MONDAY, 07 MAY 2012

Mixed reactions over hoisting national flag

The hoisting of the national flag at the UNP/TNA May Day rally in Jaffna has created uproar with some Tamil politicians being critical of the move  while some others hailing it as a gesture of goodwill. 

Democratic People’s Front Leader Mano Ganeshan said TNA leader Sampanthan had shown his political will for an undivided Sri Lanka by holding the national flag in Jaffna which he cited as the cultural capital of Tamils. 

Mr. Ganeshan said Mr. Sampanthan had spoken about his Sri Lankan identity and dream. 

“He is not the first Tamil democratic leader to do so. We only hope that he does not go down history as another Tamil democratic leader who failed to reach the Sinhala south by his political gestures. We now look for governments reciprocate action,” Mr. Ganeshan said.

Also, he said, “Mr. Sampanthan’s action has already displeased certain Tamil forces. The lion symbol is being considered as the symbol of aggression by them due to history. In this context the TNA leader has taken a courageous step. It should not go in the drain. He should not go down history as another Tamil democratic leader who failed to reach the Sinhala south by his goodwill gesticulations. It is the responsibility of the government of the day. 

Tamil democratic leaders in the past were seeking political solutions within the radius of the united Sri Lanka. They respected the territorial integrity of the country. They demanded political power. Yet they distinguished between the separation of the country and separation of political powers. But their political gestures and goodwill messages were discarded by the successive governments of Sri Lanka led by both SLFP and UNP, he said.

Mr. Sampanthan as the leader of TNA has again taken the bold step in this post war era. The whole world is demanding reconciliation with political solution. The government should take the lead from Sampanthan’s signal. It is not only the reasonable step but also intelligent.   

TULF leader V. Anandasangari said, in his view, Sri Lanka was not a contended society to hoist the national flag in this manner. 
“Mr. Sampanthan might have hoisted the flag together with the UNP leader under accompanying circumstances.  But, I do not think there is a contended society in Sri Lanka to hoist the national flag in this manner,” he said.

TELO political leader M.K. Sivajilingam said that there was no equal status for Tamils and therefore they cannot accept hoisting the national flag. 
“We are second class citizens. We do not think we have a national flag as a result,” he said. (Kelum Bandara)

Sinhala GA officially orders Buddhist construction at Thirukkeatheesvaram

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 May 2012, 00:59 GMT]
Occupying Sri Lanka’s Sinhala Government Agent of the Mannaar district of the country of Eezham Tamils, AK Sarath Savindra on Friday sent official orders to the divisional secretary of Maanthai West to permit the construction of a Buddhist temple at the Saiva sacred centre Thirukkeatheesvaram, where no Sinhala-Buddhists live. A Buddha statue was already placed there by the occupying Sinhala military, at 200 metres near the Saiva temple in a forcefully confiscated private land. Meanwhile, the entire Mannaar district has been brought under the Anuradhapura administrative circle of genocidal Sri Lanka’s Archaeology Department. While existing Muslim and Hindu places of worship are demolished and removed from Dambulla, claimed to be a Buddhist centre, the Sinhala government encroaches a pivotal Saiva sacred centre in the country of Tamils. 

The local population of the Mannaar district is entirely of Tamil speakers, comprising of Christians, Muslims and Hindus.

The Sinhala GA now spearheads a movement to bring in the Sinhala Buddhists, as part of genocidal Sri Lanka’s agenda specified in the LLRC recommendations, to make no territory in the island as belonging to the nation of Tamil speakers. 

The Sinhala-Buddhists have to occupy the entire island to justify the claim that the island belongs to the Sinhala-Buddhists only, is the thrust of the LLRC recommendations and the recommendations envisage to achieve it by 2020.

By upholding the LLRC recommendations at the Geneva level, both the USA and India, and the others tagged behind one or the other power, have deprived the nation of Eezham Tamils from raising any voices against the structural genocide.

Even though both these adamant international abetters of the Sinhala state say that they stand only for the ‘positive’ recommendations of the LLRC, what the genocidal state implements are going to be ‘positive’ only for its agenda.

The Sinhala GA has recently founded a Buddhist association for the Mannaar district.

In January this year, a ‘request’ was made to the GA seeking permission for the construction of a Buddhist temple at the precincts of the Saiva sacred centre of Thirukeatheesvaram.

The permit he issues now not only legalises the placement of the Buddha statue near the Saiva temple but also allows for the construction of a stupa, Buddhist temple and a vihara in the location.

Using the Indian money allotted for the development of Thirukkeatheesvaram, already a ‘Buddhist pilgrim centre’ has been constructed at Thirukkeatheevaram with the sole aim of laying foundations for the Sinhalicisation of the site.

In the pretext of celebrating 2600 year of Buddha, the entire Mannaar district is decorated and the day was chosen to give official permission for the construction of the Buddhist temple at Thirukeatheesvaram. A large number of Sinhala-Buddhists are visiting Thirukkeatheesvaram on Saturday, news sources in Mannaar said.

Jaffna and Mannaar were the two major cities of the Tamil-Saivaite Kingdom of Jaffna at the time of the advent of Portuguese colonialism in the 16th century. 

Mannaar for a long time, until it became a separate administrative district in the Northern Province, was directly under the administration of Jaffna.

The act of Sri Lanka’s Archaeology Department to bring Mannaar under its Anuradhapura circle is a major conspiracy to culturally delink Mannaar from Jaffna and to alienate the Tamils of the district, social activists of the north said.

Mannaar is also the closest landmass to Tamil Nadu. Culturally linking it with Anuradhapura is a significant move of structural genocide, they pointed out.

In the last few decades, whatever archaeological finds were discovered in the Mannaar district were taken to Anuradhapura, and thereafter Eezham Tamils never get a chance to see their heritage in their land. Significant finds related to the heritage of Eezham Tamils usually go ‘missing’.

The genocidal Sinhala Army and the Archaeology Department of the Sinhala state working in tandem has been pointed out by many in recent times.

Many things happen in the island due to genocidal Sri Lanka’s ability to ‘purchase’ politicians, bureaucrats, intelligence officials, media persons and academics in India, including in Tamil Nadu, and due to the inability in Tamil Nadu to bring in the right kind of public pressure to squeeze out righteous results from the corrupt lot in India collaborating with Colombo, political observers in Chennai said.

Tamil Nadu Muslims mobilised a demonstration in front of genocidal Sri Lanka’s diplomatic mission in Chennai protesting the demolition of a mosque at Dambulla.

A Tamil-Saiva temple complex of key importance in the country of Eezham Tamils is neither of ‘Dravidian’ interest, nor of Marxist interest, and nor of Brahmanical Hindutva interest, commented Saiva religious circles in Jaffna.

Meanwhile, Prof John Carswell, who excavated the Maanthai archaeological site where Thirukkeatheescaram is located is said to be shortly bringing out a monograph on Maanthai, co-edited by Sinhala archaeologist Siran Deraniyagala, after 28 years of the excavations.

Prof Carswell recently went on record saying that Maanthai “was never the prerogative of any ethnic or religious group.” 

“It was a city built on a collaboration of commercial and political interests, coming from east and west, north and south,” Carswell said, adding that ancient cities like Maanthai were “windows on a large, complex, and above all ‘dynamic’ system.” 

His ‘cosmopolitan’ projection of Maanthai may be in tune with those who try to rediscover the unity of the island through Colombo-centric Cosmopolitanism and with those powers and corporates that invest more and more towards the same. But it doesn’t serve the people of the land whose productive capacity generated and sustained civilisation at Maanthai and who now face structural genocide by a state that habitually misinterprets history and archaeology, commented Eezham Tamil academic circles in the UK that had listened to Carswell’s brief video speech at a recent book release function in London.

Forced Labour Claims Dent Image Of London 2012

May 7, 2012 By Emily Dugan/ The Independent -

Emily Dugan

They were supposed to be the most ethical Games yet, but research in Asian factories supplying official clothing has led to allegations of sweatshop conditions

Official Olympic clothing sold by Next is claimed to have been produced in sweatshop conditions in Sri Lanka. The allegation comes days after the high street chain unveiled the formal outfits that Team GB will wear at the opening ceremony.

Workers at the company’s factory in Sri Lanka allegedly receive poverty wages and are forced to work excessive overtime and to meet unrealistic, ever-increasing targets. Next denies the claims – which undermine pledges that the 2012 Games will be the most ethical yet – but has launched an investigation into conditions at the factory.

The claims emerged in a wider investigation into Olympic brands that found “widespread abuse of the human rights of workers” in eight factories around the world. Research by the Playfair 2012 campaign also cited allegations of mistreatment of staff working for the sportswear manufacturer Adidas in the Philippines and China.

 Read More

“So foul and fair a day I have not seen”
Sunday 06 May 2012

Charles Taylor - no Lankan equivalency, but...

There is ample discussion in the international media re the conviction of former Liberian president Charles Taylor for war crimes, not to need additional comment from me except how the matter stands in relation to ‘alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka’ (‘A-WC’ for short hereafter). This is the first such conviction of a head of state or former head of state at an international tribunal, though large numbers of Taylor’s military associates have been convicted in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Milosevic died during his trial, Gaddafi was killed by his captors, Laurent Gbagbo is awaiting trial, and Sudan’s al-Bashir is running wild and free. Syria’s Assad and the Burmese gorillas have still to be brought to trial, but have no fear, they will one day; the mills of god grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.
Full Story>>>

Flogging The Tamil Eelam Issue

May 7, 2012

By Col. R. Hariharan -

Col. R. Hariharan

May Day celebrations in Sri Lanka this year saw an unusual sight. R Sampanthan, the septuagenarian leader fighting for Sri Lanka Tamil rights and president of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), standing shoulder to shoulder with the United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, waved a Sri Lanka flag to the cheers of a massive crowd in Jaffna celebrating the May Day.

A few years back Sampanthan would have paid with his life for this act of “indiscretion” when he had to kowtow Prabhakaran and dance to the tune of the leader of the LTTE.

Sampanthan’s act was symbolic of the TNA’s moves to forge a political alliance with the UNP to press home their agenda for securing an equitable role for Tamils in the united Sri Lanka. Sampanthan’s show of unity with the UNP was in keeping with TNA decision taken after some deliberation. Even the two aspirants for the TNA leadership mantle – Suresh Premachandran and Mavai Senathiraja – are reported to have hosted a lavish dinner in Jaffna for the visiting UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.    Read More

07 May 2012

Sri Lanka to lodge protest against UNHRC Chief Navi Pillay

S Lanka to protest against UNHRC Chief

Colombo: Sri Lanka will officially protest against UNHRC Chief Navi Pillay, accusing her of violating her mandate over adoption of a resolution that censured Colombo on its rights record during the war against Tamil rebels.

The nation's protest against Pillay is to be based on the role she and her staff played in adopting the resolution against Sri Lanka in late March, according to a report in the 'Daily Mirror' here today.

The resolution had criticised Sri Lanka over its rights accountability front during the three decade-long civil war and urged the country to work towards expeditious implementation of the recommendations of its own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Another part of the resolution requires the UN High Commissioner to submit a report on the measures taken by the government to address human rights issues, to its session scheduled for March next year.

In a related development, External Affairs Ministry sources had said Ambassador Tamara Kunanayagam, a Tamil, who spearheaded the unsuccessful Sri Lankan campaign to try and defeat the resolution has protested against an alleged move to transfer her to a posting elsewhere.

According to the paper, Kunanayagam in her letter to External Affairs G L Peiris had said if she were to be removed from Geneva, those who point to discrimination of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka would feel vindicated. 

NO OIL BUT LOAN FROM IRAN

US$ 500mn SOUGHT from local banks

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

The cash strapped government has sought a US$ 2 billion loan from Iran even as it states that Iranian oil will not be purchased after June due to sanctions that have been imposed. 
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Susil Premajayantha said his ministry is seeking a US$ 2bn loan from Iran to expand the Sapugaskanda oil refinery with new units, while it is seeking US$ 500mn from local banks to upgrade the existing plant.

Consequent to this request by the government, the Iranian ambassador in Sri Lanka, Dr. M.N. Hassani Pour is now in Iran to find a company that could finance the project. 
“At the moment, the old refinery produces 18% gasoline, 20% gas oil and 30% high sulfur furnace oil. We need to upgrade the refinery to produce more gas oil and gasoline,” the minister explained. 
He went on to say that the government would source oil from Oman as a last resort once the sanctions take effect in June this year. “Oman oil is not as costly as many say. We have used Oman oil earlier and Oman is not associated with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and therefore they can determine the price. In fact we expect the price to be cheaper than Iranian oil.” He also said that the expansion project was initially estimated at US$ 1.3bn but has since gone up to US$ 2bn. The contract to carry out a detailed feasibility study of the project was awarded to M/s KBC Advanced Technology (Pvt) Ltd., Singapore. 
Under the expansion project, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation bought 35 acres of land near the Sapugaskanda oil refinery, paying Rs. 1000 mn as compensation to the affected parties. Ninety per cent of those affected have been compensated so far, the minister said.

Clinton urges India to buy less oil from Iran

7 May 2012
Speaking in Calcutta, Hillary Clinton commends India for lowering its consumption of Iranian oil

   

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged India to buy less oil from sanctions-hit Iran.

In Calcutta, she commended India for "working to lower purchases of Iranian oil" and hoped it would do more.

India has been facing pressure to buy less Iranian oil amid sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes.

She added Pakistan should act against Hafiz Saeed, founder of the group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Ten Pakistani gunmen killed 165 people in a three-day rampage that targeted luxury hotels, a train station and a Jewish centre.

New sanctions

"[The] reason why India, China, Japan, etc who are primary purchasers of Iranian oil, are being asked to lower supply is to keep pressure on Iran," Mrs Clinton said on the first leg of her visit to India.

The US and its western partners suspect Iran of using its nuclear programme to develop the capacity to develop atomic weapons.

Tehran says the programme is solely for civilian purposes.

The US plans to implement a round of sanctions, starting on 28 June, against banks based in countries that do not cut their oil imports from Iran.

She said other supplies of oil were available to India.

"Saudi Arabia and others are putting more oil into the market," she said.

"India understands the use of diplomacy to resolve this threat and is working towards lowering purchases of Iranian oil... We hope they will do even more. We believe this is part of India's role in the international community."

Mrs Clinton also urged Pakistan to do more to arrest militant leaders, including Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba - the group blamed for the Mumbai attacks.

In April the US announced a $10m (£6.2m) bounty for information leading to his arrest.

"We're well aware that there has not yet been the steps taken by the Pakistani government to do what both India and the United States have repeatedly requested them they do," she said.

"And we're going to keep pushing that point. So it's a way of raising the visibility and pointing out to those who are associated with him that there is a cost for that."

'More work'

Mrs Clinton also held a near hour-long meeting with the chief minister of the eastern state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, in Calcutta, before leaving for Delhi to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.

Ahead of her visit, Mrs Clinton said that though there had been much progress in ties with India "there is more work to be done".Ms Banerjee was recently named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

Ahead of the meeting, Mrs Clinton said she wanted to discuss foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail trade, something Ms Banerjee has opposed.

"The more open India becomes over time, the greater the rise in [the] standard of living and opportunity... But I also understand politics and how these decisions can be difficult," Mrs Clinton told the NDTV news channel.

"So I will raise [the] US desire to open markets to multi-brand retail. Enormous experience can be brought to India on supply chain management, on developing relationships with small producers. The benefits may not be immediately perceived."

Mrs Clinton's visit to India is the final stop on a three-nation tour which also took her to China and Bangladesh.    Ms Banerjee is a key ally of the government in Delhi

Sri Lankan Buddhists demand demolition of another mosque

 Mon May 07 2012
Dozens of Buddhists led by monks have joined a demonstration urging Sri Lanka's government to proceed with plans to dismantle a mosque located in a sacred Buddhist area.

The protesters marched peacefully through Kalutara town south of Colombo on Monday.

Last month, thousands of Buddhist monks and lay supporters stormed the mosque in the central town of Dambulla, saying it was constructed illegally.

The government later announced that the mosque and a Hindu temple would be demolished and relocated. Muslim clerics and politicians have strongly opposed the decision.

An organizer of Monday's protest, Asoka Menikkgoda, says the government should safeguard Buddhism, the state religion, and not yield to Muslim pressure.

Tribute to Comrade Minister Roy 

Padayachie

05 May 2012

Tribute to Comrade Minister Roy Padayachie

It is with unbearable shock and profound sadness that we learn of Comrade Minister Radhakrishna (Roy) Padayachie‏’s passing away. He has been a champion of humanity and devoted his life to helping the poorest and most oppressed. His death is truly a great loss to his family, his people and those lives he has touched all over the world with his vision, dedication and compassion.

 As President Zuma has said so eloquently, "It is sadly a great measure of his dedication and personality that he was to meet his destiny and fate in pursuance of a better Africa and a better world, a goal he dedicated his entire life for it to be realised and achieved".

Comrade Roy has been an ardent supporter of our own struggle for peace with justice and equality in Sri Lanka. He has pressed upon us his shared experiences and understanding of South Africa’s struggle for freedom and the importance that truth, reconciliation and accountability have in building a better future.

We are truly grateful and honoured for the support Minister Padayachie has given to the Global Tamil Forum (GTF). It was a distinct honour for our organisation to be invited to participate in the African National Congress’ centennial celebrations earlier this year.

We can only hope that his family will be able to console their grief knowing that Comrade Roy was not only a great man but a hardworking activist, selfless humanitarian, a freedom fighter and a defender of those less fortunate. As a valued friend of GTF, Tamils in Sri Lanka and Tamils all over world, he will be greatly missed.

As president of GTF and also as a personal friend, I pray for this gracious soul to rest in eternal peace.

Rev. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel                                     

President                                                            

Global Tamil Forum 

Roy Padayachie's body returns to SA

Johannesburg - The body of Public Service and Administration Minister Roy Padayachie arrived back in South Africa on Saturday, the presidency said on Saturday evening.

"Minister Padayachie's body was handed over to his family and loved ones after it arrived in Durban from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia," said spokesperson Harold Maloka in a statement.

Labour Minister Mildred Olifant and representatives of the provincial government, representing President Jacob Zuma and Cabinet, joined the family.

Padayachie, 62, was found dead in his hotel room in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia by a colleague. He was attending a meeting of the African Peer Review Mechanism.

He had joined the public service and administration ministry in October last year. He was former minister of communication and before that deputy minister of public service and administration.

Zuma personally telephoned Padayachie's wife, Sally Mudaly Padayachie, to convey his condolences.

Details of the burial would be communicated later by Minister Collins Chabane, who is the chairperson of the inter-ministerial committee on State funerals, Maloka said.

Earlier, Zuma said no words could express the loss that government and the people of South Africa felt at this loss.

"It is sadly a great measure of his dedication and personality that he was to meet his destiny and fate in pursuance of a better Africa and a better world, a goal he dedicated his entire life for it to be realised and achieved." 

SAPA

Sampanthan Should Not Go In The History As Another Tamil Leader Failed To Reach The Southern Psych

May 6, 2012

TNA leader Sampanthan has shown his political will towards the goal of undivided Sri Lanka by holding the national flag in Jaffna, the cultural capitol of Tamils. He has qualified his gesture by speaking about his Srilankan identity and dream. He is not the first Tamil democratic leader to do so. We only hope that he does not go in the history as another Tamil democratic leader failed to reach the Sinhala south by his political gestures. We now look for government’s reciprocate action says DPF leader Mano Ganesan

Ganesan

Ganesan said further that, Mr. Sampanthan’s action has already displeased certain Tamil forces. The lion symbol is being considered as the symbol of aggression by them due to the history. In this context TNA leader has taken a courageous step. It should not go in the drain. He should not go in the history as another Tamil democratic leader who failed to reach the Sinhala south by his goodwill gesticulations. It is the responsibility of the government of the day.

Tamil democratic leaders in the past were seeking political solution within the radius of the united Sri Lanka. They respected the territorial  integrity of the country. They demanded political power. Yet they distinguished between the separation of the country and separation political powers. But their political gestures and goodwill  messages were discarded by the successive governments of Sri Lanka led by both SLFP and UNP.

Mr. Sampanthan as the leader of TNA has again taken the bold step in this post war era. The whole world is demanding reconciliation with political solution. The government should take the lead from Sampanthan’s signal. It is not only the reasonable step but also intelligent.

Mobs, Monks and the Problems of Political-Buddhism

Mobs, Monks and the Problems of Political-Buddhism

Groundviews     5 May, 2012 

Original photograph REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

It is always a curious and odd little matter, to witness how even Buddhists become so obsessively attached to ‘sacred’ lands and in protecting them, commit acts seemingly prompted by hatred, delusion and ill-will.

Ideally, lands should not become ‘sacred’ for simple reasons. The Buddha, in attacking the rigid and unethical caste-system during his time, placed great stress on the importance of deeds or action. That was why it was said (in the Vasala sutta) that one did not become a Brahman (or an outcast) by birth, but by deed. That wonderful message ought to have taught us a very valuable lesson, which, to rephrase the Buddha, could be stated as follows: that a land becomes a ‘sacred’ (or Buddhist) land not by anything else but only by the words and deeds of those inhabiting that land. Even a place of religious worship would lose its sacredness if, in the guise of religion, all manner of nefarious activities are carried out therein. In such cases, your virtuous neighbour’s backyard becomes more sacred than the ‘sacred’ land or place of worship.

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