DELHI’s COVERT SUPPORT FOR SRI LANKA GENOCIDE AGAINST TAMILS ENTERS THE UNHRC PHASE

The Ground Report India

Reporter: vssubramaniam

DELHI’s COVERT SUPPORT FOR SRI LANKA GENOCIDE AGAINST TAMILS ENTERS THE UNHRC PHASE

Vssubramaniam 2 weeks agoRegion: India

  DELHI’s COVERT SUPPORT FOR SRI LANKA GENOCIDE AGAINST TAMILS ENTERS THE UNHRC PHASE The much awaited UNHRC September 2011 sessions began recently with the Eelam Tamils expectantly looking forward to some tan... more

THE UNHRC - THE LAST REFUGE FOR EELAM TAMILS! SRI LANKA‘s CHOGM MEMBERSHIP?

Vssubramaniam 2 weeks agoRegion: Sri Lanka

  THE UNHRC - THE LAST REFUGE FOR EELAM TAMILS! SRI LANKA‘s CHOGM MEMBERSHIP? The much awaited UNHRC September 2011 sessions began recently with the Eelam Tamils expectantly looking forward to some tangible pr... more>>>

TNA ready for a discussion with the US.

http://www.hirunews.lk  Tuesday, 11 October 2011

The Tamil National Alliance prepares to discuss with the U.S with regard to obtaining political solutions for the Tamil community of this country.

Speaking to our News Team, the Batticaloa District Parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance R. Ariyanendran stated that a group of 4 representatives is scheduled to leave the island on the 25th of October to discuss with this regard.

This group of representatives is scheduled to meet a group of senior officials of the U.S State Department.

It is mentioned that the U.S State Department will be made aware with regard to the discussions between the Tamil National Alliance and the government while discussions will also be held with the U.S Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

However, a discussion was held between the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake and the Tamil National Alliance.

Sources further revealed that the Tamil National Alliance is scheduled to tour in the U.S in response to an invitation made by the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake.

It is also revealed that the group of representatives of the Tamil National Alliance is scheduled to tour Canada apart from touring the U.S.

Meanwhile, the U.S states that its government is prepared to give its fullest support in strengthening the Sri Lankan economy.

Foreign media reported that measures will be taken to provide 14.7 million U.S dollars to Sri Lanka under the U.S aid programme.

Jayalalithaa trains guns on Sri Lankan navy

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to look at the Sri Lankan Navy attacks on Indian fishermen hailing from the state as a national issue and not as a problem of Tamil Nadu alone.
In a letter to the prime minister Monday, copies of which were released to the media Tuesday, she said: "I would also like to emphasise that the harassment of the fishermen of Tamil Nadu should be viewed as an act of provocation and aggression against India by Sri Lanka, similar to acts of firing across the borders of India by neighbours such as Pakistan and China."

Toughening stand: Jayalalithaa noted that the fishermen were attacked by the Lankan Navy the very day Indian foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai called on her before leaving for Sri Lanka

"The attacks on the fishermen belonging to Tamil Nadu should be viewed as a national issue and not as an isolated problem of Tamil Nadu alone," she said.
She urged Manmohan Singh to intervene on the issue and requested the Indian
Read More   

No Sign Of Progress In Sight

  Tuesday, October 11, 2011

• Lasantha Wickrematunge Murder Investigation

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

Lasantha Wickrematunge

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,” US President Barrack Obama during his inauguration speech in 2009.
Over two and a half years later, the murder investigation on The Sunday Leader Founding Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge has not made any progress. Despite many claims made by no lesser person than President Mahinda Rajapaksa that he would announce “very important details” about the murder in February 2009, the investigation seems to be at a standstill.

Full Story>>>
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A murder gangster of Duminda with 16 weapons in CID custody –Gota exerts pressure as before

(Lanka-e-News -10.OCT.2011, 11.00p.m.) The CID officers who are conducting investigations into the Bharatha Lakshman killing state that they are being subject to undue pressures by the Defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse. An individual who was in the murder gang of Duminda Silva at the time the killings were done had been taken into custody by the CID following a tip off. This individual had in his possession, two T 56 weapons and 16 others . On the first occasion itself when this murder gangster was arrested , Gotabaya had compelled the CID to record his statement and release him.
Maxi Procter , the police spokesperson said, the CID has so far recorded 37 statements , and on a search conducted on one individual who was taken into custody , they discovered 12 pistols, 2 revolvers, and two T56 weapons.

Based on the investigations conducted by the CID so far, three Prado vehicles have arrived with Duminda Silva on that occasion and there had been seven T56 weapons and 4 pistols . There was only one defense Ministry division security officer with Duminda , while all others had been underworld gangsters, according to information elicited. These underworld murder gangsters would have gone into hiding ‘publicly’ by now. According to what the driver of Bharatha Lakshman stated to the media , when Bharatha Lakshman was being shot , a group of police officers were watching this , but they did not even lend a hand when Bharatha was being taken to Hospital. No statement had been recorded from them yet.
According to sources within the CID transmitting information to the Lanka e news, in spite of the illegal pressures of Gota brought to bear on the CID officers who are investigating, most CID officers have decided to ignore them . Even when Duminda Silva’s vehicle and a kudu dealer of his were taken into custody at Chilaw recently by the anti narcotics division , owing to Gota’s pressures , they could not go ahead with the investigations. When the daily newspapers published these obnoxious actions, a stooge of Gota in the CID , Anura Silva was enlisted to inquire into who and why the article was published. On this occasion too Gota has tried to use Anura Silva to achieve his sordid goals , inside sources of the CID reveal.

Meanwhile , Sumana Premachandra the widow of Late Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra had made a request to the Colombo acting Magistrate, Ms. Lanka Jayaratne to grant permission to cremate the body of her husband. Ms. Lanka Jayaratne had agreed to grant permission

We may also die like dogs on the road at the hands of Gota’s murder gangs -Minister reveals conspiracy to kill Bharatha

(Lanka-e-News -10.OCT.2011, 11.00p.m.) A Minister of the SLFP who did not wish to reveal his name , but eager to expose the truth, speaking to
Lanka e news this morning said, there had been a premeditated plan to murder Bharatha Lakshman , and for this brutal murder , Duminda Silva and defense Secretary are directly and fully responsible. Speaking further , he explained as follows :

There had been a love affair between Bharatha Lakshman’s daughter and Namal Rajapakse . Though the existence of a love affair between youngsters is natural , the Rajapakse family had been bitterly resentful over this. One day Shiranthee Rajapakse had on the phone upbraided Bharatha Lakshman at length in this regard . The primary reason which necessitated the Rajapakses to plan to get rid of Bharatha Lakshman was this affair.

The Rajapakses had then begun dismissing the leaders of the SLFP trade unions which were under the Chairmanship and leadership of Bharatha Lakshman with a view to clip the wings of the latter. The worst part of this maneuver was the chasing away of the supporters of Baratha Lakshman in the Ports trade union , a powerful arm of the SLFP trade unions. When Bharatha Lakshman had discussed with Mahinda Rajapakse on this , the latter had told him, the trade union Presidential advisor ‘ don’t come to teach law and politics to me’ while having the former Attorney General also with him.

Thereafter the Rajapakses have used Duminda Silva to collide with Bahratha Lakshman . The latter had been receiving a number of complaints daily from his supporters in the areas under his control about Dumminda Silva’s intimidations , threats and harassments directed towards them. Though Bharatha Lakshman had reported this grave situation to the Rajapakses , they had paid no heed . Despite Bharatha Lakshman lodging complaints with the CID against the kudu (heroin) peddlers and dealers of Dumminda Silva , they had been unavailing because of Gota’s intervention at the behest of Dumminda.

At the recent elections Gotabaya Rajapakse travelled openly with Duminda throughout Kolonnawa canvassing votes . Bharatha Lakshman who was thoroughly disappointed over this , had at his rallies openly stated , ‘at places nearby where Gotabaya visited along with Dumminda , he was welcomed by ‘kudu dealers’, and some other nearby places he was garlanded by ‘kudu dealers’. The defense Secretary ought to be ashamed that he was being garlanded by kudu dealers , Bharatha Lakshman announced on platforms at his rallies. He added , if you want to cast your vote against kudu dealers , then vote for Solangarachchi . As urged by Bharatha Lakshman so the people voted for Solangaarachi of the SLFP who polled a massive number of 42322 votes whereas the ‘kudu dealer’ candidate promoted by Gota and Duminda polled only 5811 votes. The Minister who was relating this episode to us asked ‘doesn’t this alone demonstrate the people’s abhorrence to ‘kudu’ and those promoting it ?’

Owing to these developments , there had been a plan to torch Solangaarachi’s house and kill Bharatha Lakshman on the elections day. When 11cans of petrol were being transported for this purpose by Duminda Silva and his marauding gang, their vehicle has collided with an ASP’s vehicle resulting in a change of plans. Later , the people have taken these petrol cans and set fire to the vehicle which transported them.
Prior to this episode , a cutout of Mahinda Rajapakse was shot at one night , by a group who had fled away. The Rajapakses suspecting that it was Bharatha Lakshman ‘s supporters who did this shooting had harbored an inveterate hatred towards Bharatha Lakshman.

In the circumstances , there has been a premeditated plot to kill Bharatha Lakshman , the Minister pointed out. “ Those responsible SLFP ers should come forward and put a stop to this . Otherwise , we too will have to face the same fate, and die on the road like dogs at the hands of the murderer gangs of Gotabaya”, the Minister told with grave concern.
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SRI LANKA: Eighth case of extrajudicial killing of beggars in the Kalaniya Police Division should be investigated

October 6, 2011
ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION-URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME-  Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-194-2011
 
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is making an exceptional Urgent Appeal after observing the increased numbers of systematic extrajudicial killings of beggars in Sri Lankan cities over the past few months. According to information that the AHRC has received, a beggar was clubbed to death by unidentified assailants with a sharp weapon during the early hours of 4 October 2011 at Kelaniya in Gampaha District. This is the eighth beggar who is reported to have been killed in the past 3 months. In the name of modernization and the beautification of the cities, around a dozen beggars were similarly killed in the city of Colombo in 2010. Investigation or prosecution of the assailants were denied in all of these cases. Therefore, justice was denied. The case is yet another in a very long list of extrajudicial killings by the Sri Lankan police. 
Read More…

Tamil political leaders in Sri Lanka express concerns over delay in a political solution

Mon, Oct 10, 2011, 08:11 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


Oct 10, Colombo: Heads of three Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka today met Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai who is currently on an official visit to the country and expressed concerns over the government's failure to find an early solution to the ethnic problem.
The Tamil leaders represented the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF)-Pathmanaba Wing.
V. Anandasangaree of TULF, D. Sidarthan of PLOTE and T. Sritharan of EPRLF-Pathmanaba Wing have strongly urged that finding an early solution to the ethnic problem will be the only answer to many problems.
"A solution acceptable to the minorities should be found and the entire civil administration should be left in the hands of the civil administrators without the Government interfering in everything," the three Tamil political parties have said in a statement.
The statement issued soon after the discussion with Mathai said "The people of the North and the East still undergo severe hardships not only due to the after effects of the war but also more due to the government, trying to implement its own agenda of settling people of one ethnic group amidst another ethnic group, deliberately to change the demographic pattern of the area."
The Tamil parties have said the government has no plans for demilitarization and that the forces were involved in civil administration.
The Tamil politicians have also raised issues pertaining to the coal power project in Sampur, re-demarcation of administrative districts and divisions and the authority over lands during the discussion.

“Everyone knew that there were civilian casualties. What people didn’t know was the true extent of it.” - Gordon Weiss

 Gordon Weiss was the United Nations spokesperson in Sri Lanka for two years during the recent civil war. He was a close observer to the happenings where, “in just four months in 2009, tens of thousands of civilians perished along with the last of the Tamil Tigers.”

He has published a book titled ‘The CAGE’: The fight for Sri Lanka and the last days of the Tamil Tigers.

He participated in a panel discussion of ‘Post War Opportunities and Challenges in Sri Lanka’ held at Ryerson University, Toronto on September 15, 2011, organized by Sri Lankans Without Borders. Immediately after the discussion, Charles Devasagayam interviewed him for the Tamil Mirror readers.

                                                                       full story >>>

Here is the full interview:
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Remedial Sovereignty

[Sun, 09 Oct 2011, 05:22 GMT]

Tamils' demand for self-determination in the past four decades, which posed persistent challenges to Sri Lanka's sovereignty, was rooted on the acceptance of Tamils fundamental right to self-determination under customary international law, as a "people" possessing a distinct language, distinct culture and living in an identifiable region considered as the historic homeland. But recent, state sanctioned, massacre of 40,000 Tamils in Mu'l'livaaykkaal, and the continuing structural genocide, while reinforcing the traditional argument based on rights, also supplies an independent, stand alone justification for the creation of a state, based on the need to defend the Eelam Tamil population from further destruction - the doctrine of "remedial sovereignty."Full story >>

Indian housing project for the war-hit Tamils in Jaffna progressing slowly

R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN

PALAI (KILINOCHCHI), October 10, 2011

An official of Hindustan Prefab explaining to Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai the progress on the pilot housing project for the rehabilitated Tamils at the project site in Palai on Sunday. Behind Mr. Mathai is Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha. Photo: R.K. Radhakrishna

In just over a year, Jaffna peninsula has seen the visit of two Foreign Secretaries to the sites of a prestigious Indian housing project. In more than a year, a mere 52 of the 1,000 houses meant for the war-affected Tamils have been built. A total of 50,000 houses are to be built.       Full Story>>>

Foreign secretary discusses Tamil fishermen issue in Lanka

rediff.com
October 10, 2011 
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Monday met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa [ Images ] and raised the issue of frequent attacks on fishermen from Tamil Nadu during his talks with authorities in the island nation, underlining that there was no room for violence.

Ending his three-day visit to the nation, Mathai said that he had taken up the issue with the Lankan government.

He was told that the Lankan navy was not involved in the attacks and it was under strict instructions not to attack Indian fishermen.

In Jaffna, which he visited on Sunday, local officials made a presentation on how local fishermen were suffering due to alleged poaching by Indian fishermen in their waters.

Mathai told them that since the issue was one of livelihood, there was no room for violence.

Representatives of the fishermen of the two sides should meet for talks to thrash out the issues, he said.

The foreign secretary said that he suggested deep sea fishing as means to prevent clashes between the fishermen of the two countries.

Mathai had called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa [ Images ] prior to his visit to Sri Lanka [ Images ].

Jayalalithaa had conveyed to Mathai her serious concern over the increasing attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy.

The Truth , The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth

“80% says Mahinda is corrupt and 85% says his family is 
                                    corrupt”

• WikiLeaks Cables serve as authentication and verification of things that were suspected

Re-reading Presidential Election Results Together With WikiLeaks’ Revelations

By Uvindu Kurukulasuriya

Mahinda Rajapaksa and Dr. Sunimal Fernando

We all know the level at which Sri Lankan politics stand. So what do we learn from WikiLeaks? The question, as with virtually everything else to do with the leaks, was polarising. There was, from the start, a metropolitan yawn from bien pensants who felt they knew it all.

Arabs do not like Iran? The Russian government is corrupt? Some African countries are kleptocracies? Go on, astonish us. You will be telling us next that the Pope is Catholic. According to this critique the disclosure stated the obvious and amounted to no more than “humdrum diplomatic pillow talk”. (This was from the London Review of Books. Academic Glen Newey said he was unimpressed by the revelation that French leader Nicolas Sarkozy “is a short man with a Napoleon complex”.) This served as fuel for the argument that there was no public interest in leaked cables

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Raj’s lawyers assert he was never a terrorist funder

October 8, 2011, 8:32 pm 

Lawyers for Mr. Raj Rajaratnam, now awaiting sentencing in an insider trading case where he was found guilty, have written to the publishers of Vanity Fair magazine and Mr. David Rose, author of the article "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Raj" published on the magazine’s website of September 30 alleging that the article contained "numerous false and defamatory statements" about Rajaratnam.Attorneys John N. Dowd and Terrance J. Lynan belonging to a prestigious New York law firm had demanded the issue of a public and prominent retraction on the article and had also demanded that it be removed from further publication on the internet and any hard copies.

They have also called for the issue of an immediate and substantive apology to Rajaratnam "for falsely associating him with a terrorist organization."

The last issue of the Sunday Island carried excerpts of the Vanity Fair article.

The letter to Vanity Fair highlighted several matters raised in the article including that Rajaratnam was a major Tiger funder who directed money "criminally acquired to funding Tiger terrorism."

The letter said that as a result of the publication Rajaratnam has and continues to suffer damage to his reputation and character.

``The truth is that Mr. Rajaratnam has never been a sponsor or supporter of any terrorist group, nor has he ever knowingly given any financial support to any terrorist organization. Specifically he never made the statements attributed to him in your article. He was never a LTTE fund raiser. Your attribution to the contrary is utterly false," the letter said.

It further said that Rajaratnam had completely cooperated with FBI agents from the Terrorism Task Force when they contacted him and asked if he would speak to them about their investigation about Tamil Tigers. No allegation has ever been made by the FBI regarding his conduct.

"Your implication that the insider trading prosecution against Mr. Rajaratnam was in any way tied to the government’s investigation of terrorism is as outrageous as it was false and it too defames Mr. Rajaratnam who has never been accused by any law enforcement agency of supporting terrorism," the letter said.

It further said that Rajaratnam had donated over US$ 45 million to charitable causes around the world benefiting many different countries. He has done considerable charitable work in Sri Lanka to benefit all economic groups, including donating millions of dollars to build up houses throughout the country after the devastation caused by the tsunami.

David Cameron demands answers over Liam Fox's foreign trips with former flatmate who travelled as his 'adviser'

 8th October 2011

Liam Fox (pictured today in Libya) has faced questions over his dealings with his friend Adam Werritty

David Cameron has asked for a report on the internal investigation into Defence Secretary Liam Fox to be on his desk on Monday, Downing Street said today.

The scale of Mr Fox's dealings with a friend who poses as his adviser became clearer last night as it emerged the pair attended two more foreign trips together.

The Prime Minister has tasked Sir Gus O'Donnell, head of the civil service, with bringing him the initial findings of the inquiry into Dr Fox's working relationship with former flatmate Adam Werritty.

Dr Fox is on a landmark visit to Libya and has held talks with National Transitional Council (NTC) chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil and Defence Minister Jalal al-Digheily on the progress of military operations in the country.

But the visit has been overshadowed by claims about Mr Werrity, best man at his wedding, who made 14 visits to the Ministry of Defence over 16 months.

The Defence Secretary was joined by Mr Werritty as he attended a number of official meetings.

In 2009 Dr Fox, then shadow defence secretary, went to Israel for talks on the relationship between that country and Palestine. Mr Werritty was listed as his adviser.

And, at a visit to the Gulf Research Centre think-tank in 2007, the pair were photographed holding talks around a table with two men, one wearing Arab dress.

It is believed this meeting took place in Dubai and again, Dr Fox was the Tories' defence spokesman at the time.

News of Mr Werritty's presence at the meetings appears to undermine Dr Fox's insistence that their friendship did not stray into official business.

Read more: 

What was Werritty doing meeting Sri Lanka’s regime?

Sunday 9 October 2011

Ever since we discovered and broadcast the photo of Liam Fox and

Adam Werritty on a trip to Sri Lanka on Channel 4 News last week we, along with the rest of the media, have been fascinated by the revelations of just how often Mr Werrity seems to have appeared on official or unofficial trips with the secretary of state for defence, writes Channel 4 News Foreign Editor Ben De Pear.

Whilst we await the investigations into the propriety of his actions, the other questions surrounding the defence secretary’s relations with the regime in Sri Lanka, questions asked a long time ago but never properly answered, deepen with the multiple appearances at his side of his friend/erstwhile adviser/business partner in meetings with members of the Sri Lankan regime.

 Full Story

Doubts Over Govt.’s Sincerity In Finding A Political Settlement

• Govt.-TNA Talks Due To International Pressure

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

Mahinda Rajapaksa speaking with R. Sampanthan

The government has resumed talks with the TNA to find a political solution to the ethnic issue, but the sincerity in the whole exercise is being doubted by the Tamil political leadership in the country.
After decades of dialogue between successive governments and the Tamil political leadership, the Tamil leaders are now expressing frustration at the whole process that continues to be delayed.

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