Peace for the World

Peace for the World
First democratic leader of Justice the Godfather of the Sri Lankan Tamil Struggle: Honourable Samuel James Veluppillai Chelvanayakam

Monday, February 6, 2012

Tamil journalists blocked from attending Rajapaksa's meetings in Jaffna


Rajapaksa at Jaffna Central College
Rajapaksa and his son came to the opening ceremony of the swimming pool with a team of swimmers from South
Rajapaksa at Jaffna Central College
Rajapaksa with his minister Douglas Devananda and military governor of North Maj. Gen. (retd.) G.A. Chandrasiri at the opening ceremony of swimming pool at Jaffna Central College
Kokku'laay School
Kokku'laay school in Mullaiththeevu district
Kokku'laay School
Many of the schools in Vanni function without basic facilities and lack of teachers
The renovated hospital at Chaavakachcheari
The renovated hospital at Chaavakachcheari
[TamilNet, Monday, 06 February 2012, 12:10 GMT]
The wards of the Chaavakachcheari hospital, renovated with help from Red Cross societies from Finland and Ireland at different stages and that were already declared open, were showcased Monday as part of a ‘grand opening’ by the SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Vadakkin Vasantham (the spring of the North). The inaugural plaques of foreign donors were removed Sunday night and new plaques were installed with SL President's name and were declared re-opened by Mr. Rajapaksa Monday. As the local journalists in Jaffna began questioning the episode, the SL establishment blocked the journalists from covering the visit of Mr. Rajapaksa to Jaffna Secretariat where he was scheduled to discuss his ‘development’ of North. 
During his visit, Mr. Rajapaksa also declared open a swimming pool at Jaffna Central College. The swimming pool project, which had been launched by the ‘Blue Brigade’ of Rajapaksa's son Namal five years ago, was completed at last by diverting the funds allocated to reconstruct the schools in Vanni in 2012, civil sources in Jaffna complained. 

Chavakachcheari hospital was destroyed in year 2000 by Sri Lanka Army shelling and SLAF bombardment. After 11 years, basic facilities and various sections of the hospital have been reconstructed with the help of foreign donors. Japan had also shown interest in reconstructing the hospital, but the move had been dropped by the authorities in Colombo. 

The completion of the much publicized swimming pool project at the Jaffna Central College had been struck by corruption and was dragged on for five years by Namal Rajapaksa who didn't manage to complete it. The project was completed after diverting five million rupees of funds allocated to reconstruct the schools in Vanni by the Northern provincial ministry of education. The schools in Vanni are languishing without proper shelter and teachers. 

Tamil journalists, except EPDP operated media men, were blocked from covering Rajapaksa's opening ceremony at Jaffna Central College and the ‘development’ meeting at the Jaffna District Secretariat. The journalist who had gathered at the District Secretariat were chased away.

During his address at the opening ceremony of the swimming pool at Jaffna Central College, Mr. Rajapaksa warned Tamil students not to get distracted by the elusive forces [from South] that seek to divert their attention from studies [to anti-government activities]. He insisted that Tamil students should learn Sinhala language in addition to English and said all in the island should learn the three languages. 

As part of its ongoing structural genocide being committed on Eezham Tamils, the Sri Lankan government under Rajapaksa aims to complete the Sinhalicisation of the Tamil country before year 2020.
TamilNet