Sunday, December 25, 2011

British tourist killed on Christmas eve

25 December, 2011

The couple was attacked as they attended the Christmas dinner dance at The Nature Tangalle

Journalists in the southern Sri Lankan town of Tangalle have received death threats following their coverage of an attack on a tourist couple at a holiday resort.

Police said they have identified all suspects of the attack in which a British national was killed and his friend, a Russian national, sustained injuries.

The victim Kuram Shaikah Zaman, a British national of Israeli origin, is an ICRC volunteer working in the Gaza strip.

Police spokesman SP Ajith Rohana told BBC Sandeshaya that the post-mortem conducted at Matara hospital was told that the victim has died as a result of being attacked by a sharp weapon and he was also shot at, he said.

British, Russian nationals

"It was the assault by the sharp weapon that has caused his death," said SP Ajith Rohana.

Eyewitness said Tangalle Pradesheeya Sabha chairman, Sampath Vidanapathirana, was seen having a row with the couple prior to the attack at Nature restaurant in Medilla.

"Police will arrest all suspects who have been identified," said SP Ajith Rohana who declined to reveal the names of suspects.

Victoria Alexandrovna, 23, is being treated in Karapitiya hospital, Galle at the intensive care unit.

Sunil Jayasekara, convenor of Free Media Movement told BBC Sandeshaya that journalists in the area have received threats after reporting the incident.

Namal’s sidekick Tangalla local body chairman murders British tourist :police suppressing the incident- culprits still free

(Lanka-e-News -25.Dec.2011, 11.55PM) UPFA Local body , Tangalla ,Chairman Sampath Chandrapushpa Vithanapathirane and his murderer group have shot and killed a British tourist in a tourist Hotel at Medilla, Tangalla in South. As Sampath Chandrapushpa is a close friend and sidekick of MaRa regime’s Namal Rajapakse , and the victim is a foreigner , the police is making desperate attempts to suppress the crime. In the least the police is not announcing that the murder has been committed by shooting. Neither Sampath nor his accomplices had been taken into custody so far.

The assasinated British national, Khuram Shaikh, was a volunteer for the International Committee of the Red Cross at the Gaza Strip.

On the 24rd night, there had been a musical party at the Hotel when Sampath the Chairman of the local body had started poking fun at and harassing the wife of the deceased in an immoral manner . Following this , a dispute had erupted between the Britisher , his wife and the murderers , whereupon Sampath and his murder gang had shot at the British citizen, Khuram Shaikh. The latter had died of the gunshot injuries while his Russian wife who sustained injuries is being treated at the Karapitiya Hospital.

At the post-mortem examination, JMO Dr. H.K.K. Wijeweera determined cut injuries as the cause of death, although there is a gunshot wound in his body as well.

Hope Lanka acts decisively on devolution of powers: India

25 DEC, 2011
NEW DELHI: India today said it expected Sri Lankato "act decisively" to achieve meaningful devolution of powers to its provinces in the backdrop of the military operation against the LTTE.

In its first comments on the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), India also asked Sri Lanka to set up an "independent and credible" mechanism to probe allegations of human rights violations.

"The LLRC report has underlined that the present situation provides a great window of opportunity to forge a consensual way forward towards reconciliation through a political settlement based on devolution of power," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

Pointing out that the LLRC report expects the Government to provide leadership to a political process, he said India hoped that Sri Lanka "recognising the critical importance of this issue acts decisively and with vision in this regard."

Prakash also underlined the implementation of the assurances given in the LLRC report to ensure speedy resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDP) would mark a major step forward in the process of reconciliation.

"Implementation of assurances to ensure speedy resettlement and genuine reconciliation, including early completion of the process of the return of IDPs and refugees to their respective homes, restoration of normal civilian life in affected areas would mark a major step forward in the process of reconciliation," he said.

The report of the LLRC, set up against the backdrop of allegations of military excesses in the operation against the LTTE, was tabled in the Sri Lankan Parliament by the government on December 16.

Welcoming the public release of the LLRC report, Prakash said India "takes note of the assurance given by the Government of Sri Lanka in Parliament about implementation of many of its recommendations."

ICG wants independent international investigation into Sri Lanka's civil war

December 24, 2011

R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN

The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) has criticised Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Report for failing to provide “the thorough and independent investigation of alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law that the UN and other partners of Sri Lanka have been asking for” during the Eelam War IV.

It called upon the international community - through the U.N. Human Rights Council – “to establish an independent international investigation in 2012. Without such an investigation, accountability for the crimes committed at the end of the civil war is highly unlikely,” it said in a statement released on December 22.

The Tamil National Alliance, an umbrella group of Tamil political parties, has already called for an international accountability mechanism, saying that the LLRC did not do justice to the victims of the war.

The ICG said that the “responsibility now falls on the international community to take up the task of ensuring post-war accountability.” It wants a formal discussion of the report and the U.N. Secretary-General's panel report at the March 2012 session of the U.N. Human Rights Council. This should lead to an independent international mechanism to investigate all credible allegations and to monitor domestic efforts at accountability.

“The Human Rights Council should also take note of the LLRC's recommendations that the government investigate and hold to account those responsible for abductions, disappearances and attacks on journalists – including those committed by armed pro-government Tamil parties. These issues should be addressed on an urgent basis by the Sri Lankan government and its implementation of the commission's recommendations should be monitored on an ongoing basis by the HRC,” the ICG said.

Urging the international community to bring pressure on Sri Lanka, the ICG said that there was “little chance” that the recommendations will fare any better if there was no prodding from outside. Towards this end, it called upon the U.N. Secretary-General, the Human Rights Council, and influential governments, most importantly China, India, Japan, the United States, Canada, Britain, France and the European Union, to step up pressure on Sri Lanka. “Sri Lanka's friends in the non-aligned movement, especially South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico, have a particularly important role in reminding Sri Lanka of the importance of accountability and demilitarisation to lasting peace and reconciliation,” it added.

2012: ‘Year of the Fire Brigade’ for Govt.

Sunday December 25, 2011

2012: ‘Year of the Fire Brigade’ for Govt.

Western powers murmur but Sri Lanka yet to come up with roadmap for reconciliation and good governance
Positive features in LLRC report, but issue of accountability for military excesses not addressed, say international groups

By Our Political Editor

Sri Lanka ushers in another New Year in just six days, with some of the most difficult challenges staring in the face of the government.

Victoria Nuland: US State Department spokeswoman

Matters arising from the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas in May 2009 will no doubt be one of them. The end of the separatist war has rid the countrywide fear psychosis and brought about an unprecedented wave of development activity. Yet, the peace dividend arising from the victory is still to be declared. Both the government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) are at loggerheads. Their dialogue is floundering and a proposed Parliamentary Select Committee has not got off the ground. Hence, the formulation of any political package to address whatever 'Tamil grievances' there are has not emerged so far. The question is whether it will in 2012.

Last Tuesday, the TNA called upon "the international community to acknowledge the consistent failure of the domestic accountability mechanisms in Sri Lanka and take steps to establish an international mechanism for accountability." The appeal came in a statement which said that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) "has dramatically failed the victims of the conflict." It charged that the Commission has granted "immunity to civilian and military leaders responsible for devising the policies that led directly to the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity." Full Story>>>

Lanka denies war crimes charges by former Major General

Sunday December 25, 2011

A Defence Ministry official yesterday described as 'frivolous' purported claims by a onetime Major General that the Army higher-ups were ordered to kill civilians who surrendered during the final stages of the separatist war in May 2009.

"We know the officer concerned who had to leave on disciplinary grounds. His purported claim is only to back up his appeal for asylum in the United States," the source said. "He was on a watch list when serving and was found engaged in political activity," the source added.

The remarks came after a report in Britain Sunday Telegraph gave details of an affidavit he had provided the US authorities. Here is the report: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/srilanka/
"The claims are contained in a sworn deposition, seen by The Daily Telegraph, made by a career officer who rose to the rank of major general before he fled the country in fear of his life to seek asylum in the United States.

"He is the highest ranking person to assert that atrocities against Tamil rebels and civilians were sanctioned at the highest echelons of the government. The source had the highest security clearance and close contact with some of the army's most powerful figures. "His testimony contradicted a government-appointed commission, which concluded that Sri Lanka's military did not intentionally target civilians. Full Story>>>

Ethnic Crisis: Inadequacy of Traditional Interpretations

Sunday, December 25, 2011

By Victor Ivan

The impact of caste, creed and language on Sri Lanka

This article is meant to analyse the inadequacy of traditional interpretations of the ethnic crisis and point out limitations inherent in them.
It is not incorrect to treat this issue as an ethnic crisis. Yet, in my opinion, it is not correct to treat it only as a conflict based on ethnic differences that prevail between the majority Sinhala community and the other minority communities -Tamils and Muslims. In other words, the crisis scenario embraces different facets that extend beyond ethnic lines. The traditional interpretation has its own limitations and according to which it is only an outcome of an ethnic conflict among the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities. It has overlooked the implicit conflict that prevails among different religious groups and social divisions based on caste system. Consequently, religio-social dimensions of this crisis have been either ignored or excluded and the issue is defined only in terms of ethnic differences.Read More »

Tamils, Indians, The LLRC Report And Rajapaksa Politics

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) Report presented in parliament on December 16, after it was handed over to President Rajapaksa on December 20, has left a divided international community and a divided local political response, which is nothing unusual, but the larger part is formed by the silent lot, that was expected to take a stand on the “report”. This included the UNP, the “Left” and the major civil society actors here plus the TN lobby and the Delhi administration.

Victoria Nuland, urged Sri Lanka to address issues not covered by the report(Picture Courtesy of www.newsfirst.lk)

International HR organisations have said its not enough and their accusations on war crimes and violation of international law, have not been addressed. They are ONLY concerned about those and not of the Tamil people who survived here. The US and the EU made a very careful “ok, but…” sort of response. Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, Ms. Victoria Nuland was quoted to have said, “…we urge the Sri Lankan Government not only to fulfill all of the recommendations of the report as it stands, but also to address those issues that the report did not cover.” Read More »

‘All Sides Must Be Investigated For Real Reconciliation To Begin’

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Father S.J. Emmanual

The Sunday Leader’s Faraz Shauketaly spoke to Head of the Global Tamil Forum, Father Emmanuel, asking him to comment on the UN Advisory Panel Report. Excerpts:

Q: What is your reaction to the UN Advisory Panel’s report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon?
A: We have seen a leaked report. We are at the first stage. It is an opportunity to find out the truth and to start a process of true reconciliation. The Report advises that an enquiry be held to hold both the Sri Lankan Government and the Tigers accountable. There has been a lot of emotional reaction from both sides – the Sri Lanka government and the Tamils. We Tamils of course welcome the report as being an objective one. It is an attempt to find out and bring out the truth so that justice can be done and a true reconciliation process can begin.

Q: Do you think that a report such as this could be detrimental to the reconciliation process?
A: A true reconciliation process begins with finding out the truth. The Sri Lankan government has also said that it can be detrimental. Knowing the truth as far as we can is the start so that a real reconciliation process can start. Justice includes accountability on both sides and we are all for reconciliation that’s what we all want.

Q: Some say that by asking for this type of enquiry and reports, it is a case of sour grapes because the Tigers lost the battle. What do you say about that?
A: It is true that the battle was lost but that is not the end. Despite signs of victory euphoria there has been no signs of a real reconciliation process that includes justice and accountability. The people in the war zones are still suffering, the names of those under incarceration have not been released, there is colonisation going on – so the real reconciliation is not there.

Q: What can the government do to assuage the fears of these people and what exactly can they do?
A: For the last two years we have been watching closely what is happening at the ground level. The displaced have been promised many things but the delivery is not there. The displaced have not yet found their homes. Some are still in camps, surrendees are still inside without their names being released. There is small development taking place by the form of colonisation taking place.

Q: You are talking of colonisation in terms of the homes that are being built to house the Army?
A: Yes, there is an increased militarisation, they are making special permanent military camps even though they say the war is over.

Q: Have you yourself been back to Sri Lanka since the war ended?
A: No, the last time was soon after the tsunami of 2004. It is my home and I hope to be able to visit again soon.

Q: Do you really and truly believe not just from this Report but from first hand knowledge that there were war crimes committed by perhaps both the SL Army and the LTTE?
A: Yes, there is more and more evidence surfacing. We also have evidence. We are talking of credible allegations. The evidence must come out.

Q: Your evidence is of crimes committed by the armed forces? What about the claim made by the former MP from Mullaitivu who says that over 600 persons were killed by the LTTE?
A: Such allegations must be investigated. Justice demands that. We must find the whole truth, not just one side. It is wrong for the government to react from the one side, they must think of the Tamil side too. The LTTE too must be investigated.

Q: Is all this designed to discredit and to remove the President of Sri Lanka?
A: Not at all, this is not a personal issue, it is to do with the reconciliation process of the whole country. Justice and accountability and finding out the real truth from all sides.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

MRG calls for independent international mechanism to deal with issue of accountability in Sri Lanka

Minority Rights Group International (MRG) welcomes some recommendations made by the Sri Lankan government’s ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC), but condemns its failure to deal with the crucial issue of accountability regarding events during the latter stages of the war in 2009.

MRG welcomed the government’s decision to table the LLRC report in parliament and make it publicly available.

The international human rights organisation says that the LLRC report has dealt with some key minority rights concerns. The report has important and useful recommendations on issues of language and land rights, resettlement, enforced disappearances and the security of women, all of which affect minority Muslims and Tamils. MRG particularly welcomes the recommendations made on Muslim displacement –an issue that has been ignored by Sri Lankan governments for more than two decades.

MRG calls on the Sri Lankan government to ensure redress for the major human rights violations raised in the LLRC report and implement recommendations made on the above issues.

The LLRC report, however, does not sufficiently investigate the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law in the last stages of the war. The report displays bias by basing its arguments mainly on statements made by military and government leaders, and while acknowledging large numbers of civilian deaths, exonerates the government for the manner in which the military campaign was conducted during this period.

The report contradicts the findings made by the panel of experts appointed to look into this issue by the UN Secretary General, and by other national and international human rights organisations including MRG. The report also does not discuss further serious human rights violations, including torture and sexual violence, perpetrated by government forces.

In the past year the Sri Lankan government has brushed away calls for an international investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law by insisting that the LLRC – its domestic mechanism – is capable of fulfilling this task. The credibility of the LLRC has been repeatedly questioned because of its wide mandate and because some of its members were key government defenders of the war.

Serious human rights violations including enforced disappearances, torture and extra-judicial killings are continuing in Sri Lanka two and a half years after the end of the armed conflict. MRG says the current climate of impunity and the government’s failure to fully deal with the issue of justice and accountability are thwarting the much needed reconciliation process in the country.

In this context, MRG says, international action is now crucial. It calls on the UN Human Rights Council to start a formal discussion on both the LLRC report and the UN Panel report with the aim of establishing an independent international mechanism to investigate fully the credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian committed by all parties involved in the armed conflict and to monitor progress towards the implementation of an effective transitional justice process by the Government of Sri Lanka .

Global Tamil Forum on LLRC

Global Tamil Forum

உலகத் தமிழர் பேரவை

24 December 2011

Global Tamil Forum (GTF) welcomes the long delayed publication of the ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission’ (LLRC) report. Its findings only serve to emphasise the importance of establishing an international, independent accountability mechanism to investigate whether Government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) breached any international law, committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the last months of the war.

Whilst the LLRC has received extensive criticism, it must be stated that some of its judgments and recommendations deserve acknowledgement. In particular, GTF welcomes the statement from the Commission “that the root cause of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka lies in the failure of successive Governments to address the genuine grievances of the Tamil people.” However, the LLRC’s conclusions on the prosecution of the conflict contradict many of the findings of the United Nations Panel of Experts (PoE) report on Sri Lanka.

Rights Groups say LLRC report falls short

Amnesty International (AI) has said “The report’s major shortcoming is in addressing alleged violations of the laws of war, where the LLRC appears to have taken the government's responses uncritically. The LLRC admits what the Government of Sri Lanka has assiduously denied – that civilians, including those in hospitals, suffered directly as a result of LTTE and government shelling, but the LLRC's blanket rejection of government targeting of civilians and its deliberate downplaying of the numbers of civilians caught in the final phase of the conflict is not warranted by the evidence, including that presented to the LLRC”. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said “The commission’s failure to provide a road map for investigating and prosecuting wartime perpetrators shows the dire need for an independent, international commission.” Read more...

DOUGLAS SAYS HE WILL TAKE LLRC TO COURT!

NAME DAMAGED, HE SAYS
‘LLRC report otherwise ok’

By Ranga Jayasuriya

EPDP leader and minister Douglas Devananda says he will go to court against the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) that has raised charges in the report that the EPDP is engaged in abductions in the north.
"I am going to court. It is affecting my name. There is an ulterior motive and that is why before the report was submitted to Parliament it was leaked to certain media organizations," he said in an interview with LAKBIMAnEWS.

"While I endorse the other recommendations I will go to court over allegations levelled against the EPDP."
He said that the Commission had misquoted his submissions made at the Commission hearings, and that there is a translation error too.
For its part, the Commission observes that it was ‘Constrained to observe the attitude manifested by the leadership of the TMVP and EPDP in their explanations to provide little or no consolation to the aggrieved parties, and tends to mitigate any meaningful reconciliation process.’
The EPDP leader shot back saying, "Though this Commission was appointed by our government, I feel there are ulterior motives."

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SRI LANKA: The report of the Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation -- the issuing of the report is a non-event

December 19, 2011

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There was no reason to expect much from the report of the LLRC as this commission had no mandate to investigate and to file a report on the basis of investigations. It was a mere commission of gathering some views but even in that the people who were most affected, that is those who are from the north and the east, did not have genuine freedom to give a narrative of what they knew about what had happened to them and those known to them. Full Story>>>

Amal Rodrigo, Mervyn’s man, hit and let off by abductors

Urged to sever all links with a minister

By Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe

Minister Mervyn Silva's former coordinating secretary Amal Rodrigo who was abducted by an armed gang that came in a white van was found dumped and dazed in Negombo in the wee hours of December 23 (Friday).
Rodrigo was abducted on December 13 at Pitakotte junction, while he was on his way to obtain legal advice from a lawyer on a case pertaining to a land dispute. When he was passing the Panora restaurant in Pitakotte, the white van had blocked his Prado jeep and forcibly taken him away.

Sources said that a certain minister had pleaded with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and many security forces commanders to find the victim.
Sources also said that Rodrigo had been blindfolded and his hands had been tied while being held captive by the armed gang for 10 days.

The abductors had brutally assaulted Rodrigo, and had questioned him on the persons who were demanding ransom money in the Kelaniya area.
Just before he was released last Friday the abductors had urged him to discontinue his links with a certain controversial minister if he cares for his own safety and life.
When contacted, SSP Nugegoda, Deshabandu Tennakoon said that Rodrigo has not given a statement to the police after he was released by his abductors though asked to do so.

Rajapaksa re-appoints military governor, strengthens blueprint of Sinhalicisation in East

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 December 2011, 11:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has re-appointed former Sri Lanka Navy Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral (Rtd) Mohan Wijewickrama as the Governor of Eastern Province for the second term on December 22. Wijewickrama's re-appointment is considered as a move by Mr. Rajapaksa to keep the civil administration of the Eastern Provincial Council under the control of Sri Lankan military. The former SLN officer is being in charge of implementing ‘Mahinda Chindana’ policy and ‘development’ agenda of structural genocide in the areas where Tamil speaking people live in majority.

Tamil speaking officials in the East are perturbed over the reappointment of Mohan Wijewickrema as the governor for another term of five years that he would continue his interference in their duties.

Wijewickrema is also engaged in filling all vacancies in provincial offices from minor grade to senior grade officers with Sinhalese from the South.

The sources fear the reappointment of Mohan Wijewickrema would aggravate the ill feeling among the communities in the Eastern province.

The SL military governor has been promoting encroachment of Tamil lands by the Sinhalese without heeding to protests by district parliamentarians and provincial councilors.

Mohan Wijewickrama has been sending circulars in Sinhala only.

The Sinhala-only military governor also plays a covert role in crippling the education of the province by implementing unjust teacher transfer schemes according to teacher trade union sources.

Wijewickrama was first appointed as the Governor of the merged North Eastern Province (NEPC) in January 2006. Later, he was appointed the Governor of the Eastern Province and acting governor of Northern Province following the Rajapaksa engineered de-merger of the North East Province in December the same year.

SLA steps up harassment on University students in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 December 2011, 12:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army deployed hundreds of soldiers around the University of Jaffna Thursday evening harassing the students by checking everyone at the two main entries to the University throughout the evening and night. The latest move comes following the death threats issued to 8 named student activists and three lecturers of the Jaffna University. The students who were at the office of the Jaffna University Students Union (JUSU) were questioned by the SLA forcing them to leave the site. Checking was carried out at the entry to Balasingham male hostel, situated 300 meters away from the University and the SL military personnel were deployed on all the four sides of the University premises.

The SLA conducted checking at the nearby Parameswara junction, Thirunelveali junction and Kaladdi junction.

In the meantime, an EPDP member, who has been on a collision course with the paramilitary leadership, has been reportedly attacked in Jaffna on Thursday.

The EPDP member, Manuel Mangalanesan, is a member of Jaffna Municipal council, for second term.

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Searching for the boy with the violin

23 December 2011

Priyath Liyanage goes to Sri Lanka in search of the boy with the violin.

Many musical instruments, like this nadeswaram (oboe) survived the battlefield

As Sri Lanka's civil war came to a bloody end in May 2009, the BBC's Priyath Liyanage was struck by video footage of a boy walking through the war zone holding a violin. Two years on, can this boy be traced and why did he make such a perilous journey with only a musical instrument?

In the last months of Sri Lanka's civil war, nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians - driven out of their homes with the retreating Tamil rebels - were trapped in a small strip of coastal land in the north of the country Full Story>>>

Friday, December 23, 2011

As Sri Lanka Threatens Critics of LLRC, Ban Awaits Cheat Sheets of DPA, HRC

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 23 -- One week ago about Sri Lanka, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "noted that the report of Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) was tabled in parliament today and welcomed that it has been made public. The United Nations will be studying the report closely."

After a week of silence from Ban, even while the Sri Lankan government announced it would take legal action against non-governmental organizations which have joined the criticism for the LLRC report as no leading to accountability, Inner City Press on December 23 asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky:

Inner City Press: a week ago I saw the statement by the Secretary-General that the UN will be studying the report closely and that he hopes that the Government of Sri Lanka would move forward to address accountability concerns in good faith. Today, the Ministry of External Affairs there has said that they will take legal action against NGOs which have criticized the lessons learned and reconciliation report. So I wonder, does that seem to be a good-faith response to the report, and also, in the week since their last statement has the UN actually studied the report and do they have any comment on it?

Spokesperson Nesirky: I think you can take it for granted that if we said the report is being studied, it is being studied. And if we have anything further then I will let you know. Other questions, please?

After that, Inner City Press inquired further with several Ban Ki-moon officials and learned that both the UN Department of Political Affairs and "Human Rights" have been asked to review and summarize the LLRC; the two summaries -- like "Cliff Notes" study aids, a/k/a Cheat Sheets -- will be put together and then and only then will Ban hear anything about it.

And by then, more voices for accountability in Sri Lanka will have been targeted and silence. Good faith, indeed. Watch this site.

Kevu'liyaamadu encroached by Sinhalese, Tamil farmer attacked

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 December 2011, 10:39 GMT]
Sinhalese encroachers, who have occupied the grazing lands of in the border of Batticaloa and Ampaa'rai districts, have attacked and broke the hand of a 40-year-old Tamil farmer who took his cattle for grazing lands allocated for the purpose at Thevu'laala-ku'lam in Paddippazhai DS division in Batticaloa district on December 07. The injured farmer, Thiayagarajah Moothavan, who has been admitted at the Gonakelle hospital in Ampaa'rai general hospital, complained that a ten member gang attacked him when he was taking cattle to grazing land allocated for the Batticaloa dairy farmers. 480 Sinhalese families had encroached high lands and paddy lands owned by Tamil families in Suvaamimalai and Kevu'liyaamadu in Paddipazhai DS division. Meanwhile, Muslim farmers facing competition by the Sinhalese in Ampaa'rai district are also encroaching the lands of Tamils in Batticaloa.

Colombo has encouraged Sinhalese to encroach and do cultivation in the graze lands of Batticaloa bordering the Ampaa'rai district.

Since then encroachers chase away Tamil dairy farmers who bring cattle for grazing.

Encroachers also kill cattle by shooting. Tamil farmers complain that about 30 heads of cattle have been slain by the encroachers recently.

In the meantime, Muslim dairy farmers in Chammaathu'rai and Akkaraip-pattu in Ampaa'rai district also send their cattle for grazing in Batticaloa district instead of using the grazing lands allocated for them in Kagnchi-kudichchaa'ru, Poththuvil, Uhana and Paa'nama.

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