringes of the Tamil militant movement. Some other militants like Sellakkili also joined this group. One motivating reason was survival as they had no funds. This life came to an end after the July 1983 pogrom.
Sellakkili had returned earlier to LTTE folds and was killed in the Thinnevely attack on July 23 that triggered off the island-wide anti-Tamil violence. KP went down to Madras, now Chennai, and enlisted himself in militant ranks again. This time he joined the LTTE and not his former outfit, TELO.
Since Thangathurai and Kuttimani were no more and the TELO was under Sree Sabaratnam, KP preferred to join the LTTE as he had struck up good rapport with Prabhakaran. KP had come down to Madurai once in 1982 with Sellakkili and stayed for some days with Prabhakaran during which period the LTTE Leader had invited him to join the Tigers whenever he wanted.
After inducting KP into the LTTE, Prabhakaran did not make him take up formal arms training. Prabhakaran recognised that KP’s talents lay elsewhere. KP was asked to use the contacts and experience he had gained to raise funds and buy arms for the LTTE.
Together with helpers from the LTTE as well as the Indian underworld, KP began acquiring arms and equipment for the LTTE. Some of these clandestine acts were done without even Indian authorities knowing about them. Some of KP’s original aides in India were Vakeel, Radha, Thavam, Eesan, Kumar, Ranjith and Shankar.
As time progressed KP’s duties began expanding. He was required to travel to many countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Australia, North America and South East Asia and meet Tamil expatriate groups to mobilise funds. This was a time when several Tamil militant groups were active and competing for expatriate funds so it was indeed a formidable task to generate funds.
OVERSEAS
The overseas fund raising also involved the setting up of LTTE branches and the appointment of Tiger representatives abroad. This too became KP’s responsibility. In the ’80s and ’90s it was KP who controlled and coordinated the LTTE overseas branches. His objective was to garner as much funds as possible and utilise it for purchase of arms.
In addition to raising funds and administering the overseas branches, KP also had the daunting task of scouring the international illicit arms bazaars and shops. He travelled to many parts of the world and bought up arms and armaments. He also had to make arrangements to ship them clandestinely to India first and later directly to north east Sri Lanka.
There was no beaten track or set procedures. It was a case of playing it by ear. KP was a pioneering pathfinder as he had to improvise and evolve on the job. Much of the early accomplishments were through trial and error.
["KP"-pic: puthinam.com]
It was astounding that Pathmanathan, a man of humble origins from Myliddy, had metamorphosed into KP, the transnational purchaser and transporter of arms. It is amazing to think that this ex- undergrad was now dealing successfully with dangerous arms merchants in many parts of the globe.
“DONKEY”
Selvarasa Pathmanathan is now widely known as KP. But within the upper echelons of the LTTE there is another name for him. It is ‘Kazhuthai,’ or Donkey. This was a name bestowed affectionately on KP by Prabhakaran himself. The donkey is an animal that carries loads on its back. KP is a man whose efforts resulted in loads of arms being supplied to the LTTE. Hence, the name Donkey.
As chief procurer of arms for the LTTE KP had made himself almost indispensable for the LTTE then. He, like Prabhakaran, was responsible in a large way for the growth of the LTTE.
It was his ambition after becoming the new LTTE leader to transform the LTTE and take the tigers in a new direction.But that is not to be and he is now detained in Sri Lanka.
KP is a man whose knowledge and information would be of great value not only to Sri Lankan authorities but also to intelligence agencies of several countries.
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias “KP” a.k.a. Kumaran Pathmanathan is currently in the custody of Sri Lankan officials at a secret location. A team of terrorism investigators is interrogating the man who was designated last month as head of the re-structured Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Earlier Foreign secretary Palitha Kohona confirmed KP’s arrest to the “Daily Mirror”.Cabinet minister Keheliya Rambukwella did the same to “Rupavahini”. Presidential siblings Gotabhaya the defence secretary and Basil Rajapakse the presidential adviser also confirmed the arrest to BBC and “Hindustan Times” respectively.
Controversy surrounds the circumstances of KP’s arrest. While some news reports state that KP was arrested in Thailand other reports say he was apprehended first in Malaysia and then brought to Colombo via Bangkok. Another report says he was arrested in Singapore.
Pathmanathan or KP as he is generally known married a Thai national in 2003. He was residing in suburban Bangkok. In recent times KP was traveling between Malaysia and Thailand frequently.
Apparently KP found Kuala Lumpur (KL) a convenient venue to meet with people in connection with his new role as Global tiger chief.
The new LTTE chief, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, also known as KP, is seen seated in the foreground with (from left) Velupillai Prabakaran, Anton Balasingham and ‘Col.’ Sankar behind him.
The former chief arms procurer of the tigers was appointed by Velupillai Prabhakaran as head of the LTTE’s newly created International relations department in January this year.
LEADERSHIP
After Prabhakaran’s demise in May this year KP donned the mantle of LTTE leadership as he was the senior most tiger alive. This move was opposed by some sections of the tigers overseas led by Perinpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan.
After protracted intra-tiger discussions an accord was reached last July.KP was to be “Thalaimai Seyalar” (Chief secretary/secretary general) and head the organization. Nediyavan was in charge of administering overseas LTTE branches as chief of the Diaspora affairs department. An executive committee was also formed.
KP’s leadership was recognized indirectly in an official press release by the re-structured LTTE which stated as follows:
“We, the Executive Committee of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, wish to officially let our beloved Tamil people and the international communityknow that Mr Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who had been appointed as Headof International Relations by our National Leader, will lead us into the next steps of our freedom struggle according to the vision of our esteemed leader.”
CABAL
Despite this agreement there was an influential cabal within the Diasporic tigers that refused to accept KP’s leadership. This cabal continued to oppose and obstruct KP within the movement. It was suspected that Nediyavan was backing this cabal in a conspiratorial bid to topple KP.
It was against this backdrop of an internal hostile environment that KP set about consolidating his leadership. Since KP himself was proclaimed as wanted by the Interpol and also due to health reasons KP had begun avoiding international travel.
As a result many members of the Tamil Dispora had to visit Malaysia to inter-act with the global tiger chief. Even a TV crew from “Channel Four” in Britain went to KL to interview the new tiger supremo. KP himself shuttled between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
On Wednesday August 5th KP who was in KL went around noon to the “First Tune Hotels” at 316 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman road in the heart of KL city. His mission was to meet with two visitors from London, England.
View Larger Map
VISITORS
Apparently KP has a few guys with him who function as aides, chauffeurs and bodyguards. But when he goes out to meet people he trusts, KP travels with only the driver of his vehicle.
On the day in question KP had gone to the Tune Hotel with his driver a man called “Appu”. KP went up to the hotel room with his visitors who were waiting for KP outside the hotel building. Appu parked the vehicle and stayed inside it.
One of the British visitors was Balasingham Balendran, the younger brother of former tiger political commissar Balasingham Mahendran alias Nadesan. The other was Nadesan’s own son who had gone to London some years ago and was staying with his paternal uncle.
The trio was engaged in amiable conversation when a friend called KP on his cellular phone at about 2 pm. KP removed his glasses and laid it on a table and began chatting. At one point KP had signalled to Balendran and nephew that he was going out to the corridor to talk and went out with the telephone.
The British visitors waited inside the room for about 15-20 minutes. Nadesan’s son then went out but could not see KP anywhere. Uncle and nephew then began searching for KP but the veteran tiger leader had vanished.
There was no sign of KP’s vehicle or Appu either. A much worried Balendran began calling his Tamil contacts to relate the tale of KP going missing suddenly.
PERTURBED
Meanwhile the friend who had telephoned KP was also perturbed. This trusted confidante had been engaged in conversation with KP when he heard a sudden “thud” sound and a noisy commotion.
Then KP’s phone went dead. The agitated friend kept on ringing KP but there was no answer and then the mobile was switched off.
This friend too began alerting KP’s contacts and aides in KL about the incident. They went to the place KP was staying in thinking that KP may have gone back suddenly for some reason.
[Tune Hotel-KL]
But there was no KP. But KP’s insulin, syringes and other medical items were in his room. KP being a diabetic never travelled around without his insulin.
Now KP’s aides were worried as they knew the boss wouldn’t have gone anywhere far without his insulin. When the British visitors informed KP’s aides of what they knew it was possible to surmise what had happened by comparing notes.
KP’s friends and aides realised that the new LTTE leader had been seized or abducted by some persons. Naturally they suspected the Malaysian authorities of having a hand in this. But the finger of suspicion also pointed to Sri Lanka and India also. As the story of the missing KP went buzzing on the global Tamil grapevine there was a lot of suspense and speculation about what had exactly happened.
VERSIONS
The news began breaking out “semi-officially”. Newspapers and news agencies began reporting that the new LTTE chief KP had been arrested in Thailand.Army spokesperson Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara told Reuters that KP had been arrested in Bangkok and that was all “we knew at the moment”.But things were not so simple as that.
There were two conflicting versions about what had happened.According to one account KP and Appu were transported to Bangkok from Kuala Lumpur by his “abductors”. An impression was then created that KP was arrested in Thailand. A Police team from the terrorism investigation dept in Sri Lanka went to Thailand and brought KP to Colombo by a special flight rom Bangkok.
The second version however states that the Sri Lankan team had gone to Malaysia. They had taken custody of KP in Kulala Lumpur and brought him to Colombo by air. The special flight had tarried in Bangkok briefly.
But according to a Thailand News Agency report, Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had said on Friday (7th) that he has ordered the country’s security agencies to provide details following a news report that the head of Sri Lanka’s recently defeated Tamil Tiger separatists was captured in Thailand.
The French news agency Agence-France-Presse (AFP) earlier reported that Selvarasa Pathmanathan, a foreign-based leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was returned to Sri Lanka on Thursday for questioning after being arrested in Thailand.
The Thai premier said that he was informed of the matter late Thursday (6th) night and that he had assigned the security agencies to seek more details.
Acting Government Spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said that an initial report said that Pathmanathan had travelled in and out of Thailand but it was not identified where he was arrested.
Mr Panitan, however, noted that Mr Pathmanathan reportedly was married to a Thai and lived in the northern part of the country.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Special Branch police chief Theeradej Rodphothong said that the LTTE head was captured in Singapore, not in Thailand.
Lt-Gen Theeradej noted that Thailand was mentioned in the news report becuase the LTTE head formerly had a Thai wife and he usually moved among three Southeast Asian countries-Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
From this news report it was possible to figure out that Thai officials were concerned about reports that KP was arrested in Bangkok. Reading between the lines it appeared that Thailand was uncomfortable about the publicity regarding KP’s alleged arrest in Bangkok. Apparently he was not arrested in Thailand and the story about KP being arrested in Bangkok amounted to “fiction” propagated by Colombo to shift focus away from the Kuala Lumpur connection.
CONFIRMATION
Though information about the mode and manner in which KP was arrested or was brought to Colombo is yet hazy there is confirmation from informed sources at Katunayake that two persons were seen being whisked away in vehicles with tinted glassesby officials in plains clothes. The faces and heads of both handcuffed men were covered with masks. This was after nightfall.
The two men in official custody were presumed to be KP and Appu. They had been taken to a secret location for interrogation.Subsequently Basil Rajapakse told “Hindustan Times” that KP was being questioned in Colombo. There was no mention of Appu.
Two years ago in September 2007 there was much excitement in Sri Lanka when KP was detained by authorities in Thailand. It was expected that KP would be deported to Sri Lanka or India.But nothing further materialised and KP was soon “free”. But this time there seems to have been a difference
Two developments are to be noted in the “capture” of KP in Malaysia.
DEVELOPMENTS
Firstly the request made by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on May 29 to Malaysian Defence Minister Dr Ahamd Zahid bin Hamidi YB Dato Seri to hand over ‘KP’to facilitate ongoing investigations into LTTE operations overseas.The appeal was made on the sidelines of the 8th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. A Foreign Ministry press statement on Bogollagama’s meet with his Malaysian counterpart didn’t refer to Sri Lanka’s call for KP’s extradition though it said Sri Lanka had urged Malaysia to proscribe the LTTE.
Secondly, Sri Lank a had recently appointed Brigadier Udaya Perera as Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia to meet the new threat posed by the LTTE. Subsequently promoted as Major-General, G.V. D. U. A .Perera is the first serving army officer to receive a diplomatic appointment. The appointment followed after Perera impressed foreign ministry mandarins at a special meeting called to brief top envoys of several countries in the run up to the final battle.It was also understood that Gen. Udaya Perera’s prime yet unpublicised assignment was “operation KP”.
It had become obvious that KP was using Malaysia for key LTTE operation s for quite some time. In recent times KP’s presence in KL became noted after the Norwegian envoy in Colombo went up to Malaysia to meet him. Another person who confessed to meeting KP in Malaysia was the “disgraced” Lt. Colonel from the Sri Lankan army in custody for alleged LTTE links. Senior UN officials had also contacted KP in Malaysia.
Though details are scanty there is reason to believe that Sri Lanka with the aid of “intelligence officials” from other countries had accomplished the feat of seizing and transporting KP from Kula Lumpur to Colombo. It is also assumed that the exercise amounted to an “extraordinary rendition” on the lines of what the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been doing in the aftermath of the twin towers assault on September 11th 2009. More details about “Operation KP” are likely to be revealed in the near future.
CAPTURE
Another factor in the KP capture is the fact that the overseas LTTE is hopelessly divided. The venomous attacks on KP in sections of the tiger media abroad indicate a very high level of hostility towards KP. Given the familiar tiger trait of betraying their own to the “enemy” for selfish purposes there is strong suspicion that valuable “inside” information about KP’s moves was leaked out.
Another puzzling aspect is KP’s reckless disregard for his safety. He had two warrants issued against him by Interpol yet KP was brazenly going public. He met with people openly, granted print, TV and Radio interviews, wrote regularly in his own blog and engaged in telephone conversations on a global scale. This made him highly vulnerable as far as law-enforcement officials were concerned.But he did not play safe and adopt a low –key profile .
According to circles close to KP the reason for his confidence was due to the “protection” he enjoyed from a very powerful “Agency”. It was this “agency” that had rescued KP when he was arrested in 2007. It was this “agency” that had extended its protective umbrella over him. But what had happened now? Had KP outlived his usefulness to the “agency”? or had “operation KP” outsmarted even this powerful entity? The answers may be forthcoming in the days to come.
There is jubilation in many circles that the last of the great tigers has been caught. But in another sense KP’s arrest could be a major setback to the cause of peace. Though KP had not abandoned the Tamil Eelam goal he wanted to do away with the armed struggle. KP’s stated ambition was to transform the LTTE into a democratic, non-violent organization. It was this which caused resentment among the hard-liners surrounding nediyavan. With KP gone the chances of the LTTE making this much-needed transition seem remote.
MYLIDDY
The man known as KP was born on April 6th, 1955 in the northern coastal town of Kankesanthurai (KKS). His name was Pathmanathan and his father’s name was Selvarasa. Though he was known by a number of names and aliases in his later life, KP’s real name was Selvarasa Pathmanathan.
KP, though born in KKS, was a native of Myliddy, also a coastal area in the Valigamam north region. Myliddy was essentially an agriculture cum fisheries area but also had a proud tradition of rearing the finest racing bulls. Myliddy carters used to win almost all ‘vandil chavaris’ (cart races) held in Jaffna during more peaceful and prosperous times.
Pathmanathan was one of eight children. His father was a fisherman from Veeramanickthevanthurai in Myliddy. The traditional occupation of the people here was fishing but they were not originally of a fishing caste.
The place derives its name from a Maravar Chieftain named Veeramanickathevan from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, who settled in Myliddy with his clan centuries ago. The Maravars are of the Mukkulathor warrior caste and the people of Veeramanickthevanthurai also trace their lineage as being Kshatriya.
Pathmanathan had his education at Nadeswara College, KKS and Mahajana College, Thellipalai. He was involved in the politics of the Federal Party (FP) and later the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Pathmanathan’s radicalisation was mainly through another native of Myliddy, Pushparajan, who succumbed to cancer some years ago.
Pushparajan was one of those who pioneered the Tamil Ilaingar Peravai or Youth Front in the ’70s and was detained without trial for many years then.
Pathmanathan’s pet name at home was Kutty (pup or cub). This was the name most Myliddy people called him as well. During his childhood he was very thin and as a result, he was nicknamed ‘oosi’ (needle) in school.
Pathmanathan was not a very bright student and required more than one attempt to qualify for his O/L and A/L examinations. He entered the Jaffna University in his 20s but did not complete his degree.
It was during his campus days that the letters ‘KP’ attached on to him. Apparently there were two Pathmanathans in the same batch and in order to differentiate among them, he became KP. Since he was also known as Kutty, the K in Kutty and the P in Pathmanathan became KP. The tall, light-skinned, handsome KP was a big hit with the girls.
MILITANCY
While at the Jaffna campus, KP was attracted to Tamil militancy. Initially he joined the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) led by the legendary Thangathurai and Kuttimani. KP doubled up as a TELO militant while being an undergrad. His nom de guerre in the TELO was ‘Kumaran.’ Kumaran participated as a lookout in the Thinnevely Bank robbery where Rs. 1.08 million was robbed.
There was a major split in the original LTTE in 1980. Kandiah Umamaheswaran broke away with a large number and formed the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The residual cadres under Velupillai Prabhakaran were a dejected lot. For about two years the LTTE under Prabhakaran tied up with the TELO under Thangathurai-Kuttimani. It was then that KP began interacting with Prabhakaran.
The Neervely robbery on March 25, 1981 was a watershed in the history of the Tamil militant movement. The People’s Bank van was collecting hard cash from the branches in the Vadamaratchy sector and returning to Jaffna along the Jaffna-Point Pedro Road. It was waylaid at Neervely and a massive sum of Rs. 8. 1 million rupees was robbed.
This was a combined TELO-LTTE operation. KP’s role in this was to ride a motorcycle behind the People’s Bank van and its escort police vehicle. There were no walkie-talkies or cellular phones then. At one point KP had to speed up ahead of the vehicles and alert the militants lying in wait that the target was approaching. KP did his part and sped away. He did not participate in the robbery directly.
But suspicious officials had noted down the motorcycle number, which actually did not belong to KP but to a fellow undergrad, who had absolutely no idea that KP had borrowed it to use in a robbery. The motorcycle was traced and the innocent owner arrested. This led to a massive varsity demonstration demanding his release, but KP had flown.
INDIA
In what was perhaps the first of his many escapes from the law, KP simply abandoned everything and fled to India. He was then staying at 180, KKS Road in Jaffna. KP was then in his final year but was compelled to give up his studies. He never completed his degree.
After fleeing to India, KP dropped out of Tamil militancy for a while. He teamed up with smugglers cum racketeers in Bombay (now Mumbai), on the fringes of the Tamil militant movement. Some other militants like Sellakkili also joined this group. One motivating reason was survival as they had no funds. This life came to an end after the July 1983 pogrom.
Sellakkili had returned earlier to LTTE folds and was killed in the Thinnevely attack on July 23 that triggered off the island-wide anti-Tamil violence. KP went down to Madras, now Chennai, and enlisted himself in militant ranks again. This time he joined the LTTE and not his former outfit, TELO.
Since Thangathurai and Kuttimani were no more and the TELO was under Sree Sabaratnam, KP preferred to join the LTTE as he had struck up good rapport with Prabhakaran. KP had come down to Madurai once in 1982 with Sellakkili and stayed for some days with Prabhakaran during which period the LTTE Leader had invited him to join the Tigers whenever he wanted.
After inducting KP into the LTTE, Prabhakaran did not make him take up formal arms training. Prabhakaran recognised that KP’s talents lay elsewhere. KP was asked to use the contacts and experience he had gained to raise funds and buy arms for the LTTE.
Together with helpers from the LTTE as well as the Indian underworld, KP began acquiring arms and equipment for the LTTE. Some of these clandestine acts were done without even Indian authorities knowing about them. Some of KP’s original aides in India were Vakeel, Radha, Thavam, Eesan, Kumar, Ranjith and Shankar.
As time progressed KP’s duties began expanding. He was required to travel to many countries in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Australia, North America and South East Asia and meet Tamil expatriate groups to mobilise funds. This was a time when several Tamil militant groups were active and competing for expatriate funds so it was indeed a formidable task to generate funds.
OVERSEAS
The overseas fund raising also involved the setting up of LTTE branches and the appointment of Tiger representatives abroad. This too became KP’s responsibility. In the ’80s and ’90s it was KP who controlled and coordinated the LTTE overseas branches. His objective was to garner as much funds as possible and utilise it for purchase of arms.
In addition to raising funds and administering the overseas branches, KP also had the daunting task of scouring the international illicit arms bazaars and shops. He travelled to many parts of the world and bought up arms and armaments. He also had to make arrangements to ship them clandestinely to India first and later directly to north east Sri Lanka.
There was no beaten track or set procedures. It was a case of playing it by ear. KP was a pioneering pathfinder as he had to improvise and evolve on the job. Much of the early accomplishments were through trial and error.
["KP"-pic: puthinam.com]
It was astounding that Pathmanathan, a man of humble origins from Myliddy, had metamorphosed into KP, the transnational purchaser and transporter of arms. It is amazing to think that this ex- undergrad was now dealing successfully with dangerous arms merchants in many parts of the globe.
“DONKEY”
Selvarasa Pathmanathan is now widely known as KP. But within the upper echelons of the LTTE there is another name for him. It is ‘Kazhuthai,’ or Donkey. This was a name bestowed affectionately on KP by Prabhakaran himself. The donkey is an animal that carries loads on its back. KP is a man whose efforts resulted in loads of arms being supplied to the LTTE. Hence, the name Donkey.
As chief procurer of arms for the LTTE KP had made himself almost indispensable for the LTTE then. He, like Prabhakaran, was responsible in a large way for the growth of the LTTE.
It was his ambition after becoming the new LTTE leader to transform the LTTE and take the tigers in a new direction.But that is not to be and he is now detained in Sri Lanka.
KP is a man whose knowledge and information would be of great value not only to Sri Lankan authorities but also to intelligence agencies of several countries.
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj2005@yahoo.com
dbsjeyaraj.com » New Tiger Chief “KP” arrested and brought to Sri Lanka
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Related update: “Operation KP”: Extraordinary rendition of New Tiger Chief
Selvarasah Pathmanathan alias “KP” a.k.a Kumaran Pathmanathan was seized in Malaysia on Wednesday August 5th and brought to Sri Lanka on Thursday August 6th.
KP in his capacity as General-Secretary of the re- structured Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was the virtual global tiger chief.
According to informed sources KP was staying in Kuala Lumpur(KL) , Malaysia when taken into custody.
Pathmanathan had met with two visitors from London, England at a hotel room in KL in the afternoon of August 5th.
He had received a call on his cellular phone. KP had then signaled to his visitors that he was going out to the corridor and walked away while conversing on the phone.
He had not returned for a long time and the when the worried visitors from Britain went out in search there was no sign of the new global tiger chief.
Meanwhile the friend who had been talking to KP on the phone had heard a sudden thud and some noise while chatting. The phone went dead and repeated calls were not successful.
The friend then alerted some assistants of KP in Malaysia who went in search of KP to the place where he was staying in KL. The place was empty but KP’s insulin and syringes and other medical stuff was still there.
The visitors from London also got alarmed and contacted circles close to KP.
Meanwhile KP seized in Malaysia was taken to Bangkok in Thailand.
Sri Lankan authorities were contacted and a team from the Police Terrorist Investigation Department flew to Bangkok in the early hours of Thurasday August 6th.
The team returned with Pathmanathan alias KP on a special flight on the same day.
KP was handcuffed and had a mask covering his head and face when disembarking from the plane at Katunayake Airport.
He was whisked away in a vehicle with tinted glasses to a high-security , secret location run by the terrorism investigation dept personnel.
KP is to be interrogated intensively by Sri Lankan anti-terrorist sleuths.
It is widely believed that the arrest was made possible through “inside information” supplied by some members of the LTTE abroad who were opposed to KP donning the tiger leadership mantle after the demise of supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.
KP was at one time the chief arms procurer for the LTTE and headed a tiger division known as Overseas purchases dept or simply KP dept.
He went into voluntary retirement in 2003 and married a Thai national
In January this year, KP was appointed the LTTE’s international relations chief.
As the senior most LTTE member alive, KP assumed leadership of the tigers after Prabhakaran’s demise.
This was vehemently opposed by a section of the Diasporic tigers led by Perinbanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan
After protracted talks an agreement was arrived at. KP assumed control of the LTTE as “Thalaimai Seyalar” or Chief Secretary/Secretary-General.
A cabal of influential LTTE and pro-LTTE members abroad continued to oppose KP’s leadership and were engaged in conspiratorial moves to sabotage the accord.
The LTTE hardliners were disappointed with KP’s public acknowledgement that Prabhakaran was dead and also his announcement that the armed struggle had ended.
His “arrest” was a consequence of the internal opposition to KP it is suspected.
KP known as Tharmalingam Shanmugam Kumaran in India was proclaimed as a wanted offender by that country through INTERPOL.
India wanted INTERPOL to apprehend KP for interrogation regarding charges like Criminal conspiracy, arms smuggling, violation of Indian terrorist act, breach of Indian explosives act and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
Pathmanathan a native of Myliddy in Jaffna was born on April 6th 1955. He is an old student of Nadeswara College, Kankesanthurai and Mahajana College ,Thellippalai.
Pathmanathan was also an undergraduate at the Jaffna university but did not complete his degree.
The following is a Reuters report by C.Bryson Hull on the arrest of KP:
COLOMBO (Reuters)-The new head of the Tamil Tigers, the separatist group defeated by the Sri Lankan military after a 25-year war, has been arrested in Thailand, Sri Lanka’s military said on Thursday.
Selvarajah Pathmanathan was wanted on two Interpol warrants and took the reins of the remnants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after their defeat in May.
“He has been arrested in Bangkok. That is all we know at the moment,” military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
There was no immediate comment from Thai officials.
Pathmanathan, better known as KP during his decades running the LTTE’s arms and smuggling networks, took over as the public leader of the separatist group after Sri Lanka’s military announced victory on May 18 after a 25-year war.
He was the first LTTE official to acknowledge the death of Tiger founder and leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, who was killed in the closing days of Sri Lanka’s offensive on a narrow spit of northeastern coast where they had surrounded the rebels.
Security experts had long suspected Pathmanathan was hiding in southeast Asia.
A Western diplomat assigned to Sri Lanka met him somewhere in the region earlier this year, part of an effort to persuade the LTTE to surrender in the face of an imminent defeat and free civilians they were holding by force in the war zone.
Pathmanathan was believed to have earned millions of dollars procuring weapons for the Tigers and running smuggling operations from bases across the region including Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Security experts say he had multiple passports.
Some estimates said the LTTE earned between $200-300 million from extortion, weapons sales and drug smuggling. Analysts said part of a brief struggle for Prabhakaran’s mantle after the war was to take control of its financial assets.
After the war, Pathmanathan said the LTTE would try non-violent means to achieve its goal of a separate state for Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils. Among his first initiatives was to try to form a transnational government-in-exile.
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com
Related update: “Operation KP”: Extraordinary rendition of New Tiger Chief
Selvarasah Pathmanathan alias “KP” a.k.a Kumaran Pathmanathan was seized in Malaysia on Wednesday August 5th and brought to Sri Lanka on Thursday August 6th.
KP in his capacity as General-Secretary of the re- structured Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was the virtual global tiger chief.
According to informed sources KP was staying in Kuala Lumpur(KL) , Malaysia when taken into custody.
Pathmanathan had met with two visitors from London, England at a hotel room in KL in the afternoon of August 5th.
He had received a call on his cellular phone. KP had then signaled to his visitors that he was going out to the corridor and walked away while conversing on the phone.
He had not returned for a long time and the when the worried visitors from Britain went out in search there was no sign of the new global tiger chief.
Meanwhile the friend who had been talking to KP on the phone had heard a sudden thud and some noise while chatting. The phone went dead and repeated calls were not successful.
The friend then alerted some assistants of KP in Malaysia who went in search of KP to the place where he was staying in KL. The place was empty but KP’s insulin and syringes and other medical stuff was still there.
The visitors from London also got alarmed and contacted circles close to KP.
Meanwhile KP seized in Malaysia was taken to Bangkok in Thailand.
Sri Lankan authorities were contacted and a team from the Police Terrorist Investigation Department flew to Bangkok in the early hours of Thurasday August 6th.
The team returned with Pathmanathan alias KP on a special flight on the same day.
KP was handcuffed and had a mask covering his head and face when disembarking from the plane at Katunayake Airport.
He was whisked away in a vehicle with tinted glasses to a high-security , secret location run by the terrorism investigation dept personnel.
KP is to be interrogated intensively by Sri Lankan anti-terrorist sleuths.
It is widely believed that the arrest was made possible through “inside information” supplied by some members of the LTTE abroad who were opposed to KP donning the tiger leadership mantle after the demise of supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran.
KP was at one time the chief arms procurer for the LTTE and headed a tiger division known as Overseas purchases dept or simply KP dept.
He went into voluntary retirement in 2003 and married a Thai national
In January this year, KP was appointed the LTTE’s international relations chief.
As the senior most LTTE member alive, KP assumed leadership of the tigers after Prabhakaran’s demise.
This was vehemently opposed by a section of the Diasporic tigers led by Perinbanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyavan
After protracted talks an agreement was arrived at. KP assumed control of the LTTE as “Thalaimai Seyalar” or Chief Secretary/Secretary-General.
A cabal of influential LTTE and pro-LTTE members abroad continued to oppose KP’s leadership and were engaged in conspiratorial moves to sabotage the accord.
The LTTE hardliners were disappointed with KP’s public acknowledgement that Prabhakaran was dead and also his announcement that the armed struggle had ended.
His “arrest” was a consequence of the internal opposition to KP it is suspected.
KP known as Tharmalingam Shanmugam Kumaran in India was proclaimed as a wanted offender by that country through INTERPOL.
India wanted INTERPOL to apprehend KP for interrogation regarding charges like Criminal conspiracy, arms smuggling, violation of Indian terrorist act, breach of Indian explosives act and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
Pathmanathan a native of Myliddy in Jaffna was born on April 6th 1955. He is an old student of Nadeswara College, Kankesanthurai and Mahajana College ,Thellippalai.
Pathmanathan was also an undergraduate at the Jaffna university but did not complete his degree.
The following is a Reuters report by C.Bryson Hull on the arrest of KP:
COLOMBO (Reuters)-The new head of the Tamil Tigers, the separatist group defeated by the Sri Lankan military after a 25-year war, has been arrested in Thailand, Sri Lanka’s military said on Thursday.
Selvarajah Pathmanathan was wanted on two Interpol warrants and took the reins of the remnants of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after their defeat in May.
“He has been arrested in Bangkok. That is all we know at the moment,” military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.
There was no immediate comment from Thai officials.
Pathmanathan, better known as KP during his decades running the LTTE’s arms and smuggling networks, took over as the public leader of the separatist group after Sri Lanka’s military announced victory on May 18 after a 25-year war.
He was the first LTTE official to acknowledge the death of Tiger founder and leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, who was killed in the closing days of Sri Lanka’s offensive on a narrow spit of northeastern coast where they had surrounded the rebels.
Security experts had long suspected Pathmanathan was hiding in southeast Asia.
A Western diplomat assigned to Sri Lanka met him somewhere in the region earlier this year, part of an effort to persuade the LTTE to surrender in the face of an imminent defeat and free civilians they were holding by force in the war zone.
Pathmanathan was believed to have earned millions of dollars procuring weapons for the Tigers and running smuggling operations from bases across the region including Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. Security experts say he had multiple passports.
Some estimates said the LTTE earned between $200-300 million from extortion, weapons sales and drug smuggling. Analysts said part of a brief struggle for Prabhakaran’s mantle after the war was to take control of its financial assets.
After the war, Pathmanathan said the LTTE would try non-violent means to achieve its goal of a separate state for Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils. Among his first initiatives was to try to form a transnational government-in-exile.
DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com
Sri Lanka port to shed excess staff
Click Here:
Sri Lanka port to shed excess staff - LANKA BUSINESS ONLINEOver 5,000 of these excess employees were employed after Mahinda Rajapakse became Prime Minister in April 2004, and President in
2005. The Voluntary retirement scheme would cost the port more
than 5 Million dollars, and those accepting the retirement and golden parachutes will be employed again in Hambantota.
If there are two new ports being built in Hambantota and Colombo why
should there be voluntary retirement and excess payments. This is another
political bungling, mismanagement and poor governance.
Sri Lanka port to shed excess staff - LANKA BUSINESS ONLINEOver 5,000 of these excess employees were employed after Mahinda Rajapakse became Prime Minister in April 2004, and President in
2005. The Voluntary retirement scheme would cost the port more
than 5 Million dollars, and those accepting the retirement and golden parachutes will be employed again in Hambantota.
If there are two new ports being built in Hambantota and Colombo why
should there be voluntary retirement and excess payments. This is another
political bungling, mismanagement and poor governance.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Outline of submission made to commission on lessons learnt and reconciliation-by Jayantha Dhanapala
Click Here-transCurrents: Outline of submission made to commission on lessons learnt and reconciliation-by Jayantha Dhanapala
Outline of submission made to commission on lessons learnt and reconciliation-by Jayantha DhanapalaJayantha Dhanapala
25/6 Pepiliyana Road,
Nugegoda.
30th August 2010.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
In response to an invitation from the Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation (LLRC), I appeared before the Commission at 2 p.m. on Wednesday the 25th of August in Colombo having sent a written submission ahead. I considered this a performance of a civic duty on my part.
In my oral presentation, based on scribbled Talking Points and not on a fully developed text, I outlined my thoughts on the subject expanding on my written submission at some points and adding to them at others. I also responded to the questions asked of me by allthe members of the Commission ex tempore.
I have been surprised and disappointed by the many distortions of my presentation appearing in the Sri Lanka media and the commentaries based on these erroneous and selective reporting.
Until I am able to obtain an authoritative transcript of my presentation and the question and answer session from the LLRC I have decided to release the attached text of my written submission so that the media and the general public may have a more accurate record of the views I have expressed to the LLRC.
I shall be most grateful if you will please give this the fullest publicity. The full text of the LLRC transcript will be sent to you as soon as it is received.
Yours sincerely,
Jayantha Dhanapala
OUTLINE OF SUBMISSION MADE BY JAYANTHA DHANAPALA TO COMMISSION ON LESSONS LEARNT AND RECONCILIATION
1. My experience as a career diplomat in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service from 1965-97, and in particular my period as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 1984-87 and Ambassador to the USA from 1995-97, are relevant to the challenges of representing a country in conflict and defending it against allegations of human rights violations. In addition my service as an international civil servant with the United Nations for ten years provided me with a multilateral perspective which will enable me to help the Commission understand the workings of an international organization in its relations with a member state. Finally my tenure as Secretary-General of the Secretariat for the Co-ordination of the Peace Process (SCOPP) from 2004-2005 and as Senior Adviser to the President of Sri Lanka from 2004-2007 exposed me to an experience relevant to your mandate.
2. The details of my curriculum vitae and my writings and statements are available on my website www.jayanthadhanapala.com
3. At the outset may I state that I welcome the appointment of your Commission despite its belatedness. It is an opportunity to learn from the tragedy of the recent past and to establish a basis for national reconciliation and unity. The leadership of H.E. President Rajapakse and the bravery of our armed forces resulted in an outstanding military victory over a ruthless terrorist group which ravaged our nation for decades. The time has now come for a multi-dimensional political solution to consolidate that military victory addressing the roots of the conflict.
I must warn, however, against a strategy of postponing Constitutional change and a political solution to the problems that culminated in three decades of conflict until the Commission concludes its work and makes its recommendations. That would only exacerbate existing grievances and widen the gulf between the Government and the public at large especially those belonging to the minority communities. It will also affect the credibility of your Commission adversely. A series of APRC meetings have taken place and a draft report awaits action by the President and its presentation to the general public for discussion and a decision after a wide consultative process.
4. Your mandate artificially sets a time frame from 21 February 2002 to 19 May 2009 . That and its restricted mandate is also a limitation in your good faith efforts to discharge your task. The lessons we have to learn go back to the past – certainly from the time that we had responsibility for our own governance on 4 February 1948 . Each and every Government which held office from 1948 till the present bear culpability for the failure to achieve good governance, national unity and a framework of peace, stability and economic development in which all ethnic, religious and other groups could live in security and equality. The political expediency of apportioning blame will not serve the purpose of national reconciliation. A collective apology to the people of Sri Lanka is owed by all political parties.
5. The supreme law of the land is its Constitution and we have still not been able to frame a Constitution that elicits the confidence and trust of all our citizens. It is not possible within this brief note to outline the form of devolution that I think is vital to prevent future conflict in our land. Suffice to say that constitutional reform is vital and I trust that the excellent talent we have among our constitutional lawyers will be harnessed in this vital task.
6. Education is a primary tool in creating a tolerant society. The experts we have in this field will advise more competently than I can about the techniques of teaching the three languages in use in our country from the earliest age. This must be more than a token gesture and the need for competencies in all three languages up to the GCE ‘O’ level will be necessary to weld our nation into the harmonious multilingual society we need to be.
The cost of recruiting teachers and producing the books for this is a small investment for a huge gain. The example of other countries can be studied most especially in Canada . As far as possible classes in comparative religion could be introduced at senior levels in secondary schools so that a basic understanding of the 4 religions practised in our country is imparted as a pre-requisite for tolerance and religious harmony.
7. Addressing my own experience more directly I recommend that the career diplomats in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service be trained in the representation of a multi-cultural country. All diplomatic and consular missions of Sri Lanka abroad should have officials conversant in Sinhala and Tamil to communicate with the growing expatriate Sri Lankan communities. The symbols and photographs displayed in these missions should focus on the rich diversity of our culture with representatives of all religions participating in the official ceremonies conducted by them. A special outreach effort to engage all groups within the expatriate Sri Lankan community must be organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and implemented by our missions abroad.
8. Sri Lanka is a signatory of all the major international human rights conventions and reports periodically on its adherence to these norms. It would be useful if national reports are not only co-ordinated with relevant Government agencies but also with leading NGOs as well. NGO representatives could be included in the Sri Lanka delegations to Human Rights meetings. More prominence must be given in the media to these reports and the proceedings in the international forums considering them. This transparency about the country’s performance in relation to international norms is necessary both for our own citizens and for the information of the international community
9. The armed forces of Sri Lanka are already being trained in international humanitarian law and human rights. This must be intensified and the Police and the provincial administrators brought into this training process. All police stations and government offices must have facilities to deal with citizens who speak only in Sinhala or Tamil recording statements in the language of the citizen’s choice.
10. International Humanitarian Law is work in progress. Currently there are four treaties and three additional protocols which, over approximately one and a half centuries, have set the norms. The modern experience of counter-terrorism needs to be reflected in the codification of this law and Sri Lanka is uniquely equipped to take an initiative in this respect. Armed combat with terrorist groups using suicide bombers, child soldiers and human shields make the protection of civilians and war victims very difficult for the armed forces.
While in no way reducing the humanitarian aspects of the existing law some discussion could take place in the international community on how the rules of engagement between the armed forces of the state and the terrorist groups could be amended on the basis of the experience gained in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. For example, the May 2009 heroic breaching of the earth bund, behind which an estimated 300.000 civilians lay trapped by the LTTE as human shields, led to the saving of many lives and the conclusion of the conflict but the alternative scenarios and its humanitarian law consequences for Sri Lanka must also be considered.
With regard to anti-personnel landmines, while the Mine Ban Convention applies to nation states the Geneva Call is a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization dedicated to engaging armed non-State actors (NSAs) towards compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL). The organization focuses on NSAs that operate outside effective State control. The LTTE rejected overtures by the international community to join this Call. The point I make is that existing norms have to be adapted to new situations that arise.
Sri Lanka will need to consult through diplomatic channels and especially with the ICRC to convene a diplomatic conference to formulate a new Additional Protocol on new situations arising on the battlefield when encountering terrorist groups. This would be innovative diplomacy and far more constructive than the vitriolic outburst and melodramatic demonstrations we have engaged in against countries and organizations critical of our human rights record.
11. The post-conflict situation is an excellent opportunity to de-weaponise our society. In the years of terrorism both in the South and the North we developed a gun culture. The country was flooded with small arms and weapons. Nobody felt secure without a gun. But even after the LTTE were defeated we have seen no replacement of the culture of violence with a culture of peace. There is violence at the level of the village and there is violence in cities. Guns contribute to this. We have a national campaign against the consumption of liquor led by the President called “Mathata Thitha”.
Should we not also have a programme which we can call “Aviyata Thitha”? I appeal to you to place this at the top of your priorities. The free availability of Small arms and light weapons feeds conflict and crime. They are cheap and can be carried even by children. About 60% of human rights violations in the world have involved the use of these weapons. In Sri Lanka we need stricter laws for gun control.
The existing Firearms Ordinance goes back to 1916 during the British colonial era and although penalties for offences under it have been increased the entire law relating to gun control needs revision and modernization. We do not even have reliable estimates of how many guns we have licensed and unlicensed. Some NGO surveys say there are 1.9 million in circulation. According to news reports guns owned by the LTTE are frequently being discovered. Are we sure they go into the custody of the Government?
There are guns which deserters from our armed forces have carried away from the battlefield which may have gone into the underworld. There are trap guns illegally used by farmers which are misused for criminal activities. Guns should as far as possible be owned by the security forces only and private ownership must be licensed and for justifiable reasons. In a post conflict period while ensuring that we are vigilant to prevent terrorism we must also roll back the process of militarization that has taken place in our society.
When I was in charge of the Disarmament programme in the United Nations in addition to urging strong action against nuclear weapons I led a campaign against small arms which was directly affecting the peace and development of developing countries. There are an estimated 875 million small arms in the world 75% in the hands of civil society. They cause the deaths of about 500,000 persons every year.
The UN held a conference in 2001 and adopted a Programme of Action to prevent the illicit trade in small arms. That programme is being implemented and every two years international conferences are held to review its implementation. A Preparatory Committee met in July this year to draw up an Arms Trade Treaty which will regulate the trade in conventional weapons in the world. We can use the many experiences in other countries to mop up surplus guns in Sri Lanka . Some of them have had bonfires of surplus guns.
I would like to see the destruction of surplus guns in our country. That will symbolize more effectively the end of a gun culture and the defeat of terrorism. There are international resources available for curbing the proliferation of guns which we can use.
12. Racial and religious prejudices exist close to the surface in our society and can erupt in moments of tension. We need a law banning hate speech and hate incitement so that whether by the majority or the minorities all forms of hatred based on ethnicity, religion and caste are declared illegal. A Race and Religious Relations Act patterned on what other multicultural democracies have could be introduced under the Ministry of Nation Building.
A return to basic ethical principles and values is urgently needed in our country today when advocates of exclusivism, prejudice, hate and violence stand in the way of rebuilding a peaceful and prosperous nation.
Let us remember the words of Buddha, as recorded in the Dhammapada:
“The others know not that in this quarrel we perish. Those of them who realize it, have their quarrels calmed thereby.”
It is time we calmed the quarrels among ourselves.
Pix: courtesy of www.iiss.org
Outline of submission made to commission on lessons learnt and reconciliation-by Jayantha DhanapalaJayantha Dhanapala
25/6 Pepiliyana Road,
Nugegoda.
30th August 2010.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
In response to an invitation from the Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation (LLRC), I appeared before the Commission at 2 p.m. on Wednesday the 25th of August in Colombo having sent a written submission ahead. I considered this a performance of a civic duty on my part.
In my oral presentation, based on scribbled Talking Points and not on a fully developed text, I outlined my thoughts on the subject expanding on my written submission at some points and adding to them at others. I also responded to the questions asked of me by allthe members of the Commission ex tempore.
I have been surprised and disappointed by the many distortions of my presentation appearing in the Sri Lanka media and the commentaries based on these erroneous and selective reporting.
Until I am able to obtain an authoritative transcript of my presentation and the question and answer session from the LLRC I have decided to release the attached text of my written submission so that the media and the general public may have a more accurate record of the views I have expressed to the LLRC.
I shall be most grateful if you will please give this the fullest publicity. The full text of the LLRC transcript will be sent to you as soon as it is received.
Yours sincerely,
Jayantha Dhanapala
OUTLINE OF SUBMISSION MADE BY JAYANTHA DHANAPALA TO COMMISSION ON LESSONS LEARNT AND RECONCILIATION
1. My experience as a career diplomat in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service from 1965-97, and in particular my period as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 1984-87 and Ambassador to the USA from 1995-97, are relevant to the challenges of representing a country in conflict and defending it against allegations of human rights violations. In addition my service as an international civil servant with the United Nations for ten years provided me with a multilateral perspective which will enable me to help the Commission understand the workings of an international organization in its relations with a member state. Finally my tenure as Secretary-General of the Secretariat for the Co-ordination of the Peace Process (SCOPP) from 2004-2005 and as Senior Adviser to the President of Sri Lanka from 2004-2007 exposed me to an experience relevant to your mandate.
2. The details of my curriculum vitae and my writings and statements are available on my website www.jayanthadhanapala.com
3. At the outset may I state that I welcome the appointment of your Commission despite its belatedness. It is an opportunity to learn from the tragedy of the recent past and to establish a basis for national reconciliation and unity. The leadership of H.E. President Rajapakse and the bravery of our armed forces resulted in an outstanding military victory over a ruthless terrorist group which ravaged our nation for decades. The time has now come for a multi-dimensional political solution to consolidate that military victory addressing the roots of the conflict.
I must warn, however, against a strategy of postponing Constitutional change and a political solution to the problems that culminated in three decades of conflict until the Commission concludes its work and makes its recommendations. That would only exacerbate existing grievances and widen the gulf between the Government and the public at large especially those belonging to the minority communities. It will also affect the credibility of your Commission adversely. A series of APRC meetings have taken place and a draft report awaits action by the President and its presentation to the general public for discussion and a decision after a wide consultative process.
4. Your mandate artificially sets a time frame from 21 February 2002 to 19 May 2009 . That and its restricted mandate is also a limitation in your good faith efforts to discharge your task. The lessons we have to learn go back to the past – certainly from the time that we had responsibility for our own governance on 4 February 1948 . Each and every Government which held office from 1948 till the present bear culpability for the failure to achieve good governance, national unity and a framework of peace, stability and economic development in which all ethnic, religious and other groups could live in security and equality. The political expediency of apportioning blame will not serve the purpose of national reconciliation. A collective apology to the people of Sri Lanka is owed by all political parties.
5. The supreme law of the land is its Constitution and we have still not been able to frame a Constitution that elicits the confidence and trust of all our citizens. It is not possible within this brief note to outline the form of devolution that I think is vital to prevent future conflict in our land. Suffice to say that constitutional reform is vital and I trust that the excellent talent we have among our constitutional lawyers will be harnessed in this vital task.
6. Education is a primary tool in creating a tolerant society. The experts we have in this field will advise more competently than I can about the techniques of teaching the three languages in use in our country from the earliest age. This must be more than a token gesture and the need for competencies in all three languages up to the GCE ‘O’ level will be necessary to weld our nation into the harmonious multilingual society we need to be.
The cost of recruiting teachers and producing the books for this is a small investment for a huge gain. The example of other countries can be studied most especially in Canada . As far as possible classes in comparative religion could be introduced at senior levels in secondary schools so that a basic understanding of the 4 religions practised in our country is imparted as a pre-requisite for tolerance and religious harmony.
7. Addressing my own experience more directly I recommend that the career diplomats in the Sri Lanka Foreign Service be trained in the representation of a multi-cultural country. All diplomatic and consular missions of Sri Lanka abroad should have officials conversant in Sinhala and Tamil to communicate with the growing expatriate Sri Lankan communities. The symbols and photographs displayed in these missions should focus on the rich diversity of our culture with representatives of all religions participating in the official ceremonies conducted by them. A special outreach effort to engage all groups within the expatriate Sri Lankan community must be organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and implemented by our missions abroad.
8. Sri Lanka is a signatory of all the major international human rights conventions and reports periodically on its adherence to these norms. It would be useful if national reports are not only co-ordinated with relevant Government agencies but also with leading NGOs as well. NGO representatives could be included in the Sri Lanka delegations to Human Rights meetings. More prominence must be given in the media to these reports and the proceedings in the international forums considering them. This transparency about the country’s performance in relation to international norms is necessary both for our own citizens and for the information of the international community
9. The armed forces of Sri Lanka are already being trained in international humanitarian law and human rights. This must be intensified and the Police and the provincial administrators brought into this training process. All police stations and government offices must have facilities to deal with citizens who speak only in Sinhala or Tamil recording statements in the language of the citizen’s choice.
10. International Humanitarian Law is work in progress. Currently there are four treaties and three additional protocols which, over approximately one and a half centuries, have set the norms. The modern experience of counter-terrorism needs to be reflected in the codification of this law and Sri Lanka is uniquely equipped to take an initiative in this respect. Armed combat with terrorist groups using suicide bombers, child soldiers and human shields make the protection of civilians and war victims very difficult for the armed forces.
While in no way reducing the humanitarian aspects of the existing law some discussion could take place in the international community on how the rules of engagement between the armed forces of the state and the terrorist groups could be amended on the basis of the experience gained in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. For example, the May 2009 heroic breaching of the earth bund, behind which an estimated 300.000 civilians lay trapped by the LTTE as human shields, led to the saving of many lives and the conclusion of the conflict but the alternative scenarios and its humanitarian law consequences for Sri Lanka must also be considered.
With regard to anti-personnel landmines, while the Mine Ban Convention applies to nation states the Geneva Call is a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization dedicated to engaging armed non-State actors (NSAs) towards compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law (IHRL). The organization focuses on NSAs that operate outside effective State control. The LTTE rejected overtures by the international community to join this Call. The point I make is that existing norms have to be adapted to new situations that arise.
Sri Lanka will need to consult through diplomatic channels and especially with the ICRC to convene a diplomatic conference to formulate a new Additional Protocol on new situations arising on the battlefield when encountering terrorist groups. This would be innovative diplomacy and far more constructive than the vitriolic outburst and melodramatic demonstrations we have engaged in against countries and organizations critical of our human rights record.
11. The post-conflict situation is an excellent opportunity to de-weaponise our society. In the years of terrorism both in the South and the North we developed a gun culture. The country was flooded with small arms and weapons. Nobody felt secure without a gun. But even after the LTTE were defeated we have seen no replacement of the culture of violence with a culture of peace. There is violence at the level of the village and there is violence in cities. Guns contribute to this. We have a national campaign against the consumption of liquor led by the President called “Mathata Thitha”.
Should we not also have a programme which we can call “Aviyata Thitha”? I appeal to you to place this at the top of your priorities. The free availability of Small arms and light weapons feeds conflict and crime. They are cheap and can be carried even by children. About 60% of human rights violations in the world have involved the use of these weapons. In Sri Lanka we need stricter laws for gun control.
The existing Firearms Ordinance goes back to 1916 during the British colonial era and although penalties for offences under it have been increased the entire law relating to gun control needs revision and modernization. We do not even have reliable estimates of how many guns we have licensed and unlicensed. Some NGO surveys say there are 1.9 million in circulation. According to news reports guns owned by the LTTE are frequently being discovered. Are we sure they go into the custody of the Government?
There are guns which deserters from our armed forces have carried away from the battlefield which may have gone into the underworld. There are trap guns illegally used by farmers which are misused for criminal activities. Guns should as far as possible be owned by the security forces only and private ownership must be licensed and for justifiable reasons. In a post conflict period while ensuring that we are vigilant to prevent terrorism we must also roll back the process of militarization that has taken place in our society.
When I was in charge of the Disarmament programme in the United Nations in addition to urging strong action against nuclear weapons I led a campaign against small arms which was directly affecting the peace and development of developing countries. There are an estimated 875 million small arms in the world 75% in the hands of civil society. They cause the deaths of about 500,000 persons every year.
The UN held a conference in 2001 and adopted a Programme of Action to prevent the illicit trade in small arms. That programme is being implemented and every two years international conferences are held to review its implementation. A Preparatory Committee met in July this year to draw up an Arms Trade Treaty which will regulate the trade in conventional weapons in the world. We can use the many experiences in other countries to mop up surplus guns in Sri Lanka . Some of them have had bonfires of surplus guns.
I would like to see the destruction of surplus guns in our country. That will symbolize more effectively the end of a gun culture and the defeat of terrorism. There are international resources available for curbing the proliferation of guns which we can use.
12. Racial and religious prejudices exist close to the surface in our society and can erupt in moments of tension. We need a law banning hate speech and hate incitement so that whether by the majority or the minorities all forms of hatred based on ethnicity, religion and caste are declared illegal. A Race and Religious Relations Act patterned on what other multicultural democracies have could be introduced under the Ministry of Nation Building.
A return to basic ethical principles and values is urgently needed in our country today when advocates of exclusivism, prejudice, hate and violence stand in the way of rebuilding a peaceful and prosperous nation.
Let us remember the words of Buddha, as recorded in the Dhammapada:
“The others know not that in this quarrel we perish. Those of them who realize it, have their quarrels calmed thereby.”
It is time we calmed the quarrels among ourselves.
Pix: courtesy of www.iiss.org
Will Sri Lanka do it? | 'Ban' housemaids to Saudi
Click HereBBCSinhala.com | Sandeshaya | 'Ban' housemaids to Saudi
Will Sri Lanka do it? | 'Ban' housemaids to Saudi
Will Sri Lanka do it? | 'Ban' housemaids to Saudi
A response to Shanaka Jayasekera's allegations against TRO, K Reggi in UK and others.
This interview was given to the Sri Lankan Government controlled Sunday Observer newspaper. There is no media freedom in Sri Lanka and many journalists have been killed or have fled the country due to persecution by the Sri Lankan government.
Mr Jayasekara is an ethnic Sinhalese which is the majority and ruling race in Sri Lanka. In the interview, Mr Jayasekara, makes statements which seem to be baseless and biased towards his former homeland. I would be very interested in finding out the basis for the following quote: “The only figure that I have come across is that TRO leader Regi, now living in the UK has over US$50 million of TRO funds under his control. The LTTE is still having six single engine aircraft packed in crates in a warehouse in Asmara, Eretria. It is also believed that one sea plane allegedly purchased with LTTE funds is running charter flights in the Fiji Islands”.
Mr Jayasekara further states, “….. all Tamil boat people should be sent back” despite the UNHCR report stating that certain groups of Tamils are still at risk. It is disappointing that he makes comment on a report that he obviously has not read thoroughly. The Edmund Rice Centre director Phil Glendenning, who returned from Sri Lanka in April, said at least nine asylum seekers returned to the country by Australia's previous government were killed while those sent back in the past year have been detained and some assaulted.
end:
Tamillatest.com comment as follows.
The response is valid.
But TRO people like Regi, Chandru Pararajasingam, Naren, Sreethran of TRO USA, (owner of Tamil Net and
Tamils Against Genocide, Representative of TECH Vanni in USA together with Manoranjan have not accounted
for funds collected by TRO for many years from at least 30 countries.
TRO and the newly found ITRO continues to collect funds even after the end of the war in May 2009.
There are other details of TRO accounting and expenditure flaws which best kept unpublished for the
time being. So are so many failed business investments of TRO, purchases of vehicles between 2005 and 2006,
exceeding millions of dollars.
Shanaka Jayasekera is an academic looking to compete with the other academic from Singapore Rohan Gunaratna
peddling their falsely claimed expertise in "terrorism" for financial gain and acclaim. This is the newest industry
related to Sri Lanka after the NGO business. There are no poor NGO's in Sri Lanka which the Tsunami in 2004,
and the civil war gave them a huge boost. They also portray themselves as "Think Tanks" for peace and reconciliation.
Unfortunately, they are totally out of touch with the people.
It has become a lucrative business!
http://www.catholicleader.com.au/news.php/top-stories/sri-lankans-facing-dangerous-return_57310.
August 30, 2010 1:34 PM
Mr Jayasekara is an ethnic Sinhalese which is the majority and ruling race in Sri Lanka. In the interview, Mr Jayasekara, makes statements which seem to be baseless and biased towards his former homeland. I would be very interested in finding out the basis for the following quote: “The only figure that I have come across is that TRO leader Regi, now living in the UK has over US$50 million of TRO funds under his control. The LTTE is still having six single engine aircraft packed in crates in a warehouse in Asmara, Eretria. It is also believed that one sea plane allegedly purchased with LTTE funds is running charter flights in the Fiji Islands”.
Mr Jayasekara further states, “….. all Tamil boat people should be sent back” despite the UNHCR report stating that certain groups of Tamils are still at risk. It is disappointing that he makes comment on a report that he obviously has not read thoroughly. The Edmund Rice Centre director Phil Glendenning, who returned from Sri Lanka in April, said at least nine asylum seekers returned to the country by Australia's previous government were killed while those sent back in the past year have been detained and some assaulted.
end:
Tamillatest.com comment as follows.
The response is valid.
But TRO people like Regi, Chandru Pararajasingam, Naren, Sreethran of TRO USA, (owner of Tamil Net and
Tamils Against Genocide, Representative of TECH Vanni in USA together with Manoranjan have not accounted
for funds collected by TRO for many years from at least 30 countries.
TRO and the newly found ITRO continues to collect funds even after the end of the war in May 2009.
There are other details of TRO accounting and expenditure flaws which best kept unpublished for the
time being. So are so many failed business investments of TRO, purchases of vehicles between 2005 and 2006,
exceeding millions of dollars.
Shanaka Jayasekera is an academic looking to compete with the other academic from Singapore Rohan Gunaratna
peddling their falsely claimed expertise in "terrorism" for financial gain and acclaim. This is the newest industry
related to Sri Lanka after the NGO business. There are no poor NGO's in Sri Lanka which the Tsunami in 2004,
and the civil war gave them a huge boost. They also portray themselves as "Think Tanks" for peace and reconciliation.
Unfortunately, they are totally out of touch with the people.
It has become a lucrative business!
http://www.catholicleader.com.au/news.php/top-stories/sri-lankans-facing-dangerous-return_57310.
August 30, 2010 1:34 PM
ARULANANTHARASA v. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF U.S.
Click Here:Laws, Life, and Legal Matters - Court Cases and Legal Information at Leagle.com - All Federal and State Appeals Court Cases in One Search
An appeal to the US Attorney General by a Sri Lankan Tamil.
ARULANANTHARASA v. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF U.S.
NILANI ARULANANTHARASA, a/k/a Aarabi Kulendran, Petitioner,
v.
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Respondent.
An appeal to the US Attorney General by a Sri Lankan Tamil.
ARULANANTHARASA v. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF U.S.
NILANI ARULANANTHARASA, a/k/a Aarabi Kulendran, Petitioner,
v.
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, Respondent.
Sri Lanka new port to China-Lanka firm - LANKA BUSINESS ONLINE
Click here.Sri Lanka new port to China-Lanka firm - LANKA BUSINESS ONLINE
Aitken Spence is owned by Harry Jayawardene and the Stassens group.
He also was recently appointed as Chairman of the government owned CPC. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
Aitken Spence is owned by Harry Jayawardene and the Stassens group.
He also was recently appointed as Chairman of the government owned CPC. Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.
Jaliya Wickramasuriya: from tea taster to ambassador: Larry Luxner visited Sri Lanka, where he met the country's leading tea exporters. It all began with a visit to Colombo's ambassador in Washington. | Asia > South Asia from AllBusiness.com
Click Here:Jaliya Wickramasuriya: from tea taster to ambassador: Larry Luxner visited Sri Lanka, where he met the country's leading tea exporters. It all began with a visit to Colombo's ambassador in Washington. Asia > South Asia from AllBusiness.com
April 1, 2009- Worth a second look.
On Feb. 12, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted the Tamil Foundation, a Maryland-based charity accused of funneling money to the LTTE. Treasury official Adam Szubin said the Tigers have "relied on so-called charities to raise funds and advance its violent aims."
The order freezes the U.S. assets of the foundation, which is headquartered in the small town of Cumberland, Maryland, and prohibits Americans from engaging in any transactions with the group. But the foundation's owner, a kidney specialist named Nagaramam Ranjithan, says his private charity has nothing to do with the Tigers and is only interested in improving the lives of Sri Lanka's Tamils.
Meanwhile, Jayantha Gnanakone, leader of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit group Tamils for Justice, says he aims to "expose human-rights violations and bring war criminals to justice." His organization has hired conservative Washington lawyer Bruce Fein to publicize what he calls President Rajapaksa's sinister attempts at ethnic cleansing.
"The Sri Lankan government has a secret plan to militarize the Mullaittivu district and install a huge army base, bring in Sinhalese and colonize the area," he claimed. "That's why they're trying to remove all the civilians from that area and push them into internment camps."
One thing both sides can agree on is that the suffering has been tremendous--and that Asia's longest-running conflict won't be ending anytime soon.
"In the short term, it will be a bloody mess, and in the worst-case scenario for the Tamils, there will be intense guerrilla warfare," said Gnanakone. "And they will give it back as hard as they get."
Larry Luxner, a regular contributor to The Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, is news editor of The Washington Diplomat and publisher of CubaNews. His articles and photos can be viewed online at www.luxner.com.
April 1, 2009- Worth a second look.
On Feb. 12, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted the Tamil Foundation, a Maryland-based charity accused of funneling money to the LTTE. Treasury official Adam Szubin said the Tigers have "relied on so-called charities to raise funds and advance its violent aims."
The order freezes the U.S. assets of the foundation, which is headquartered in the small town of Cumberland, Maryland, and prohibits Americans from engaging in any transactions with the group. But the foundation's owner, a kidney specialist named Nagaramam Ranjithan, says his private charity has nothing to do with the Tigers and is only interested in improving the lives of Sri Lanka's Tamils.
Meanwhile, Jayantha Gnanakone, leader of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit group Tamils for Justice, says he aims to "expose human-rights violations and bring war criminals to justice." His organization has hired conservative Washington lawyer Bruce Fein to publicize what he calls President Rajapaksa's sinister attempts at ethnic cleansing.
"The Sri Lankan government has a secret plan to militarize the Mullaittivu district and install a huge army base, bring in Sinhalese and colonize the area," he claimed. "That's why they're trying to remove all the civilians from that area and push them into internment camps."
One thing both sides can agree on is that the suffering has been tremendous--and that Asia's longest-running conflict won't be ending anytime soon.
"In the short term, it will be a bloody mess, and in the worst-case scenario for the Tamils, there will be intense guerrilla warfare," said Gnanakone. "And they will give it back as hard as they get."
Larry Luxner, a regular contributor to The Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, is news editor of The Washington Diplomat and publisher of CubaNews. His articles and photos can be viewed online at www.luxner.com.
Fonseka to be indicted for harboring army deserters
Click Here:TamilNet: 30.08.10 Fonseka to be indicted for harboring army deserters
This demonstrates a malicious intent of clear, pure revenge and political vendetta.
It also indicates a serious "paranoia" of a few, which destabilizes the whole country
and the Sinhalese. This is very unhealthy for Sri Lanka, which needs to focus on
rebuilding the destruction caused by the GOSL and military forces in the North and the
East. 100,000 homes need to be rebuilt, and India has agreed to build 50,000 homes.
This one man show, and one family rule should end in a "peaceful" and democratic manner.
SL cannot allow a President for life, and a creation of a dynasty, by a megolamaniac.
LTTE is not here now to accept such blame.
Also Read the previous story with an open letter by the General's daughter Apsara.
"On many other occasions, I know many more government officials came to our home, while my father was still the CDS and asked him if he would like to join the government and do politics. Even government officials working abroad flew in just to do so.
"Apsara should name the government officials and the diplomats.??????????
Tamillatest.Com.
Facebook Quote"
Name and expose those spineless, gutless politicians who wanted toexploit the General, before it is too late.UN officials like Nambiar, SL's UN representative Kohonne, and Norwegian officials were involved in the "White Flag" incident, whichthe General clearly indicated to Frederica Jansz of Sunday Leader,in December 2009 interview. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth has to be provided via his attorneys, in a timely fashion.The US and UN officials were also expecting such information when he was in the US in October 2009.Some one dropped the ball!Tiran Alles also needs to come out with the whole story with Emilkanthan affair in October-November 2005.It is clear that it was the LTTE who installed Rajapakse as President, then and now he is going for President for life!Wow!
See More
6 minutes ago · LikeUnlike ·
This demonstrates a malicious intent of clear, pure revenge and political vendetta.
It also indicates a serious "paranoia" of a few, which destabilizes the whole country
and the Sinhalese. This is very unhealthy for Sri Lanka, which needs to focus on
rebuilding the destruction caused by the GOSL and military forces in the North and the
East. 100,000 homes need to be rebuilt, and India has agreed to build 50,000 homes.
This one man show, and one family rule should end in a "peaceful" and democratic manner.
SL cannot allow a President for life, and a creation of a dynasty, by a megolamaniac.
LTTE is not here now to accept such blame.
Also Read the previous story with an open letter by the General's daughter Apsara.
"On many other occasions, I know many more government officials came to our home, while my father was still the CDS and asked him if he would like to join the government and do politics. Even government officials working abroad flew in just to do so.
"Apsara should name the government officials and the diplomats.??????????
Tamillatest.Com.
Facebook Quote"
Name and expose those spineless, gutless politicians who wanted toexploit the General, before it is too late.UN officials like Nambiar, SL's UN representative Kohonne, and Norwegian officials were involved in the "White Flag" incident, whichthe General clearly indicated to Frederica Jansz of Sunday Leader,in December 2009 interview. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth has to be provided via his attorneys, in a timely fashion.The US and UN officials were also expecting such information when he was in the US in October 2009.Some one dropped the ball!Tiran Alles also needs to come out with the whole story with Emilkanthan affair in October-November 2005.It is clear that it was the LTTE who installed Rajapakse as President, then and now he is going for President for life!Wow!
See More
6 minutes ago · LikeUnlike ·
Sunday, August 29, 2010
My Father Has Scars To Prove His Work | General's Blog
My Father Has Scars To Prove His Work General's Blog(Click).
"On many other occasions, I know many more government officials came to our home, while my father was still the CDS and asked him if he would like to join the government and do politics. Even government officials working abroad flew in just to do so."
Apsara should name the government officials and the diplomats.??????????
Tamillatest.Com.
"On many other occasions, I know many more government officials came to our home, while my father was still the CDS and asked him if he would like to join the government and do politics. Even government officials working abroad flew in just to do so."
Apsara should name the government officials and the diplomats.??????????
Tamillatest.Com.
:ICRC gift worth 400 million Swiss Francs held up in warehouse:: :: ::
:: :: :: Lakbimanews Online Edition :: :: :(Click):
ICRC gift worth 400 million Swiss Francs held up in warehouse
ICRC gift worth 400 million Swiss Francs held up in warehouse
:: PRESIDENT CAN CONTEST FOR EVER:: ::
:: :: :: Lakbimanews Online Edition :: :: ::(click).
PRESIDENT CAN CONTEST FOR EVER
NO TERM LIMIT AT ALL
17TH AMENDMENT AMENDED
PRESIDENT CAN CONTEST FOR EVER
NO TERM LIMIT AT ALL
17TH AMENDMENT AMENDED
Use your rights to end poverty - Amnesty International.
Use your rights to end poverty
www.amnesty.org
Dear Friends,
More than 1 billion people across all continents live in slums.
More than half a million women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth – one every minute.
Every day, in every region of the world, people living in poverty are discriminated against – whether through individual acts of others, or institutional discrimination by the state.
We have documented human rights violations that deepen poverty.
It is human rights violations that lead to discrimination, exclusion, maternal deaths, eviction from homes, segregation in schools, or women dying in pregnancy from lack of access to health care.
All across the world, we have documented evidence of human rights violations that have kept people poor. Taken together, these human rights violations and evidence highlight the poor state of progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
This September 2010, world leaders will meet at the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit to accelerate progress towards achieving the MDG targets by 2015. Amnesty International will be there, putting across your voice and demanding an increased focus on human rights protection as the solution to global poverty.
Sign the petition by 10 September and we will deliver your signature to MDG Summit Presidents.
Above: Fatimata N, 20 years old proudly holds her first born child in Kiembara where she gave birth a few days before .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are Millenium Development Goals ?
In 2000, countries around the world agreed to eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a global initiative to eradicate poverty by 2015. Ten years on, some progress has been made, but this has been uneven. There are still several impoverished and excluded communities that have yet to see the better life of the new millennium that was promised to the world. The MDGs focus on eight areas, each with their respective targets that are to be met by the deadline: End Poverty and Hunger, Universal Education, Gender Equality, Child Health, Maternal Health, Combat HIV/AIDS, Environment Sustainability, Global Partnership.
In Solidarity
Helen, Charlotte, Shehzaad, Evie, Tristam, Jennifer and the 2.8 million supporters of Amnesty International
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find us on Twitter and Facebook at the Activism Center
Amnesty International
International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London, WC1X 0DW
United Kingdom
www.amnesty.org
www.amnesty.org
Dear Friends,
More than 1 billion people across all continents live in slums.
More than half a million women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth – one every minute.
Every day, in every region of the world, people living in poverty are discriminated against – whether through individual acts of others, or institutional discrimination by the state.
We have documented human rights violations that deepen poverty.
It is human rights violations that lead to discrimination, exclusion, maternal deaths, eviction from homes, segregation in schools, or women dying in pregnancy from lack of access to health care.
All across the world, we have documented evidence of human rights violations that have kept people poor. Taken together, these human rights violations and evidence highlight the poor state of progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
This September 2010, world leaders will meet at the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit to accelerate progress towards achieving the MDG targets by 2015. Amnesty International will be there, putting across your voice and demanding an increased focus on human rights protection as the solution to global poverty.
Sign the petition by 10 September and we will deliver your signature to MDG Summit Presidents.
Above: Fatimata N, 20 years old proudly holds her first born child in Kiembara where she gave birth a few days before .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are Millenium Development Goals ?
In 2000, countries around the world agreed to eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a global initiative to eradicate poverty by 2015. Ten years on, some progress has been made, but this has been uneven. There are still several impoverished and excluded communities that have yet to see the better life of the new millennium that was promised to the world. The MDGs focus on eight areas, each with their respective targets that are to be met by the deadline: End Poverty and Hunger, Universal Education, Gender Equality, Child Health, Maternal Health, Combat HIV/AIDS, Environment Sustainability, Global Partnership.
In Solidarity
Helen, Charlotte, Shehzaad, Evie, Tristam, Jennifer and the 2.8 million supporters of Amnesty International
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Find us on Twitter and Facebook at the Activism Center
Amnesty International
International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London, WC1X 0DW
United Kingdom
www.amnesty.org
Crawling out of the woodwork -The Island
The Island(Click)
Crawling out of the woodwork August 29, 2010, 8:09 pm
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has cleared all the obstacles to the passage of his constitutional reforms to be presented to Parliament shortly. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has affirmed its support for the President.
The SLMC's U-turn has raised many an eyebrow. It is now all out to help President Rajapaksa secure a third term, among other things, though in 2005, it did not want Mahinda as President even for a single term. That was why it threw its weight behind the then UNP presidential candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a bid to defeat Mahinda at the presidential election in that year. Thereafter, it sided with President Rajapaksa but tried to bring down his government in December 2007 by defecting on the eve of a crucial budget vote, where defeat would have marked the end of not only the UPFA government but also its military campaign. Giving reasons for its pull-out, the SLMC characterised the Rajapaksa regime as being unfriendly towards the minorities. It also made a frantic effort last January to ruin President Rajapaksa's chances of securing a second term. It backed Gen. Sarath Fonseka to the hilt in the presidential race.
Worse, after the January election, the SLMC lent its voice to those who claimed that the 'real president' was Gen. Fonseka and President Rajapaksa had rigged the election results. In other words, the SLMC subscribed to the JVP’s computer jilmaat theory. It took part in a joint Opposition rally at Hyde Park, Colombo, where Gen. Fonseka was declared 'People's President'.
Why is it that the SLMC has today pledged its support for President Rajapaksa, whom it tried to destroy politically and refused to recognise? Has his government become friendly towards the minorities all of a sudden?
A prolonged stay in the Opposition with no prospects of coming back to power is a frightening proposition for any political party. It is like being lost in a fierce winter without visibility, mobility and thermal wear. Or, more appropriately, a political party out of power is like a junkie going cold turkey. In politics, it is said, one has no permanent enemies or permanent friends but permanent interests; principles usually fall by the wayside and expediency takes precedence over them. The SLMC knows which side of its bread is buttered, politically speaking. It has bought an insurance policy of sorts by throwing in its lot with the President!
Politicians are naturally greedy for power. And President Rajapaksa is a politician. He, like any other head of State, has developed an addiction to power. But, is it just another term to enjoy power that he seeks from an amendment to Article 31 (2), which limits the number of terms a person can serve as an elected president to two? It is not only power that he is after. He seems to think that the most effective way to counter the on-going international war crimes witch hunt against him and his military leaders is to stay in power as long as he could.
So long as that threat persists, he can rest assured that those who voted overwhelmingly for him at the last presidential and parliamentary elections will remain on his side, because the Opposition is generally considered far too servile and malleable in the hands of the foreign governments bent on conducting a war crimes probe against this country.
The government's successful war helped President Rajapaksa win a second term and reconsolidate his power in Parliament in a much bigger way. His critics accused him of using military gains to win elections. Now that there is no war, what will he exploit to secure a third term? He will make use of mega development projects for that purpose. Instead of freewheeling during his second term that commences in November, unlike his predecessors, he will have to pedal hard and make an effort to retain his popularity. It is an uphill task, though a faction ridden Opposition is lying supine and defections are debilitating it further.
The SLMC is not alone in the game of running with Fonseka and hunting with the Rajapaksas. More and more government backers in the Opposition ranks are sure to crawl out of the woodwork within the next few days. Their motto seems to be: "If you cannot beat them, join them."
Crawling out of the woodwork August 29, 2010, 8:09 pm
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has cleared all the obstacles to the passage of his constitutional reforms to be presented to Parliament shortly. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has affirmed its support for the President.
The SLMC's U-turn has raised many an eyebrow. It is now all out to help President Rajapaksa secure a third term, among other things, though in 2005, it did not want Mahinda as President even for a single term. That was why it threw its weight behind the then UNP presidential candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a bid to defeat Mahinda at the presidential election in that year. Thereafter, it sided with President Rajapaksa but tried to bring down his government in December 2007 by defecting on the eve of a crucial budget vote, where defeat would have marked the end of not only the UPFA government but also its military campaign. Giving reasons for its pull-out, the SLMC characterised the Rajapaksa regime as being unfriendly towards the minorities. It also made a frantic effort last January to ruin President Rajapaksa's chances of securing a second term. It backed Gen. Sarath Fonseka to the hilt in the presidential race.
Worse, after the January election, the SLMC lent its voice to those who claimed that the 'real president' was Gen. Fonseka and President Rajapaksa had rigged the election results. In other words, the SLMC subscribed to the JVP’s computer jilmaat theory. It took part in a joint Opposition rally at Hyde Park, Colombo, where Gen. Fonseka was declared 'People's President'.
Why is it that the SLMC has today pledged its support for President Rajapaksa, whom it tried to destroy politically and refused to recognise? Has his government become friendly towards the minorities all of a sudden?
A prolonged stay in the Opposition with no prospects of coming back to power is a frightening proposition for any political party. It is like being lost in a fierce winter without visibility, mobility and thermal wear. Or, more appropriately, a political party out of power is like a junkie going cold turkey. In politics, it is said, one has no permanent enemies or permanent friends but permanent interests; principles usually fall by the wayside and expediency takes precedence over them. The SLMC knows which side of its bread is buttered, politically speaking. It has bought an insurance policy of sorts by throwing in its lot with the President!
Politicians are naturally greedy for power. And President Rajapaksa is a politician. He, like any other head of State, has developed an addiction to power. But, is it just another term to enjoy power that he seeks from an amendment to Article 31 (2), which limits the number of terms a person can serve as an elected president to two? It is not only power that he is after. He seems to think that the most effective way to counter the on-going international war crimes witch hunt against him and his military leaders is to stay in power as long as he could.
So long as that threat persists, he can rest assured that those who voted overwhelmingly for him at the last presidential and parliamentary elections will remain on his side, because the Opposition is generally considered far too servile and malleable in the hands of the foreign governments bent on conducting a war crimes probe against this country.
The government's successful war helped President Rajapaksa win a second term and reconsolidate his power in Parliament in a much bigger way. His critics accused him of using military gains to win elections. Now that there is no war, what will he exploit to secure a third term? He will make use of mega development projects for that purpose. Instead of freewheeling during his second term that commences in November, unlike his predecessors, he will have to pedal hard and make an effort to retain his popularity. It is an uphill task, though a faction ridden Opposition is lying supine and defections are debilitating it further.
The SLMC is not alone in the game of running with Fonseka and hunting with the Rajapaksas. More and more government backers in the Opposition ranks are sure to crawl out of the woodwork within the next few days. Their motto seems to be: "If you cannot beat them, join them."
Garment factories exploiting Northern girls, union charges
transCurrents: Garment factories exploiting Northern girls, union charges
This is not only just a Case of exploitation of labor, but use of prisoners of war
under the pretext of rehabilitation and resettlement.
There was Tamil caution previously, and now the labor unions in the South who are all Sinhalese have woken up to the reality, tactics and tricks of the rich garment factory owners.
Tamillatest.com
This is not only just a Case of exploitation of labor, but use of prisoners of war
under the pretext of rehabilitation and resettlement.
There was Tamil caution previously, and now the labor unions in the South who are all Sinhalese have woken up to the reality, tactics and tricks of the rich garment factory owners.
Tamillatest.com
India denied me visa: KP’s cousin | KP | Pathmanathan | Indian Express
India denied me visa: KP’s cousin KP Pathmanathan Indian Express
Thavaratnam might have been denied a Visa because he was the President
of GOSL/KP's new NGO, NERDO.
Why should KP tell a lie that Thavaratnam is indeed the President?
Something fishy to be concerned about, given the fact that Thavaratnam
is the President of the Fisheries Cooperatives in Jaffna, for many years.
Tamillatest.com
Thavaratnam might have been denied a Visa because he was the President
of GOSL/KP's new NGO, NERDO.
Why should KP tell a lie that Thavaratnam is indeed the President?
Something fishy to be concerned about, given the fact that Thavaratnam
is the President of the Fisheries Cooperatives in Jaffna, for many years.
Tamillatest.com
President to visit UN despite probe
President to visit UN despite probe
Demonstrations planned during the visit of the Sri Lankan President to the UN.
This should not surprise the GOSL, which is now a one man show and one family rule.
The UN and New York authorities are well prepared to handle such peaceful demonstrations.
Unlike in Sri Lanka, such activities are permitted in the USA.
Tamillatest.com
President to visit UN despite probe
Tight security amidst fears of protests by Fonseka supporters
By Our Diplomatic Editor
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will lead the Sri Lanka delegation to the United Nations next month.Some of Sri Lanka’s leaders in the business and industry sector will accompany him. They are to hold talks with their counterparts in the United States to promote trade and investment in Sri Lanka. Mr. Rajapaksa will also make private visits to Mexico and Germany during this tour.
Mr. Rajapaksa will take part in both the high level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) as well as the sessions of the UN General Assembly. A slot has been reserved for him to address the MDG on September 22. More than 150 world leaders are expected to speak at this three-day summit meeting. This summit is to spill over to the UN General Assembly sessions which begin on Thursday September 23. President Rajapaksa is listed as the seventh speaker on the opening day after Brazil, the United States, Switzerland, Malawi, Pakistan and Costa Rica.
At the General Assembly sessions, President Rajapaksa, External Affairs Ministry sources said, would spell out matters relating to last year’s military defeat of Tiger guerrillas. “This is intended particularly to address issues which a UN panel on Sri Lanka is trying to probe,” a source said.
He said security during President Rajapaksa’s visit would be tight. According to reports reaching the Ministry, there are indications of protests and demonstrations outside the UN – not by Tamil expatriates or LTTE supporters but a group of Sinhala expatriates who are supportive of former Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka. However, a similar protest campaign last month in Los Angeles failed to assemble more than 15 participants.
The Ministry has advised the Sri Lanka mission to the United Nations to closely monitor the security situation and be very selective of the audience – both for a public reception and a visit to New York Buddhist Vihara – primarily to avoid any political confrontations or embarrassments.
As expected, President Rajapaksa has decided to skip the public lecture at New York’s Asia Society next month. External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris has stepped in to address the Society on Monday September 17 at 6.30 p.m. The topic is expected to be post-conflict Sri Lanka.
Demonstrations planned during the visit of the Sri Lankan President to the UN.
This should not surprise the GOSL, which is now a one man show and one family rule.
The UN and New York authorities are well prepared to handle such peaceful demonstrations.
Unlike in Sri Lanka, such activities are permitted in the USA.
Tamillatest.com
President to visit UN despite probe
Tight security amidst fears of protests by Fonseka supporters
By Our Diplomatic Editor
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will lead the Sri Lanka delegation to the United Nations next month.Some of Sri Lanka’s leaders in the business and industry sector will accompany him. They are to hold talks with their counterparts in the United States to promote trade and investment in Sri Lanka. Mr. Rajapaksa will also make private visits to Mexico and Germany during this tour.
Mr. Rajapaksa will take part in both the high level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) as well as the sessions of the UN General Assembly. A slot has been reserved for him to address the MDG on September 22. More than 150 world leaders are expected to speak at this three-day summit meeting. This summit is to spill over to the UN General Assembly sessions which begin on Thursday September 23. President Rajapaksa is listed as the seventh speaker on the opening day after Brazil, the United States, Switzerland, Malawi, Pakistan and Costa Rica.
At the General Assembly sessions, President Rajapaksa, External Affairs Ministry sources said, would spell out matters relating to last year’s military defeat of Tiger guerrillas. “This is intended particularly to address issues which a UN panel on Sri Lanka is trying to probe,” a source said.
He said security during President Rajapaksa’s visit would be tight. According to reports reaching the Ministry, there are indications of protests and demonstrations outside the UN – not by Tamil expatriates or LTTE supporters but a group of Sinhala expatriates who are supportive of former Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka. However, a similar protest campaign last month in Los Angeles failed to assemble more than 15 participants.
The Ministry has advised the Sri Lanka mission to the United Nations to closely monitor the security situation and be very selective of the audience – both for a public reception and a visit to New York Buddhist Vihara – primarily to avoid any political confrontations or embarrassments.
As expected, President Rajapaksa has decided to skip the public lecture at New York’s Asia Society next month. External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris has stepped in to address the Society on Monday September 17 at 6.30 p.m. The topic is expected to be post-conflict Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka in Thai stir of arm shipments from North Korea.
Lanka in Thai stir
Sri Lanka has been raised in a controversy brewing up in Thailand after a Thai Parlimentarian questioned a detained Russians arms dealer about a reported visit to Sri Lanka by deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The Thai media reported that Sirichoke Sopha, a Democrat MP and a close aide of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had asked Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout if Thaksin had secretly met President Mahinda Rajapaksa last year and if the meeting had links with the seizure of a plane with arms which was reportedly en-route to Sri Lanka.
Sirichoke Sopha confirmed Saturday that he had met with Bout in April, but denied that he had presented himself in his official capacity as a top aide, the Bangkok post reported.
Bout's wife, Alla, read a statement prepared by her husband at a press conference in Bangkok on Friday in which he claimed that Mr Sirichoke had introduced himself to her husband as a prime minister's aide while visiting the Russian on April 15.
Sirichoke said he had visited Mr Bout because the opposition party in Sri Lanka claimed on April 11 that deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had secretly met the Sri Lankan president on Dec 12 last year.
That meeting took place one week before Thai authorities seized an aircraft loaded with 40 tonnes of arms that had departed from North Korea reportedly en route to Sri Lanka while it was on a refueling stop at Don Mueang airport.
Sirichoke said he wanted to learn from Mr Bout if the weapons might have been destined for Thailand to arm the pro-Thaksin red shirt movement.
According to the Bangkok post Prime Minister Abhisit said that Mr Sirichoke might have felt duty-bound as an MP to learn information vital to the national interest. (Daily Mirror online)
Sri Lanka has been raised in a controversy brewing up in Thailand after a Thai Parlimentarian questioned a detained Russians arms dealer about a reported visit to Sri Lanka by deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The Thai media reported that Sirichoke Sopha, a Democrat MP and a close aide of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had asked Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout if Thaksin had secretly met President Mahinda Rajapaksa last year and if the meeting had links with the seizure of a plane with arms which was reportedly en-route to Sri Lanka.
Sirichoke Sopha confirmed Saturday that he had met with Bout in April, but denied that he had presented himself in his official capacity as a top aide, the Bangkok post reported.
Bout's wife, Alla, read a statement prepared by her husband at a press conference in Bangkok on Friday in which he claimed that Mr Sirichoke had introduced himself to her husband as a prime minister's aide while visiting the Russian on April 15.
Sirichoke said he had visited Mr Bout because the opposition party in Sri Lanka claimed on April 11 that deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had secretly met the Sri Lankan president on Dec 12 last year.
That meeting took place one week before Thai authorities seized an aircraft loaded with 40 tonnes of arms that had departed from North Korea reportedly en route to Sri Lanka while it was on a refueling stop at Don Mueang airport.
Sirichoke said he wanted to learn from Mr Bout if the weapons might have been destined for Thailand to arm the pro-Thaksin red shirt movement.
According to the Bangkok post Prime Minister Abhisit said that Mr Sirichoke might have felt duty-bound as an MP to learn information vital to the national interest. (Daily Mirror online)
Nirupama Rao to visit North
TamilNet: 29.08.10 Nirupama Rao to visit North:
"Nirupama Rao to visit North
[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 August 2010, 07:53 GMT]
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is to visit Jaffna, Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu and Vavuniyaa in the North 30, 31 August in the context of Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna's proposed visit to Sri Lanka late September, sources in Jaffna said. Nirupama Rao will inspect the progress of development projects, resettlement and rehabilitation activities in the North before meeting Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians 1 March in Colombo. Sri Lanka government, keen to make a show the of the 'Development of North' to international countries and India, is sending its ministers to North in haste in an effort to support its claims of achievements in the above mentioned matters, the sources added.
Sri Lanka minister Wimal Weerawanse is expected to be in Jaffna 31 August while Sri Lanka Disaster Management minister Fowzi and Social Service minister Felix Perera are expected on 12 August.
Meanwhile, Basil Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Economic Development Minister and a brother of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be holding a 'Development Assessment' meeting in Jaffna 3 September which several Sri Lanka ministers are expected to attend.
Sri Lanka ministers who had been eager to invade Jaffna during the past Presidential, General and Jaffna Municipal Council elections to give promises had returned to Colombo once the elections were over. Now they are on a similar mission to Jaffna, political observers in Jaffna said."
"Nirupama Rao to visit North
[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 August 2010, 07:53 GMT]
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is to visit Jaffna, Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu and Vavuniyaa in the North 30, 31 August in the context of Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna's proposed visit to Sri Lanka late September, sources in Jaffna said. Nirupama Rao will inspect the progress of development projects, resettlement and rehabilitation activities in the North before meeting Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians 1 March in Colombo. Sri Lanka government, keen to make a show the of the 'Development of North' to international countries and India, is sending its ministers to North in haste in an effort to support its claims of achievements in the above mentioned matters, the sources added.
Sri Lanka minister Wimal Weerawanse is expected to be in Jaffna 31 August while Sri Lanka Disaster Management minister Fowzi and Social Service minister Felix Perera are expected on 12 August.
Meanwhile, Basil Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Economic Development Minister and a brother of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, will be holding a 'Development Assessment' meeting in Jaffna 3 September which several Sri Lanka ministers are expected to attend.
Sri Lanka ministers who had been eager to invade Jaffna during the past Presidential, General and Jaffna Municipal Council elections to give promises had returned to Colombo once the elections were over. Now they are on a similar mission to Jaffna, political observers in Jaffna said."
Presidential pardon to President's friend who killed his mistress
WHAT'S HOT IN SRI LANKA
Presidential pardon to President's friend who killed his mistress
2010-08-29
Former Basnayake Nilame of the Saman Devala in Ratnapura, Anton Tennekoon, who was sentenced to life in prison by courts for the murder of his mistress was released on the 27th after he received a Presidential pardon. The former Basnayake Nilame is a close friend of the President.Tennekoon was ordered the death penalty by Colombo High Court in August 2007 and was in the Welikada Prison till now.After assuming office in 2005, President Mahinda Rajapaksa released many of his friends and party men in jail through Presidential pardons. Minister Milroy Fernando's wife who was given the death penalty for
killing a woman was also released on a Presidential pardon during the Womens' Day.
Presidential pardon to President's friend who killed his mistress
2010-08-29
Former Basnayake Nilame of the Saman Devala in Ratnapura, Anton Tennekoon, who was sentenced to life in prison by courts for the murder of his mistress was released on the 27th after he received a Presidential pardon. The former Basnayake Nilame is a close friend of the President.Tennekoon was ordered the death penalty by Colombo High Court in August 2007 and was in the Welikada Prison till now.After assuming office in 2005, President Mahinda Rajapaksa released many of his friends and party men in jail through Presidential pardons. Minister Milroy Fernando's wife who was given the death penalty for
killing a woman was also released on a Presidential pardon during the Womens' Day.
Interviews: Devolution plan ‘must include merger of North and East’-Sumanthiran
Interviews
Devolution plan ‘must include merger of North and East’
TNA willing to work with government on resolving key issues: Sumanthiran
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says it continues to stand for meaningful devolution of power and that the constitutional reforms should be within a united country and should take the form of a federal structure.
In an interview with The Nation, TNA parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran said the President also was looking towards meaningful devolution of power, which was the view of the TNA as well.
“Now the recent joint communique that the President issued following his visit to New Delhi, along with Indian Prime Minister, also refers to meaningful sharing of power. So everyone has been looking in that direction to resolve issue and that’s the direction, in which we are also specifically looking at,” he said.
He pointed out that the merger of the North and the East was part of the 13th amendment. The MP stressed that the merger should remain in an improved version of the 13th amendment or if the current format is implemented in full.
He said the TNA had received an invitation to join the Tamil Political Parties Forum, adding that a decision on the issue would be taken after discussions with TNA parliamentary group leader R Sampanthan.
By Arthur Wamanan
Q. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has not been vocal in recent times. Has the party changed its stance on the solution for the ethnic issue after the end of the war?
Well, the TNA has a manifesto on which we contested the election. In that, we have specifically stated that we are looking for meaningful devolution of powers in terms of constitutional reforms. There must be sharing of power. And as far as the TNA is concerned, that sharing of power must be meaningfully implemented in the North and East. We have very specifically said that these reforms must be within a united country and must take the form of a federal structure.
Q. Can you explain as to what the TNA is looking for with regard to the settlement? Are you looking for the full implementation of the 13th amendment or an improved one?
. Well, the 13th amendment is a reform made in 1987, which the TNA’s predecessor, the TULF had rejected. After negotiations with India, it was considered insufficient. The President at that time, J R Jayewardene, gave a letter to India, undertaking to improve on the provisions of the 13th amendment. Thereafter, several attempts have been made to improve on that. Notably, the Mangala Moonasinghe select committee proposals and thereafter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge’s constitutional reforms from 1995 to 2000. There were three of those. And when President Rajapaksa took office, he appointed an All Party Representative Committee (APRC). At the inaugural session, he made a speech. He specifically asked them to study power-sharing arrangements in other countries in the world and particularly that of our neighbour India. There was an expert committee that the President himself appointed and the majority of those experts gave a report giving various options as to how meaningful power sharing can be achieved. And we believe that even the final report APRC Chairman Prof Tissa Vitharana submitted to the President is in that direction although it has not been made public by either the President or Prof. Vitharana. The report is in the public realm now as it was recently released by Mr R Yogarajan and Mr Nizam Kariyappar, who were members of the APRC.
Now the recent joint communiqué that the President issued following his visit to New Delhi, along with Indian Prime Minister, also refers to meaningful sharing of power. So that’s the direction in which everyone has been looking at to resolve the issue and that’s the direction in which we are also specifically looking at.
Q. Some of the members of the TNA visited India a few months ago and met Indian Premier Manmohan Singh. What was the outcome of the discussions and what role do you think India should play in going towards a political solution?
The 13th amendment was as a result of the Indo-Lanka accord. It was with the intervention of India that it was brought about. And as I said earlier, there was to be meaningful improvements made to that. And now again, India has extended its good offices and invited President Rajapaksa after the Presidential election and the general election. He went to India on June 8. He had several rounds of discussions with the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister and senior government officials. Soon after his visit, the Indian government invited us. And a six-member delegation of the TNA went there. We also held talks with everyone of those Ministers that the President met.
Now, India at this stage is trying to bring the two parties together. Our claim is that President Rajapaksa has received a mandate to govern the country and we respect and recognise that mandate. But similarly, we have been given a mandate in the North and East. The government and everyone else must recognise and respect the mandate of our people given to us. If this issue is to resolve, these two parties must sit together and come to a consensus. So India is helping us to come together. And we are also looking to India for a meaningful participation, meaningful facilitation, so that what commenced in 1987 with India’s direct participation in the form of the 13th amendment to the constitution can come to a meaningful end. The 13th amendment obviously is not the answer. If it was, we wouldn’t have had a conflict that would have raged on until now. So, India has a moral duty to bring what it started, to a successful completion. With that end in mind, we are also participating in discussions with India and also with the government.
Q. The TNA had met the President as well. Can you explain the outcome of the meeting? Does the TNA have any intentions of working with the government in the future?
We have had only one meeting at the invitation of the President. That was on the eve of his departure to India. That was also soon after a fact-finding mission that we undertook to the resettled areas in the Wanni. We presented a report to the President on the situation in the Wanni. Thereafter, we tabled it in Parliament.
Our discussion with the President was twofold. One was with regard to the immediate concerns of our people. Namely, the resettlement issues, the displacement of people due to high security zones in Valikamam in the North and several parts of the East. The other is related to the settlement of the political issue. We reached an agreement with the President on both matters. That is the TNA and the government will work together, have some kind of mechanism to address both the issues.
With regard to the resettlement issue, we have been asked to nominate some names for the President to constitute some kind of institutional mechanism. And hopefully, he will appoint a committee with the participation of the TNA. We have communicated that to the President today (27). That’s as a result of a meeting we had with Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Monday (23). He met us just prior to his departure to India. We were told to forward our names to the President and we have done that.
We will participate with the government to address those concerns.
Similarly, at our meeting with the President, it was agreed that he will appoint a committee and we will appoint ours to meet in order to find a solution to the political issue. That has not taken off as yet. I think the President has already made an appointment as Prof. G L Peiris as the head of the delegation. Prof Peiris has been in touch with us and we have agreed to start negotiations very soon, perhaps early next month.
Q. What is your stance on the merger of the North and East, especially, since the provincial council has started to function in the east?
The merger is part of the 13th amendment. If the President says that he will implement the 13th amendment in full, then the merger is a part of that. If the President says he will go beyond the 13th amendment or as sometimes stated, 13++, then certainly merger must be a part of that and should be more than that. Therefore, we take it that any solution that goes beyond the 13th amendment naturally must include the merger of the North and East. The 13th amendment envisaged the merger of the North and East. Provided a mechanism to merge the two provinces and that was done. Unfortunately, after 19 years, the Supreme Court ruled that the modality by which the merger was brought about was flawed. That is not to say that there should not be a merger of the North and East. All it said was the way it was done was wrong. When the judgment was given, the UNP, the opposition, publicly stated that they would support the government to bring proper legislation to merge the two provinces. In fact, even the position of the government in court was that the merger must not be disturbed and that the court should not intervene as it was a political issue. There was consensus on the part of the government, on the part of the main opposition that the merger must be properly effected. We are looking forward to a time that will be done.
Q. Don’t you think that there would be practical issues in merging the two provinces, since there is a provincial council that has already been set up in the East?
Provincial administration ran as a merged province for 19 years, although there was no provincial council. It ran without a problem for 19 years. Therefore, I don’t see any issue if the North and East are to become a merged province again.
Q. But wouldn’t the parties in the East oppose to such a move?
They have to state their position with regard to the merger of the North and the East. I have not come across even one political party that is opposed to the merger. In fact, the declared stance of every Tamil political party is that the North and East should be merged. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) also did not support the de-merger. Their position is that they would stand by the merger, provided that certain measure of autonomy should be considered for them as well. We have very clearly stated in our manifesto that the merger of the North and East must be achieved with the consent of the Muslim population in the Eastern Province. And we are not seeking a merger that the Muslims oppose.
Q. The TNA has also been invited to be a part of the Tamil Political Parties Forum (TPPF) set up by several Tamil parties. What is your view of this process and what is your stand?
We have got an invitation from the Tamil Political Parties Forum only last week. A letter that was addressed to the TNA parliamentary group leader, Mr Sampanthan, was received in Jaffna. It was sent to us here in Colombo. I have sent a copy of the letter to Mr Sampanthan, who is in India at the moment. We will look into it and consider our response. Until now, it was said that we were not responding positively to this forum’s invitation. But the invitation has come only now. We have not rejected it. But that does not mean that we will readily participate in it. We have had some reservations about joining a forum that has been set up, whose objectives we were unaware of. We are always for a broader unity among Tamil parties and as a primary Tamil party that has representation in parliament, we will work towards that. We will take initiatives of our own to achieve that kind of broader unity. But we are also conscious, that one cannot compromise on fundamental principles in the name of unity. We have been elected by the people with a mandate, and people have voted for us at an election which was conducted under extremely difficult circumstances. They have reposed some kind of confidence in us. They have rejected most of those parties that are part of this forum. We must not dilute or betray the confidence the people have placed in us by readily joining hands with forces who have been rejected by the people. But that is not to say that we should not talk to them or work with them for a common good. But, we will do that at the right time and in the right manner.
Q. What role should the diaspora play in assisting the people who have been affected by the war?
The diaspora has a great opportunity now to participate in the rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the North and East. But as to how they will participate in that is a big question. Because the institutional mechanism for that is not in place. Many of them are apprehensive about sending their funds or investing as they are not very sure of the stability of such endeavours. But that is something for the future. We are also looking at mechanisms that can be brought about through which the diaspora can meaningfully participate.
Q. You had said earlier that the people who were being resettled had not been provided with basic needs. What is the situation now? Did you visit any of these areas recently?
Yes. We visited 28 villages during the end of May and the beginning of June. We went to several places in July where resettlement had not taken place. We are aware that the situation has not significantly changed. They have been allowed to go to their villages with certain roofing materials, tin sheets, certain poles, tarpaulin sheets and some cement bags. And they are expected to live with those. Livelihood programmes have not started, farming has not commenced, fishing industry has not taken off. The people have just been dumped in those places. Several others have not been allowed to go. They are still in the camps. Resettlement has really not happened at all. That remains an issue to date. But, we are not seeking to criticise the government on that score. Our position is that we are willing to work with the government to ensure that our people return to their original places.
Devolution plan ‘must include merger of North and East’
TNA willing to work with government on resolving key issues: Sumanthiran
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says it continues to stand for meaningful devolution of power and that the constitutional reforms should be within a united country and should take the form of a federal structure.
In an interview with The Nation, TNA parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran said the President also was looking towards meaningful devolution of power, which was the view of the TNA as well.
“Now the recent joint communique that the President issued following his visit to New Delhi, along with Indian Prime Minister, also refers to meaningful sharing of power. So everyone has been looking in that direction to resolve issue and that’s the direction, in which we are also specifically looking at,” he said.
He pointed out that the merger of the North and the East was part of the 13th amendment. The MP stressed that the merger should remain in an improved version of the 13th amendment or if the current format is implemented in full.
He said the TNA had received an invitation to join the Tamil Political Parties Forum, adding that a decision on the issue would be taken after discussions with TNA parliamentary group leader R Sampanthan.
By Arthur Wamanan
Q. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has not been vocal in recent times. Has the party changed its stance on the solution for the ethnic issue after the end of the war?
Well, the TNA has a manifesto on which we contested the election. In that, we have specifically stated that we are looking for meaningful devolution of powers in terms of constitutional reforms. There must be sharing of power. And as far as the TNA is concerned, that sharing of power must be meaningfully implemented in the North and East. We have very specifically said that these reforms must be within a united country and must take the form of a federal structure.
Q. Can you explain as to what the TNA is looking for with regard to the settlement? Are you looking for the full implementation of the 13th amendment or an improved one?
. Well, the 13th amendment is a reform made in 1987, which the TNA’s predecessor, the TULF had rejected. After negotiations with India, it was considered insufficient. The President at that time, J R Jayewardene, gave a letter to India, undertaking to improve on the provisions of the 13th amendment. Thereafter, several attempts have been made to improve on that. Notably, the Mangala Moonasinghe select committee proposals and thereafter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge’s constitutional reforms from 1995 to 2000. There were three of those. And when President Rajapaksa took office, he appointed an All Party Representative Committee (APRC). At the inaugural session, he made a speech. He specifically asked them to study power-sharing arrangements in other countries in the world and particularly that of our neighbour India. There was an expert committee that the President himself appointed and the majority of those experts gave a report giving various options as to how meaningful power sharing can be achieved. And we believe that even the final report APRC Chairman Prof Tissa Vitharana submitted to the President is in that direction although it has not been made public by either the President or Prof. Vitharana. The report is in the public realm now as it was recently released by Mr R Yogarajan and Mr Nizam Kariyappar, who were members of the APRC.
Now the recent joint communiqué that the President issued following his visit to New Delhi, along with Indian Prime Minister, also refers to meaningful sharing of power. So that’s the direction in which everyone has been looking at to resolve the issue and that’s the direction in which we are also specifically looking at.
Q. Some of the members of the TNA visited India a few months ago and met Indian Premier Manmohan Singh. What was the outcome of the discussions and what role do you think India should play in going towards a political solution?
The 13th amendment was as a result of the Indo-Lanka accord. It was with the intervention of India that it was brought about. And as I said earlier, there was to be meaningful improvements made to that. And now again, India has extended its good offices and invited President Rajapaksa after the Presidential election and the general election. He went to India on June 8. He had several rounds of discussions with the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister and senior government officials. Soon after his visit, the Indian government invited us. And a six-member delegation of the TNA went there. We also held talks with everyone of those Ministers that the President met.
Now, India at this stage is trying to bring the two parties together. Our claim is that President Rajapaksa has received a mandate to govern the country and we respect and recognise that mandate. But similarly, we have been given a mandate in the North and East. The government and everyone else must recognise and respect the mandate of our people given to us. If this issue is to resolve, these two parties must sit together and come to a consensus. So India is helping us to come together. And we are also looking to India for a meaningful participation, meaningful facilitation, so that what commenced in 1987 with India’s direct participation in the form of the 13th amendment to the constitution can come to a meaningful end. The 13th amendment obviously is not the answer. If it was, we wouldn’t have had a conflict that would have raged on until now. So, India has a moral duty to bring what it started, to a successful completion. With that end in mind, we are also participating in discussions with India and also with the government.
Q. The TNA had met the President as well. Can you explain the outcome of the meeting? Does the TNA have any intentions of working with the government in the future?
We have had only one meeting at the invitation of the President. That was on the eve of his departure to India. That was also soon after a fact-finding mission that we undertook to the resettled areas in the Wanni. We presented a report to the President on the situation in the Wanni. Thereafter, we tabled it in Parliament.
Our discussion with the President was twofold. One was with regard to the immediate concerns of our people. Namely, the resettlement issues, the displacement of people due to high security zones in Valikamam in the North and several parts of the East. The other is related to the settlement of the political issue. We reached an agreement with the President on both matters. That is the TNA and the government will work together, have some kind of mechanism to address both the issues.
With regard to the resettlement issue, we have been asked to nominate some names for the President to constitute some kind of institutional mechanism. And hopefully, he will appoint a committee with the participation of the TNA. We have communicated that to the President today (27). That’s as a result of a meeting we had with Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Monday (23). He met us just prior to his departure to India. We were told to forward our names to the President and we have done that.
We will participate with the government to address those concerns.
Similarly, at our meeting with the President, it was agreed that he will appoint a committee and we will appoint ours to meet in order to find a solution to the political issue. That has not taken off as yet. I think the President has already made an appointment as Prof. G L Peiris as the head of the delegation. Prof Peiris has been in touch with us and we have agreed to start negotiations very soon, perhaps early next month.
Q. What is your stance on the merger of the North and East, especially, since the provincial council has started to function in the east?
The merger is part of the 13th amendment. If the President says that he will implement the 13th amendment in full, then the merger is a part of that. If the President says he will go beyond the 13th amendment or as sometimes stated, 13++, then certainly merger must be a part of that and should be more than that. Therefore, we take it that any solution that goes beyond the 13th amendment naturally must include the merger of the North and East. The 13th amendment envisaged the merger of the North and East. Provided a mechanism to merge the two provinces and that was done. Unfortunately, after 19 years, the Supreme Court ruled that the modality by which the merger was brought about was flawed. That is not to say that there should not be a merger of the North and East. All it said was the way it was done was wrong. When the judgment was given, the UNP, the opposition, publicly stated that they would support the government to bring proper legislation to merge the two provinces. In fact, even the position of the government in court was that the merger must not be disturbed and that the court should not intervene as it was a political issue. There was consensus on the part of the government, on the part of the main opposition that the merger must be properly effected. We are looking forward to a time that will be done.
Q. Don’t you think that there would be practical issues in merging the two provinces, since there is a provincial council that has already been set up in the East?
Provincial administration ran as a merged province for 19 years, although there was no provincial council. It ran without a problem for 19 years. Therefore, I don’t see any issue if the North and East are to become a merged province again.
Q. But wouldn’t the parties in the East oppose to such a move?
They have to state their position with regard to the merger of the North and the East. I have not come across even one political party that is opposed to the merger. In fact, the declared stance of every Tamil political party is that the North and East should be merged. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) also did not support the de-merger. Their position is that they would stand by the merger, provided that certain measure of autonomy should be considered for them as well. We have very clearly stated in our manifesto that the merger of the North and East must be achieved with the consent of the Muslim population in the Eastern Province. And we are not seeking a merger that the Muslims oppose.
Q. The TNA has also been invited to be a part of the Tamil Political Parties Forum (TPPF) set up by several Tamil parties. What is your view of this process and what is your stand?
We have got an invitation from the Tamil Political Parties Forum only last week. A letter that was addressed to the TNA parliamentary group leader, Mr Sampanthan, was received in Jaffna. It was sent to us here in Colombo. I have sent a copy of the letter to Mr Sampanthan, who is in India at the moment. We will look into it and consider our response. Until now, it was said that we were not responding positively to this forum’s invitation. But the invitation has come only now. We have not rejected it. But that does not mean that we will readily participate in it. We have had some reservations about joining a forum that has been set up, whose objectives we were unaware of. We are always for a broader unity among Tamil parties and as a primary Tamil party that has representation in parliament, we will work towards that. We will take initiatives of our own to achieve that kind of broader unity. But we are also conscious, that one cannot compromise on fundamental principles in the name of unity. We have been elected by the people with a mandate, and people have voted for us at an election which was conducted under extremely difficult circumstances. They have reposed some kind of confidence in us. They have rejected most of those parties that are part of this forum. We must not dilute or betray the confidence the people have placed in us by readily joining hands with forces who have been rejected by the people. But that is not to say that we should not talk to them or work with them for a common good. But, we will do that at the right time and in the right manner.
Q. What role should the diaspora play in assisting the people who have been affected by the war?
The diaspora has a great opportunity now to participate in the rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the North and East. But as to how they will participate in that is a big question. Because the institutional mechanism for that is not in place. Many of them are apprehensive about sending their funds or investing as they are not very sure of the stability of such endeavours. But that is something for the future. We are also looking at mechanisms that can be brought about through which the diaspora can meaningfully participate.
Q. You had said earlier that the people who were being resettled had not been provided with basic needs. What is the situation now? Did you visit any of these areas recently?
Yes. We visited 28 villages during the end of May and the beginning of June. We went to several places in July where resettlement had not taken place. We are aware that the situation has not significantly changed. They have been allowed to go to their villages with certain roofing materials, tin sheets, certain poles, tarpaulin sheets and some cement bags. And they are expected to live with those. Livelihood programmes have not started, farming has not commenced, fishing industry has not taken off. The people have just been dumped in those places. Several others have not been allowed to go. They are still in the camps. Resettlement has really not happened at all. That remains an issue to date. But, we are not seeking to criticise the government on that score. Our position is that we are willing to work with the government to ensure that our people return to their original places.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Jungle Alcohol Tree!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDIgoHVjvSA&feature=autofb
READ BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO This is a real video from a French documentary about Africa . You won't understand a word, but the video's a riot. There are trees that grow in Africa which, once a year, produce very juicy fruit that contains a la...
READ BEFORE WATCHING THE VIDEO This is a real video from a French documentary about Africa . You won't understand a word, but the video's a riot. There are trees that grow in Africa which, once a year, produce very juicy fruit that contains a la...
The Scope of Canadian Conscience by Roy Ratnavel
The Scope of Canadian Conscience
by Roy Ratnavel
As my flight descended into Charleston, South Carolina, I could see Fort Sumpter in the horizon through my sunny window of the aged United Airlines CRJ aircraft. Fort Sumter is best known as the site upon which the first shots initiated the American Civil War — subsequently bringing on unimaginable suffering of the people during and after that gruesome period in American history.
This inspired me to write about the people I left behind almost 22 years ago and their unimaginable, still ongoing suffering due to the longest civil war in Asian history. Leading up to the finale of Sri Lankan Civil War, many military strategists, politicians and terror experts in the West have either failed to recognize the deeper issues in Sri Lanka or they have deliberately applied a methodology to cause one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of the century.
The murder of many thousands of Tamils last year by the Sri Lankan government is one more proof of lack of common sense of Western countries intervention in Sri Lanka. The listing of the Tigers, and not condemning the atrocities of Sri Lanka on Tamils severed to only strengthen Sri Lanka's 'racial' tendencies, fanaticism and sheer brutality.
We are now witnessing the outcome of such one-sided Western meddling with Tamil freedom struggle. Proud people of 2000 year old rich culture of Indus Valley are now risking the high seas and their lives, including the lives of many orphans, begging for another chance at life, and all we Canadians can say is, "send them back." Ironically, we call ourselves a nation of 'civilized' people. One has to question if the mankind has already lost it's sanity.
Today, Sri Lanka is a ‘Democratic’ dictatorship run by a tiny elite family of thugs that suppresses the Tamil minority and denies past violence against Tamil civilians. But as always there are few noisiest cranks and sympathizers of Sri Lankan terror apparatus with clockwork prediction ready to suggest that the persecution of Tamils is a myth propagated by Tamil extremists. We know the kind of people who deny the Holocaust. What interest anyone has in denying the suffering of Tamils remains to be discovered.
I would like to recommend to those who are in denial to pick up a copy of a recent U.S. State Department report which highlights well-documented atrocities committed by Sri Lanka last year alone. Despite their sophomoric denials, the systematic abuses by Sri Lankan government forces are among the most serious imaginable. Finally, this year UN has ordered a warcrime investigation on Sri Lanka.
Canadian officials too should stop making pedestrian, boringly predictable utterances on public forums. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said, passengers paid up to $50,000 for a spot on the Sun Sea. If this sum is accurate, it suggests these people were desperate enough to spend what amounts to a small fortune to escape their homeland. I think Canada should take their desperation seriously.
Toews laments that “terrorist planning and financing” behind this voyage is extremely prejudicial to these individuals and to the Tamil community. If I were fleeing persecution, I’d be grateful to any and all who facilitated my escape. The Tamil boat-people should not be tainted by a blanket presumption of guilt.
Right now Tamils are sort of isolated, being demonized and the sense is growing in Canada that anything associated with Tamils is somehow alien, foreign and aggressive. And that is very dangerous line of thinking. Minister Toews irresponsible comments only helps to fan this illicit flame of anger.
Even the possibility that the Canadian government may be considering a deal to share intelligence with the Sri Lankan government is reprehensible. Few years back Sri Lanka was voted out of UN Human Rights Council. Sri Lankan government even said our parliamentarian Bob Rae and the Swedish Foreign Minister are a threat to Sri Lanka’s national security. Given such lack of credibility and idiocy, relying on Sri Lankan authorities for background checks on Tamil refugees who have arrived on our shores makes as much as sense as asking Colonel Sanders, "What's for dinner?"
Tamils arrival in Canada started in earnest 27 years ago in 1983 after the Sri Lankan government orchestrated horrendous race riot in July of that year. The mass exodus accelerated in the last decade of last century resulting in the largest Sri Lankan Tamil population outside of Sri Lanka. Since then, collectively Tamil lives were ‘rewired’ in this great land, and all around the free world outside the borders of Sri Lanka.
Prior to this, Tamils world consisted of the notion that populace mattered little. It is a word associated with state aggression and brutality. Tamils were exposed to death and destruction and witnessed many atrocities, engulfing us in general malaise. They are from a country where weapons dominated, and the slaughter of innocents was a form of development aid for the government.
Canadian environment of political freedom and freedom of choice, the process of enantiodromia began in one form or another. Tamils gradual transformation began from an unfairly organized, flawed democratic system into a liberal Democracy where one has the freedom to attempt to shape their own life. Tamils gained the opportunity of knowing and choosing between different forms of life — and, have now established a mounting presence in multiple facets of Canadian life: business, academic, political and social.
While the past may not repeat itself, it does often rhyme, as Mark Twain once said. Tamils’ future chapters to come may be different, but the verses are likely to sound the same. Contemporary events differ from history in that we do not know the results they will produce. Looking back, we can assess the significance of our past experiences, situations, hardships we faced and trace the consequences they have brought in our adopted country. While history runs its course, it is not history to us — rather, it’s our collective experience.
Tamils have worked their own salvation, their survival, in a long series of acts, conditions and judgments. Now Tamils who live outside of Sri Lanka have purpose. This purpose is a big part of Tamil survival. Hereto between life and death, these 492 souls arrived on our shores — chose life. Chose Canada.
Dangerous game of guilt by association could be played with almost anybody with a card and a highlighter. This whole thing has gotten to a panic mode. In our panic, us Canadians lost sight of something very important. If only someone could step up and cut through all this political posturing, grandstanding and fear-mongering and remind us what Canada is all about — a ‘civilized’ nation.
Rather than creating a smokescreen with bitter rhetoric about terrorism, Canada’s priority must be to expedite due process of each refugee claim to determine if they are legitimate refugees. Similar accusations were made last year as well when Ocean Lady came to our shores with 76 Tamil men and it turned out to be unprovable. Canada must stop this predictable pattern of reaction because such entry doesn’t need villains. Hate is diving us, and this hate is then harvested and sold as news.
If Tamils victimized in this conflict and fearing further persecution put their lives in the hands of smugglers, they are only doing what so many refugees before them have been forced to do. As an island nation, there is no way out of Sri Lanka but by air or sea. Anyone who says that ‘these people’ should have applied for entry to Canada through ‘the proper channels’ certainly haven’t paid attention to the news emerging from Sri Lanka.
Canada has an obligation under our law to take refugee claims seriously and give them due process. What is not sure is if Canadian government will send them all back to appease the masses to gain political milage — which will be unfortunate. What is for sure is if Canada sends them back without hearing their stories, then we Canadians have no right to claim that we are a ‘civilized nation.’
As I leave, I wonder if Sri Lanka could ever become like South Carolina after the civil war — devoid of state orchestrated killings but full of economic hope, peace and prosperity. And, how long would that take? Until then, Tamil boats will be roaming the friendly waters. Fort Sumpter appeared through my window yet again, as I ascended towards the cloudy sky.
roy_ratnavel@hotmail.com
Friday, August 27, 2010
Roy Ratnavel is a former Vice President of the Canadian Tamil Congress, and GTF.
by Roy Ratnavel
As my flight descended into Charleston, South Carolina, I could see Fort Sumpter in the horizon through my sunny window of the aged United Airlines CRJ aircraft. Fort Sumter is best known as the site upon which the first shots initiated the American Civil War — subsequently bringing on unimaginable suffering of the people during and after that gruesome period in American history.
This inspired me to write about the people I left behind almost 22 years ago and their unimaginable, still ongoing suffering due to the longest civil war in Asian history. Leading up to the finale of Sri Lankan Civil War, many military strategists, politicians and terror experts in the West have either failed to recognize the deeper issues in Sri Lanka or they have deliberately applied a methodology to cause one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of the century.
The murder of many thousands of Tamils last year by the Sri Lankan government is one more proof of lack of common sense of Western countries intervention in Sri Lanka. The listing of the Tigers, and not condemning the atrocities of Sri Lanka on Tamils severed to only strengthen Sri Lanka's 'racial' tendencies, fanaticism and sheer brutality.
We are now witnessing the outcome of such one-sided Western meddling with Tamil freedom struggle. Proud people of 2000 year old rich culture of Indus Valley are now risking the high seas and their lives, including the lives of many orphans, begging for another chance at life, and all we Canadians can say is, "send them back." Ironically, we call ourselves a nation of 'civilized' people. One has to question if the mankind has already lost it's sanity.
Today, Sri Lanka is a ‘Democratic’ dictatorship run by a tiny elite family of thugs that suppresses the Tamil minority and denies past violence against Tamil civilians. But as always there are few noisiest cranks and sympathizers of Sri Lankan terror apparatus with clockwork prediction ready to suggest that the persecution of Tamils is a myth propagated by Tamil extremists. We know the kind of people who deny the Holocaust. What interest anyone has in denying the suffering of Tamils remains to be discovered.
I would like to recommend to those who are in denial to pick up a copy of a recent U.S. State Department report which highlights well-documented atrocities committed by Sri Lanka last year alone. Despite their sophomoric denials, the systematic abuses by Sri Lankan government forces are among the most serious imaginable. Finally, this year UN has ordered a warcrime investigation on Sri Lanka.
Canadian officials too should stop making pedestrian, boringly predictable utterances on public forums. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said, passengers paid up to $50,000 for a spot on the Sun Sea. If this sum is accurate, it suggests these people were desperate enough to spend what amounts to a small fortune to escape their homeland. I think Canada should take their desperation seriously.
Toews laments that “terrorist planning and financing” behind this voyage is extremely prejudicial to these individuals and to the Tamil community. If I were fleeing persecution, I’d be grateful to any and all who facilitated my escape. The Tamil boat-people should not be tainted by a blanket presumption of guilt.
Right now Tamils are sort of isolated, being demonized and the sense is growing in Canada that anything associated with Tamils is somehow alien, foreign and aggressive. And that is very dangerous line of thinking. Minister Toews irresponsible comments only helps to fan this illicit flame of anger.
Even the possibility that the Canadian government may be considering a deal to share intelligence with the Sri Lankan government is reprehensible. Few years back Sri Lanka was voted out of UN Human Rights Council. Sri Lankan government even said our parliamentarian Bob Rae and the Swedish Foreign Minister are a threat to Sri Lanka’s national security. Given such lack of credibility and idiocy, relying on Sri Lankan authorities for background checks on Tamil refugees who have arrived on our shores makes as much as sense as asking Colonel Sanders, "What's for dinner?"
Tamils arrival in Canada started in earnest 27 years ago in 1983 after the Sri Lankan government orchestrated horrendous race riot in July of that year. The mass exodus accelerated in the last decade of last century resulting in the largest Sri Lankan Tamil population outside of Sri Lanka. Since then, collectively Tamil lives were ‘rewired’ in this great land, and all around the free world outside the borders of Sri Lanka.
Prior to this, Tamils world consisted of the notion that populace mattered little. It is a word associated with state aggression and brutality. Tamils were exposed to death and destruction and witnessed many atrocities, engulfing us in general malaise. They are from a country where weapons dominated, and the slaughter of innocents was a form of development aid for the government.
Canadian environment of political freedom and freedom of choice, the process of enantiodromia began in one form or another. Tamils gradual transformation began from an unfairly organized, flawed democratic system into a liberal Democracy where one has the freedom to attempt to shape their own life. Tamils gained the opportunity of knowing and choosing between different forms of life — and, have now established a mounting presence in multiple facets of Canadian life: business, academic, political and social.
While the past may not repeat itself, it does often rhyme, as Mark Twain once said. Tamils’ future chapters to come may be different, but the verses are likely to sound the same. Contemporary events differ from history in that we do not know the results they will produce. Looking back, we can assess the significance of our past experiences, situations, hardships we faced and trace the consequences they have brought in our adopted country. While history runs its course, it is not history to us — rather, it’s our collective experience.
Tamils have worked their own salvation, their survival, in a long series of acts, conditions and judgments. Now Tamils who live outside of Sri Lanka have purpose. This purpose is a big part of Tamil survival. Hereto between life and death, these 492 souls arrived on our shores — chose life. Chose Canada.
Dangerous game of guilt by association could be played with almost anybody with a card and a highlighter. This whole thing has gotten to a panic mode. In our panic, us Canadians lost sight of something very important. If only someone could step up and cut through all this political posturing, grandstanding and fear-mongering and remind us what Canada is all about — a ‘civilized’ nation.
Rather than creating a smokescreen with bitter rhetoric about terrorism, Canada’s priority must be to expedite due process of each refugee claim to determine if they are legitimate refugees. Similar accusations were made last year as well when Ocean Lady came to our shores with 76 Tamil men and it turned out to be unprovable. Canada must stop this predictable pattern of reaction because such entry doesn’t need villains. Hate is diving us, and this hate is then harvested and sold as news.
If Tamils victimized in this conflict and fearing further persecution put their lives in the hands of smugglers, they are only doing what so many refugees before them have been forced to do. As an island nation, there is no way out of Sri Lanka but by air or sea. Anyone who says that ‘these people’ should have applied for entry to Canada through ‘the proper channels’ certainly haven’t paid attention to the news emerging from Sri Lanka.
Canada has an obligation under our law to take refugee claims seriously and give them due process. What is not sure is if Canadian government will send them all back to appease the masses to gain political milage — which will be unfortunate. What is for sure is if Canada sends them back without hearing their stories, then we Canadians have no right to claim that we are a ‘civilized nation.’
As I leave, I wonder if Sri Lanka could ever become like South Carolina after the civil war — devoid of state orchestrated killings but full of economic hope, peace and prosperity. And, how long would that take? Until then, Tamil boats will be roaming the friendly waters. Fort Sumpter appeared through my window yet again, as I ascended towards the cloudy sky.
roy_ratnavel@hotmail.com
Friday, August 27, 2010
Roy Ratnavel is a former Vice President of the Canadian Tamil Congress, and GTF.
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