FACT FINDING MISSION REPORT / REPORTS

Field Report: Jaffna and Killinochchi Districts

CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES on May 6, 2013 

6th May 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) undertook a field visit to Jaffna and Killinochchi districts in April to assess the rule of law and human security situation in the areas. The CPA team spoke with a cross section of actors including Government officials, politicians, humanitarian agencies, civil society, media and community groups. During the course of the visit, key themes were highlighted as needing urgent attention including security considerations, preparations for Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections, the recent land acquisition process and its impact over land ownership and demographic change, as well as larger governance issues. These are briefly highlighted in this report.

Nearly four years after the end of the war, complex and challenging issues abound in the North. This report of a brief visit by CPA highlights some aspects of life in the North. It is by no means a comprehensive or definitive overview of issues on the ground. CPA notes the range of issues that were encountered during the short trip – from the day to day to the larger issues of politics and governance. Many of these issues are not new and have been highlighted by CPA in the past. Accordingly, CPA reiterates the recommendations made in previous years.

In light of possible NPC elections, there is now an opportunity to address shortcomings of previous years. It is paramount that the Government upholds basic constitutional guarantees and fully implements the Constitution including the devolution of power to the Provincial Councils. This visit demonstrated yet again the persistence of land problems, recently compounded by policy directives that may lead to the dispossession of land of thousands. CPA calls upon the Government to take urgent steps to address this situation and to institute processes that are transparent, participatory and just. CPA also calls upon Government and military officials to adhere to promises and pledges made including the release of private lands and to ensure people’s fundamental freedoms are respected. It is important that the Government takes immediate steps to build confidence among the people in the North by addressing the security situation, upholding law and order, providing a conducive environment for free and fair elections and ensuring that basic guarantees provided in the Constitutional and legal framework are adhered to. These steps are fundamental if reconciliation and unity are to be meaningful in Sri Lanka.

Download it as a PDF here, or read it online here.

Northern heat hits Sri Lankan pilgrimage to India

• When weather eases in August, the Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrimage are expected to visit India again.

By P K Balachandran-

05th May 2013 

It is the hot weather in North India rather than the anti-Sinhalese sentiment in Tamil Nadu which has severely curtailed the flow of Lankan Buddhist pilgrims into India, says the Buddhist Overseas Pilgrimage Tour Operators’ Association Sri Lanka (BOPTOASL). “The troubles in Tamil Nadu have ceased, and yet, the flow of pilgrims continues to be poor. It is virtually nil now. But this is because of the extremely hot weather in Delhi, Bodh Gaya and Varanasi, and not fear of attacks in Tamil Nadu,” said chairman of BOPTOASL, I P S Gunasekara.

“The other key inhibiting factor is cost. Avoiding Chennai and going to Bodh Gaya via Delhi, has greatly added to the cost of travel. It costs LKR 37,000 to fly to Delhi directly from Colombo, while the Colombo-Chennai ticket costs only LKR 17,000 to 19,000. Overall, it is much cheaper to fly to Chennai and take a train from there. When the weather eases in August, we will begin our operations and we will use Chennai as our port of entry,” Gunasekara said. “We are hopeful of getting pilgrims to transit through Chennai though there is still no guarantee that violence will not occur again,” he added.

IMPACT OF BOOK ON BUDDHA

The Lankan tour operators’ other worry is the possible impact of a new book on the birthplace of the Buddha written by a Buddhist monk Ven. Meewanapalaane Siri Dhammalankara of Padukka. Published in 2009, it says that the Buddha was born in Sri Lanka and not India, and that the holy land is not India but Lanka. It has been recommended by the popular monk politician Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka.

The title of the book is Apa Upan Mei Hela Bima, Budun Upan Jambudveepayee (This Hela Bima, where we are born, is Jambudveepa–the Birthplace of Lord Buddha). Here, Hela Bima is Sri Lanka, “the land of the Sinhalese.” Jambudveepa is the traditional Sinhalese name for India. According to Dhammalankara Thero, the Jambudveepa of yore is actually Sri Lanka, and not India.

Tour operators fear that people might stop going on pilgrimage to India after reading the book. But Gunasekara feels that only the followers of Dhammaloka Thero may be swayed by the book. The majority are opposed to it. “The issue is going to be taken to court,” he said.