Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Was Sathyaseelan abducted due to the leaking of the Commission report?

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Details are now being unraveled about the reason for the abduction of 34 year old Sathyaseelan Sathyarajan from the Trincomalee high security zone (HSZ) in a white van at 5.30 a.m. on January 22nd. Sathyaseelan works as Sinhala-Tamil translator in parliament on a contract basis.

The report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission had been given to the parliament’s language translations division to be translated.

On a directive by the Defence Ministry, the CID is inquiring as to how electronic copies of the report were made available to certain foreign organizations before it was officially released and Sathyaseelan it is learnt has been abducted following details unraveled during the investigation.

Evidence has now been received to states that the abduction had taken place in the Trincomalee HSZ with knowledge of the police and although Sathyaseelan’s wife had complained about the abduction to the Harbor Police, the police officers had gone to investigate the matter only after about 11 hours.

A Sinhalese police constable had taken down the complaint that was made in Tamil. The complaint had been written down by a Sinhalese constable while there were many Tamil police constables present in the police station at the time. The Sinhalese constable had been used to delay the recording of the statement.

The abduction of a parliament translator should have been investigated more aggressively although the person was employed on a contract basis. It is evident that the Harbor Police is not showing interest in pursuing the investigation due to orders from a higher office.

Are bankrupt politicians like this engaged in politics these days? – asks Chandrika

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunge has told several government and opposition politicians during a friendly chat at the ceremony to mark Indian Independence Day at the High Commissioner’s Office on the 26th evening that the likes of Rajapaksas are holding on to power because of brainless politicians like Buddhika Pathirana.

Government ministers like Nimal Siripala de Silva and Tissa Vitharana opposition MPs Tissa Attanayake, Sajith Premadasa, Ravi Karunanayake and Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena have attended the get together organized at the Indian High Commissioner’s residence.

A noticeable feature at the event was the absence of the Rajapaksas. None of the Rajapaksa brothers had attended the event. Although the Indian High Commissioner had personally invited the Rajapaksas, none of them had attended the event for unknown reasons.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has not been accepting invitations by the Indian High Commission for some time.

Professor Peiris meets Indian minister and envoys in New Delhi

Saturday, 28 January 2012
External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, on a two-day visit to New Delhi held discussions on Monday with over 70 envoys accredited to Sri Lanka who are resident in New Delhi.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris meeting with India's Minister of Human Resource Development and Minister
of Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal.

The minister briefed the envoys in detail regarding the situation which existed in Sri Lanka's North and East before the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, the current situation, specific approaches that have been identified as a means of overcoming the challenges before the nation, and the progress made so far in multiple fronts since the end of the conflict approximately two-and-a-half years ago.

Explaining that the Government of Sri Lanka is acutely conscious of the unique opportunity afforded as a result of the successful conclusion of the conflict, Prof. Peiris assured the envoys that the political will that is required to carry forward the development agenda, implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), and political reform do exist. This is evident in the pragmatic strategies that have been drawn up and the implementation processes that have commenced in earnest, within weeks of the LLRC Report being presented to Parliament. Emphasizing that the Government is committed to engaging with the international community in a spirit of candour in dealing with all issues, the Minister informed the envoys that the Government is working as well towards restructuring Sri Lanka's diplomatic representation to strengthen cooperation with countries in the Latin American, Caribbean and African and Central Asian regions.

Discussion covered the following areas in detail; resettlement of displaced persons; demining; rehabilitation of ex-combatants; reconciliation; implementation of the recommendations of the LLRC, especially in the areas of restitution, land, demilitarization, and language policy including the trilingual initiative.

At his meeting with the Minister of Human Resource Development and Minister of Communications and Information Technology of India Kapil Sibal, Prof. Peiris discussed how India could support the effective implementation of the National Plan for a Trilingual Sri Lanka (2012-2021) that was launched on 21 January by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, with the participation of former President of India, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam.

With a view to enhancing cooperation between the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) and Indian Institutions, the minister met former Indian Foreign Secretary Ambassador Shyam Saran, Chairman of the Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS) and the Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) Ambassador Sudir Devare.

Chinese economic hit men have invaded Sri Lanka – Harsha Serious geo-political implications for Indo-Lanka relations

January 27, 2012,by Zacki Jabbar

The Mahinda Rajapaksa government, which included the likes of Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who paraded as patriots, had allowed the ‘economic hit men’ from China to invade Sri Lanka, causing serious geopolitical implications for Indo-Lanka relations, UNP MP Harsha de Silva said yesterday.

He told a news conference in Colombo that the SLFP and leftist political parties, who were all now part of the Rajapaksa regime, used to unfairly accuse the UNP of mortgaging the economy to the West, but they had beaten all administrations since Independence, by virtually selling the entire country to the Chinese.

Having obtained unsustainable high interest loans from China for various projects, the government was not in a position to pay them back, Dr. de Silva said, adding that it was now trying to convert debt to equity as evident by Minister Sarath Amunugama’s recent statement that China should be permitted to own and operate the Norochcholai coal fired power plant.

Dr. de Silva said that the China Harbour Company had already acquired 85 percent of the Colombo South Port Terminal for a period of 35 years and considering the free reign it enjoyed, the entire terminal would be within its control very soon.

Eighty percent of transshipment at the Colombo Port was Indian based and they obviously would have reservations about going through the Chinese dominated CSPT, knowing very well that the Rajapaksa government allegedly manipulated the paper work which prevented Indian companies from bidding for a stake, Dr. de Silva observed.

The China Harbour company, the MP said, could not win an open tender for the Colombo Port Breakwater, but was given the contract on a platter to construct the first phase of the Hambantota Port and Hambantota Stadium.

Friday, January 27, 2012

WikiLeaks: Rajapaksas use a group called the “Lion Cubs” to abductions and dispose bodies at sea

Colombo TelegraphJANUARY 26, 2012

IN JOURNALISM TRUTH IS A PROCESS

Army Commander Fonseka, with the knowledge and approval of Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, has set up special cells within military intelligence to go after suspected LTTE cadres and sympathizers in Colombo, Jaffna and other places.

Army Commander Fonseka, with the knowledge and approval of Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, has set up special cells within military intelligence to go after suspected LTTE cadres and sympathizers in Colombo, Jaffna and other places.

“Samaraweera confirmed for the first time that special cells have been established within military intelligence to abduct LTTE sympathizers.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

“Samaraweera confirmed that the Government uses a group called the “Lion Cubs” to engage in these extrajudicial activities. It is widely rumored in Sri Lanka that Army Commander Fonseka, with the knowledge and approval of Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, has set up special cells within military intelligence to go after suspected LTTE cadres and sympathizers in Colombo, Jaffna and other places.” US Embassy further wrote.

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is classified as “SECRET” and recounts details of a meeting US Ambassador to Colombo has had with then Sri Lankan government MP , the SLFP Treasurer and Leader and District Organizer of Matara District Mangala Samaraweera on February 26, 2007. The cable was written on February 28, 2007 by the US Ambassador to Colombo, Robert O. Blake.

Under the subject ”SRI LANKA:EX-FOREIGN MINISTER COMPLAINS OF HARASSMENT BY GOVERNMENT” ambassador Blake wrote “Ambassador commented that the President and the Defense Secretary reportedly believe that their military strategy, including abductions and harassment of suspected LTTE sympathizers, is working to make Colombo more secure and to degrade LTTE networks. Samaraweera confirmed that the Government uses a group called the ‘Lion Cubs’ to engage in these extrajudicial activities. It is widely rumored in Sri Lanka that Army Commander Fonseka, with the knowledge and approval of Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, has set up special cells within military intelligence to go after suspected LTTE cadres and sympathizers in Colombo, Jaffna and other places. We have also heard reports of a similar shadowy group called the ‘Hambantota Cats.’ The recently-appointed Cabinet Minister for Environment has publicly called for the use of extralegal means to root out LTTE sympathizers. Samaraweera lent credibility to these reports by relating grisly details about the methods these groups use to dispose of the bodies of their victims at sea.”

Below we give the relevant part of the cable;

Attack on Viluthugal Office and the Hidden Truths

Friday, 27 January 2012

There exists a direct connection between the attack on the Viluthugal office at 3, Torrington Avenue, Colombo 7 and the Sri Lankan army intelligence, according to the GTN intelligence reporter.

This is evident from a dialogue the reporter had with an officer who is connected with the defense sector. The particular officer when talking to the GTN intelligence reporter had disclosed that it could be easily guessed that the above attack had taken place with the direct order from the secretary of the defense ministry.

The office of ‘viluthugal’, a non-governmental organization is at Torrington Avenue which comes under the high security zone.Read more...

Burnt files

Friday, 27 January 2012
The records room of the Magazine remand was set on fire by rioting prisoners on Tuesday morning. The Prison Department suffered a loss of Rs.10 million due to the damages. Seen here is a prison officer looking at the burnt files of the prisoners when a visit was paid by Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana

Resettled Tamil woman's body recovered near SLA bund in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 January 2012, 23:55 GMT]

The skeleton of a recently slain 28-year-old unmarried Tamil woman has been recovered near an abandoned military bund used by the Sri Lanka Army in A’rukuve’li, located along Kearatheevu Road (Jaffna – Mannaar Road) in Thenmaraadchi on Wednesday. The victim, Atputhamalar Subramaniyam, who had resettled in Thanangki’lappu near Ma’ravanpulavu of Thenmaraadchi last year, has been missing since November 13. But, her family was receiving SMS messages for some time from her cell phone. The abductors have been sending the messages with the intention of making the family to believe that she was not abducted, relatives of the victim who came for the funeral on Thursday told media. Tension prevailed in the recently resettled area where the occupying SLA is still on random patrol.

28-year-old Atputhamalar Subramaniyam, who was missing since November 13 and was found in skeletons near Sri Lanka Army bund on Wednesday

The ‘resettlement’ hut of Atputhamalar's family in Thanangki'lappu where her funeral took place on Thursday

The ‘resettlement’ hut of Atputhamalar’s family in Thanangki’lappu where her funeral took place on Thursday

Thanangki’lappu village, where the victim was living, was allowed for resettlement in July 2011.

The A’rukuve’li area where her remains were found is still regarded as a military area, although SL Presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa had declared the area for resettlement last year. Even after 16 years, the SL military is still using the area, and civilian access remains restricted.

The skeleton was found by rabbit-hunters who went to the area.

The judge of Chavakachcheari courts P. Anantharaja and the forensic medical officer from the Jaffna hospital Dr. Sivarooban visited the site with the SL police from Chaavakachcheari.

The father of Atputhamalar identified the remains as that of his daughter by recognizing the cloths and the hair of the slain victim.

The remains were sent to Jaffna hospital for medical examinations and the judge allowed the family to conduct the funeral on Thursday.

Sri Lanka genocide story draws 22m vistors, says Argentine paper

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 January 2012, 03:33 GMT]
The Spanish Language Diario La Tarde, an evening journal published by independent journalists in West Argentina said the recent web publication of the story “Genocidio: (Primera entrega) – La masacre de los Tamils en Sri Lanka,” [Genocide: (First Delivery) The Slaughter of Tamils in Sri Lanka] drew 22 million visits in two days. The story appearing in Spanish covers history to the conflict, the slaughter at Mu’l'livaaykkaal, and asserts the post-conflict miliary aggression in Tamil areas as a form of structural genocide.

The story was pieced together by the paper’s correspondent in England, Juan Manuel Velazquez with assistance from an Argentinian exile in UK and his Tamil contacts, according to the paper.

The article draws attention of the Spanish readers by comparing the burning of the Jaffna Library to if “Franco regime in Spain had come to burn the library of Salamanca or the Universidad de Granada, or as if military dictatorship of the regime in the Argentina had been looted and destroyed the historical documents of the Jesuit missions of the library of the Archdiocese of Córdoba.”

The article mentions Archbishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph, compilation of the “list of 146.679 Tamils disappeared or killed between 2008 and 2009, of which 40,000 deaths occurred in the fateful 48 hours of the final assault on the enclave [Mu'l'livaaykkaal].”

The article questions why more than 50,000 Taml civilians are still in camps or in prison if the war was over two years earlier, and why the continued selective punishment of Tamils is still continuing. The paper avers to Colombo’s strategy as intended to “exterminate” Tamil people, and proceeds to document the historical evidence in support of why the paper is calling the mass killings a genocide.

The Inevitable 20 % Depreciation In The Rupee

Colombo Telegraph JANUARY 27

IN JOURNALISM TRUTH IS A PROCESS

Sri Lanka’s aggregate economic data is somewhat misleading.

Dr. Arujuna Sivananthan -

Fast eroding foreign exchange (forex) reserves and a ballooning trade deficit has led to internecine warfare between Sri Lanka’s two economic policy setting organs; i.e. its Treasury and Central Bank (CB) such that the latter was kept in the dark when President Rajapakse announced the unanticipated 3 percent devaluation in the rupee-US dollar (USD) exchange rate to 113.89/90 during his budget speech. Rupee trading had to be halted and several hastily arranged conference calls were held with foreign investors, who fund Sri Lanka’s rupee denominated debt, to assuage their concerns that further devaluations were not imminent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that the rupee is not less than 20% over-valued. However the CB has resisted calls by the Treasury and IMF to freely float it. Such an action would result in Sri Lankan expatriates –a large source of forex- who park their money in high interest rate domestic deposit accounts suffering capital losses in excess of any income they generate through interest. Foreign investors who bought rupee bonds issued by the government would also suffer deterring further investment in rupee denominated assets. As a result the final two tranches of the USD 2.5 billion facility negotiated with the IMF have not been disbursed.

Special Address by Stephen Harper - Annual Meeting 2012

Special Address by January 27, 2012S Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada

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The Globe and Mail.

Prime Minister Harper unveils grand plan to reshape Canada

After five years of minority governments, Stephen Harper finally has the freedom to act.

He’s no longer looking at the limited horizon of the next budget or the next election. He’s planning on transforming Canada for a generation or more. This is Stephen Harper’s blueprint for reform.