By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 23 -- Amid war crimes charges, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's speech Friday at the UN General Assembly was full of ironies.
Known for ruthlessly ending a separatist movement, Rajapaksa in his speech said that dialogue is the only way to resolve problems. He has insisted that the Panel of Experts report detailing war crimes is not a UN report -- but he thanked that UN.
Having opposed an aspiration for independence or autonomy, he nevertheless expressed support for a Palestinian state. He invoked religion and wished his audience peace, even as he's sued for war crimes.Ban & M Rajapaksa 364 days ago: this year more stonewalling
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Congress fast turns violent in Trichy
TRICHY: A Congress-led token fast demanding the hanging of three Rajiv Gandhi killers – Perarivalan, Santhan and Murugan - on Thursday turned violent, as various Tamil groups and political parties opposing the move came into direct confrontation with the fasting members.
About a hundred members of various organisations and political parties clashed with Congress members, particularly the Kisan wing of the Congress, as the two police vans carrying the arrested supporters of the pro-Tamils passed by the fast venue near the Chintamani Anna Statue.
Interestingly, the entire blame for the incident was put on the city police, which without exercising discretion "deliberately paraded" the 72 arrested members in front the fast venue. In fact, city mayor S Sujatha said, such a clash was waiting to happen, as the pro-Tamils had already made a request to the police to sit in a fast right in front of the Congress fast venue on the Trichy-Karur Road.
Sources said the Congress members were seen pelting stones, chairs and sandals at the police van carrying the pro-Tamils, which was reciprocated by the latter. However, all the 72 persons who had squatted on the road some 300 ft from the fast venue in protest against the Congress' fast were arrested as a preventive measure and later released in the evening.
K Shankar, the city secretary of Puthiya Tamilagam told TOI that the police had deliberately taken the arrested members through the site of the Congress fast site. Police Commissioner E Ma Masanamuthu admitted that the police had erred a little in their judgment when dealing with a chaotic situation.
