The Medamulana-Coup And The ‘People’s Dynasty’

By Tisaranee Gunasekara -November 24, 2012 

“Dictatorships breed oppression, dictatorships breed servility, dictatorships breed cruelty; more loathsome still is the fact that they breed idiocy…” Jose Luis Borges (Speech at the Argentine Society of Writers)

Here is it finally, the ‘D’ word. Uttered by Minister Basil Rajapaksa, no less: “It is a dynasty, but by people’s choice, a people’s dynasty” (Sydney Morning Herald– 19.11.2012).

North Koreais the ultimate anti-democratic dystopia, a nominal republic in which the people are the chattels of a dynasty which embodies absurdist-horror. But in official parlance, this vassal state of the Family Kim is a Democratic People’s Republic.

If Vellupillai Pirapaharan won his Eelam, he would have appended an equally fancy name to his state, in which Tamils would have had the choice of being either voiceless victims or silenced spectators.

So Basil Rajapaksa is quite right; Rajapaksa Rule is a ‘people’s dynasty’, in the same way Rajapaksa Impeachment is just and fair.

The Rajapaksas want more power. Again, according to Basil Rajapaksa, “In other countries who are successful, they were successful because immediately one person he takes the decisions. In Sri Lanka, the main problem is that that is not there, more decisions have to be centralized” (ibid). Wade through the grammatical-mire and the meaning is as clear as the intent is ominous: in the name of development, the Rajapaksas will create a state in which ‘one person, he takes the decisions’.

That is what is generally known as a dictatorship.

Ever since they won the presidency, thanks to Vellupillai Pirapaharan’s election-boycott, the Rajapaksas have been constructing a politico-psychological expressway to their ideal-state. In their eyes, human rights, democratic freedoms, the rule of law, judicial independence, power-separation and power-devolution are nothing but debris cluttering the path to this familial state. During the last 12 years, the Siblings laboured with ruthless thoroughness to destroy these obtruding and dangerous refuse, the politico-psychological residue of a pre-RajapaksaSri Lanka.

The transformation of the Lankan military into a Rajapaksa military is an excellent case in point. During the 2010 Presidential Election, Mahinda Rajapaksa used his position as Minister of Defence and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to compel top military officials to appear on state-television, in full uniform, and endorse his candidacy. Just days after winning the election, he and his brother, the Defence Secretary, began a top-to-bottom purging of the army, starting with the sacking of 12 senior army officers, including three major generals and two brigadiers. “Sources said President Mahinda Rajapaksa sent the officers on ‘compulsory retirement’ for hatching a ‘political conspiracy’ during the (Presidential) polls” (PTI – 1.2.2010). The Defense Ministry accused the discarded officials of being a ‘threat to national security’.

Next seminal step towards the ‘people’s dynasty’ was the 18^th Amendment. The removal of the term-limit provision enabled the founder of the ‘people’s dynasty’ to contest the presidency ad infinitum. The establishment of presidential control over the Elections Commissioner and the IGP enabled the ‘people’s dynasty’ to hold stage-managed elections with predestined-outcomes. Thanks to the 18^th Amendment, the Rajapaksas can abuse state power and resources limitlessly, to ensure the eternal victory of the ‘people’s dynasty’; the Elections Commissioner has no right to protest, let alone intervene.

A ‘people’s court’ is the obvious next aim of the ‘people’s dynasty’.

CJ vs. People’s Dynasty

Earl Warren, one of the greatest chief justices in the US history, the man who enabled the de-segregation of schools, is believed to have said, ‘Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile, I caught hell for’. Shirani Bandaranayake is catching hell from the Rajapaksas because she took the immensely worthwhile step of standing in the way of the ‘people’s dynasty.’

Under its legal-constitutional veneer, the impeachment is nothing but a political offensive against the CJ and the judiciary, the critical first step in the creation of a ‘people’s court’ to suit the special needs of the ‘people’s dynasty’. The CJ’s response to the impeachment offensive, so far, indicates that she understands this reality. The Parliamentary Select Committee will find her guilty; that decision was made the day the Rajapaksas revolved to be rid of her. The real battle is in the public domain. The CJ cannot convince the PSC of her innocence because the PSC is a mindless tool of Rajapaksa power and vengeance. But she can and must prove her innocence to the general public. The Rajapaksas fear the CJ’s capacity to appeal to the tribunal of public opinion. That is why they are trying to hide the PSC proceedings from the public eye, even as they continue with their vicious public campaign to vilify the CJ.

If the CJ acts with the same firm grace during the rest of the impeachment-travesty, as she did on its first day, she will win the ‘hearts and minds’ battle handily.

In the power-obsessed eyes of the Rajapaksas, any defense of democracy, however peaceful or legal, is a conspiracy: “There is a ‘legal coup’ or constitutional coup attempt brewing in Hulftsdorp among certain sections of the legal fraternity backed by powerful vested interests….” (Daily News – 22.11.2012). When dealing with their opponents, the Rajapaksas do not believe in half-measures. Will Dr. Bandaranaike be accused of conspiring to overthrow the ‘people’s dynasty’? Will the ‘people’s dynasty’ do to the judiciary in 2013 what it did to the military in 2010, removing judges and arresting lawyers, accused of being part of the ‘legal coup’? Will the AG’s Department (placed under presidential-control in 2010) do to Dr. Bandaranaike and her family what it did to Gen. Fonseka and his family?

Winning the battle for national and international public opinion might be the only way to impede some of these Rajapaksa excesses. And in that politico-propaganda endeavour, the CJ will need every ounce of assistance possible.

DM’s Health and The PM Issue

The impeachment is not only aimed at cutting the judiciary down to Lilliputian-size; its other purposes include sending a message to the SLFP about the dangers of opposing ‘people’s dynasty’.

After spending quality-time with President Nursultan Nazarbayev ofKazakhstan(who won his last presidential election with 95.54% of the vote!), President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Prime Minister DM Jayaratne in anAmericanHospital. The picture of that visit indicates thatSri Lankamay have to have a new PM before long. The interests of the ‘people’s dynasty’ would demand that the next PM is a Rajapaksa Sibling. Previously there had been substantial opposition from the SLFP to such elevation of some Johnny-come-lately, simply because he happened to be a Presidential Sibling. This time around, the Rajapaksas would want to ensure that the old SLFP is cowed into silence and the new SLFP makes the appropriate noises, clamouring for the appointment of a Rajapaksa Sibling as PM, ‘to strengthen the President’s hands’ in his ‘glorious battle against coups and coup-makers.

Once the SLFP heavyweights see the ruthlessness with which the Rajapaksas deal with the chief justice, they are unlikely to mumble a word against a PM Chamal/Basil/Gotabhaya. These invertebrates will prefer to remain impotent ministers than be jailed on some other real or concocted charge.

That is the real conspiracy: a Medamulana-Coup to ensure the final triumph of the ‘people’s dynasty’ aka Rajapaksa Rule.

Sri Lanka Trashes UN Blacking Out Ban Ki-moon on Giving Space to Rajapaksas, 2 Views

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 23 -- Twelve days after the UN released a redacted version of its Charles Petrie report into its actions and inactions during the killings in Sri Lanka in 2009, that country's Rajapaksa government belatedly responded -- in part by criticizing the redactions.

   When the reported was issued with portions blacked out, Inner City Press asked why. Next, it posted all of the redacted material -- it was as easy as copying the excised portions and pasting them into a word processing document.

   Then on November 12, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff Susana Malcorra to justify a particular redaction, in Paragraph 173, in which Ban said  "the Government should be given the political space to develop a domestic mechanism."

   Malcorra responded tersely that this was "twisting," and claimed that all redactions were either for staff safety or to retain the ability to deliberate. It seems Ban would cite the latter to black out his subordinates' advice -- but his own orders?

   And so while Inner City Press agrees, for once, with Sri Lanka's government that the redactions are wrong, there is a difference. The Rajapaksa government maintains that lines like Ban's were blacked out because, revealed, they make the Sri Lanka government look good.

   Our view, however, continues to be that Ban's quote was taken it because it makes him look bad. He did not push for accountability, as he has done -- with more Western backing -- elsewhere such as in Syria.

   The proof of this is the redaction of an opinion then former top UN humanitarian John Holmes, advising that the term "war crimes" not be used. This makes Holmes look bad, and perhaps explains him emerging from his sinecure in the British countryside to defend Ban's UN and himself.

  Inner City Press has re-posted the report as it appeared with redactions, and has gone behind the redactions. Here from Paragraph 173, the material the UN blacked out, but is now being "liberated" by Inner City Press, appears in brackets, followed by an explanation.

"the Secretary-General met with President Rajapaksa and urged him 'to uphold his commitment to establish an accountability process.' On 30 July the Policy Committee met again at UNHQ to address 'follow-up on accountability' in Sri Lanka. [Discussing whether or not the SecretaryGeneral should establish an international Commission of Experts, many participants were reticent to do so without the support of the Government and at a time when Member States were also not supportive. At the same time, participants also acknowledged that a Government-led mechanism was unlikely to seriously address past violations. The Secretary-General said that 'the Government should be given the political space to develop a domestic mechanism and that only if this did not occur within a limited time frame would the UN look at alternatives.] The meeting agreed"

  So Ban Ki-moon, even after being advised that a Sri Lankan "Government-led mechanism was unlikely to seriously address past violations," said Rajapaksa should be given more space -- and time.

  And as of November 2012, no one had been held accountable. In fact, one of the General most associated, including in Ban's report, with the killings in 2009, Shavendra Silva, was accepted by Ban Ki-moon as a UN "Senior Adviser on Peacekeeping Operations."

  (Ban told Inner City Press that this was a decision of member states; his head of Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous outright refused to answer this or any other Press question.)

   On September 6, 2011, Silva appeared with Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona at a film screeningin the UN's Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium, fallout written up by the SLC, here.

   Inner City Press waited to write this story until more than eight hours went by from submitting two simple questions to Ban's top three spokespeople on November 23, a workday at the UN in New York:

"Please provide the Secretariat's response to Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement earlier today, including that the material redacted showed, in at least one case, the Secretary General on the side of the Sri Lankan government ( The Secretary General said that the Government should be given the political space to develop a domestic mechanism"), and

'the alleged intimidation of UN staff for delivery of humanitarian assistance is completely baseless, a position which has been endorsed by the former United Nations USG for Humanitarian Affairs.' [John Holmes]."

   Ban's spokesman forwarded other Inner City Press questions submitted at the same time to the spokesman for UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, Kieran Dwyer. 

  But no acknowledgment, much less answer, was provided in eight hours to the above question. When and if there is a UN response, we will publish it. For now, here are the other deletions, and the Executive Summary which the UN removed. Watch this site.

War Crimes in Sri Lanka-genocide

War Crimes in Sri Lanka-genocide

 

Eye witness relates: Welikada 

prisoners were massacred

By Jayantha Sri Nissanka-Saturday, 24. November 2012

 

More and more incriminating evidence of summary executions of inmates in the Welikada Prison  by the Police Special Task Force (STF) and a special police unit (SPU) that took place after the army commandos took full control of the prison on the night of November 9 have now been revealed, despite an officially sanctioned cover up of the massacre. 
Our lead story last week reported that both prison officers and jailors had said how inmates were called out from their cells by the Special Task Force officers who arrived in the Prison after the army commandos took control of the premises. The prisoners who were called out were summarily executed, with the last victim being killed at 6 am on Saturday (November 10).
Our subsequent investigations into the incident and telephone conversations with prisoners who were witnesses to the massacre reveal an extremely disturbing picture. It also reveals a cover up of the massacre that has been carried out by prison officials, apparently with the connivance of the top echelons of power.

Executed
One inmate, an eyewitness, whose name could not be disclosed due to obvious reasons told this newspaper that after the riot was controlled, police officers attached to the Dematagoda and Peliyagoda Police Stations called names of some inmates and took them out of their cells, and executed them.
He said only 16 inmates were killed due to the riot, while 11 others were subsequently executed by the officers. 
He said: “At around 1.30 am (Saturday), an armoured car stormed  the prison building through the main gate and a group of commandos alighted, while opening fire. They then cleared the cells. After that they ordered us to sit down and took photos of the inmates in groups. This process took around 10 minutes. Thereafter, we were put back into the cells along with the corpses of the 16 prisoners who were killed earlier in the fire fight with the STF. By this time there was no any aggression inside the cells and order had been restored. The commandos then left the cells.
Shortly after, police squads from Peliyagoda and Dematagoda arrived. They ordered us to sit in our cells. They then read names from a list and asked those whose names were mentioned to stand up. Eleven prisoners stood up and were told to go with them. They were also assigned various jobs but we knew something was afoot, given that it was the early hours of the day. Within minutes we heard gunshots and we knew they had been executed. We heard some of the inmates screaming not to shoot, and then we heard gun shots. 
Some others whose names were called by the police officers did not stand up and they escaped being executed as a result.  
We realised that the police were planning to get rid of some inmates, and they did so under the pretext of the riot. Some were hardcore criminals and the police may have feared reprisals due to their connections with the underworld. 
One of those inmates killed was Kalu Thushara; he had carried out several mass robberies. He allegedly sold drugs while being in prison. 
“The police and STF also looked for some other prisoners in their kill list, but they clearly lacked time on their hands as it was almost morning. They also called out Mole Chaminda and Shiyam. ‘Ward Place’ Shiyam was convicted to life imprisonment for possessing 40 kg of heroin. Sources said that these two prisoners had been transferred to the Mahara Prison the previous day. Another inmate, Dolphin Chandana’s life was spared but he was mercilessly assaulted. The police killed all 11 inmates within 10 minutes. Such was the swiftness with which they carried out the executions. We also heard the inmates screaming. They were executed about 100 metres away from where we stood.”     

How it had started...
Referring to how the clash began, the inmate said: “On Friday, STF officers conducted a raid at the ‘L’ Ward. Then they wanted check four other prison cells situated at the Chapel Ward where hardcore inmates were housed. On entering the Welikada Prison from the main gate, on the left corner is the ‘L’ Ward. The Chapel Ward is situated at the right corner. The STF officers entered the prison premises, heavily armed. I saw them crashing straight into the ‘L’ Ward. We were in the middle ward, between the ‘L’ and the Chapel Ward and I could clearly see what was happening. The STF officers then pulled out inmates from the remand section before they were handcuffed. Then the inmates were asked to lie on the ground before they went on to check the cells. Within a few minutes they had finished inspecting the ward and the STF officers came out. After that all the inmates – about 900-1000 were locked in the building. Then the STF officers were seen heading towards the Chapel building. There are four special prison cells in the lower floor of the Chapel building. There, they took out one inmate, Marlon Pelpola, the former husband of film actress Anusha Sonali. STF officers verbally abused Marlon and when he retorted, they beat him up. It was that situation which flared up into a riot.”
When other prisoners who were on assigned day labour inside the Prison saw this, they all ran towards the Chapel Ward.” 
“As the prisoner started shouting, the STF fired tear gas at the four special prison cells at the Chapel building. The inmates threw some tear gas canisters at the STF, and the officers ran out. Then they started to fire tear gas inside the Prison, regularly, every five minutes, and they did so on purpose, to kill all the prisoners. The inmates lost their mental faculties. It was impossible to breathe due to the continuous tear gassing,” he related.
“The inmates by now were seething with anger and hatred, and we wanted to demolish the building and get out of this even at the loss of our lives. Such was the predicament faced by the Welikada inmates at the hands of these STF officers,” he said. 
“The inmates then started throwing tear gas canisters and stones at the STF. This lasted for about two hours. It was while hurling stones that some of our colleagues managed to get onto the roof of the Prison. However, what cannot be condoned is the breaking of the armoury. But since the situation was turning grave, they had no other alternative but to break open the ammunition store and arm themselves so as to protect themselves from the inevitable onslaught by the STF. They first brought weapons but without any bullets or cartridges. Later, they were able to get hold of firearms,” he explained.
“During the incident, the inmates who were in a frenzy, were also behaving in a crazy manner; they even broke into the pharmacy and pillaged all the drugs. After they managed to get hold of bullets, the inmates and the STF engaged in a shootout, with no quarter asked, and none given. At the time, there were only around four Prison officials on duty and they too were helpless, and the Welikada Prison was virtually controlled by the inmates who were exchanging gunfire with the STF. After a while, the firing from the outside stopped. Then I managed to reign in the rest of our colleagues to our section of the ward,” the inmate revealed. 
“However, by that time one inmate, Lester was shot. He (Lester) was not an underworld figure but was imprisoned after he had killed a person during a robbery. By now it was around of 1.30 am, and the army commandos entered the Prison in an armoured car. They cleared the cells and left. Thereafter, police from the Peliyagoda and Dematagoda Police Stations arrived and the massacre commenced,” he said.

NGOs protest against Sri Lanka president’s arrival

An NGO say they will use all means to prevent Mahinda Rajapaksa, whom they deem have committed genocide against the the Sri lankan Tamil minority, from entering the country.

KUALA LUMPUR: A PKR-linked NGO leader has vowed to use force if necessary to prevent the Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa from entering Malaysia for an international Islamic forum from Dec 4 to 6.

The People Welfare and Rights Organisation (Power) president S. Gobi Krisnan issued the threats after lodging a police report against Rajapaksa’s arrival with other NGOs leaders today.

The NGOs were upset that the government has planned for a red carpet welcome for Rajapaksa, whom they deem have committed genocide against the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.

“The government has been hurting the Indians’ feeling in this country, and now the invitation is an insult to Indians .

“We will use all means, including force if necessary, to stop him from coming,” he said.

The group would stage a protest outside of the parliament building on Tuesday, and have planned for similar rallies at the forum’s venue in JB.

The 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka ended in 2009 with the government army’s quashing Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and re-established control of the northern part of the country.

It was reported that some 100,000 civilians including 40,000 of Tamils were killed while more than 300,000 people were displaced during the long-standing conflict.

The United Nations Human Right Council had on March adopted a resolution to urge the Sri Lankan government to take all steps necessary to ensure accountability for alleged serious violations committed during the final stages of the country’s civil war.

However, Malaysia was among the eight countries that abstained in a vote that saw 24 in favour and 15 against the resolution.

AP Raja Retinam, member of the NGOs umbrella group Sri Lanka War Victim Concerned Team (Api), has taken Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to task for the abstention.

“He is a real hypocrite. When the Israelis launched attacks against the Palestine, he tabled a motion to condemn the violence.

“But when it is about Sri Lanka war crimes, he abstained, despite knowing very well that there was a great pressure on him to vote against Sri Lanka,” he said.

He urged the government to stop its double standard and prevent Rajapaksa from entering the country.

“Rajapaksa and (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu are the same people. If you say no to Benjamin, then you must also say no to Rajapaksa.

“If they say the forum was meant for business discussions, then I challenge them to invite the Jews to attend, they are the richest people in the world,” he said.

The NGOs held a protest at the Sri Lanka embassy in Ampang this afternoon while MIC Youth has also lodged a police report against Rajapaksa’s arrival.

UK: Four Visits And Statements In The Commons On The Controversial Rajapaska Regime, Why ?

By Colombo Telegraph -November 24, 2012

Four visits in nine months and statements in the Commons on the controversial Rajapaska regime: why does the 28-year-old MP for Stockton James Wharton care so much about Sri Lanka? the UK Independent questions.

MP for Stockton James Wharton -Paid for by the Sri Lankan government | Photo Evening Gazette

The newspaper today reported; “ In February he joined the British-educated High Commissioner Christopher Nonis to toast Sri Lanka Independence Day. In June, he met PresidentMahinda Rajapaksaduring his visit to London to celebrate theQueen’s Diamond Jubilee (Wharton had also met the President in December 2010, barely six months after being elected to Parliament). In August this year he again returned to the High Commission so that Nonis could introduce him to members of the Sri Lanka Olympics team after it arrived to take part in London 2012.”

Questioned by The Independent over the level of his involvement in Sri Lanka affairs, Wharton said: “I am very much not… the Sri Lankan government’s cheerleader.”

According to the Independent Wharton said that the lack of Sri Lankans in his constituency is “an advantage” because it allows him to make an independent contribution to the debate. “It means I can take an objective view on Sri Lanka without having pressure from either of the big two diaspora communities that live in the UK.”

The Independent said  that Wharton spoke out during a Parliamentary debate on Sri Lanka in February this year, saying that a report by a United Nations panel of experts, which detailed allegations of human rights violations by the Sri Lanka government and the rebel Tamil Tigers during the civil war, should be treated with caution. “Is it not clear that, while the report sets out a narrative and raises legitimate concerns, it must not be taken as a factual account?” he asked.

For a 28-year old backbench Tory MP it was a highlight of his young political career. James Wharton beamed for the camera as he accepted a ceremonial plate from the Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

According to the Independent, Wharton said he has made friends on both sides of Sri Lanka’s ethnic divide and that he hopes to make a contribution to building peace in a country that is still recovering from conflict. “There are areas that haven’t been resolved and areas where people have irreconcilable differences but there are a large number of areas where people could work together to make life better for the people in Sri Lanka.” Asked about the frequency of his visits to Sri Lanka and the country’s High Commission in London he said: “I don’t think it’s disproportionate or unreasonable, no.”

Wharton told the Independent  that he wished to introduce more balance into the discussion. “I do not pretend that things are absolutely fine in Sri Lanka, it would be ridiculous to do so. But I do think that the debate we have in the UK about it is very one-sided.”

When the Independent asked about his apparent obsession with Sri Lankan affairs, Wharton said his interests were partly business-related on behalf of his constituents. “I’ve got a number of companies on Teesside that do a lot of work out there.”  He declined to identify the companies.

“Wharton’s interest in Sri Lanka echoes that of the former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who was a frequent visitor to the country despite having no obvious responsibilities for it. Dr Fox was forced to call off one visit to Colombo in late 2010 after his controversial assistant Adam Werritty had already flown on ahead amid reported concerns from the Foreign Office.” the Independent reported.

But John Mann, a Labour MP who has also travelled to Sri Lanka with the Royal Commonwealth Society, said the country still had “huge human rights problems” and that Mr Wharton had become too close to the government, the newspaper reported.

“’There’s a reason why he has been invited so many times by the Sri Lankan government, paid for by the Sri Lankan government so many times and that they are wining and dining him so often at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London,’ he said. ‘This is not a very effective use of parliamentary time and he’s going to have difficulty explaining it to his constituents.’” the Independent further reports.

Sri Lanka’s Next Steps: A LLRC Shadow Action Plan

November 24, 2012

Photo by Mathy

Disclaimer: The following document was anonymously submitted to International Policy Digest (IPD) by The Social Architects (TSA).

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) Final Report contains many positive recommendations which merit immediate attention. This document is designed to capture the essence of those key positive recommendations and to come out with a meaningful action plan which will open the door to true reconciliation, sustainable peace, institutional reform and improved governance.

Regrettably, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has failed to act upon these constructive LLRC recommendations. In addition, the GoSL’s recently released action plan is rife with misleading, excessively general information; it is not an action plan that seeks to promote human rights, reconciliation or a lasting peace.

TSA’s plan has been written after consultation with a variety of stakeholders: including dozens of civil society leaders, thousands of community members in Sri Lanka’s North, East and Hill County and some members of the diaspora. It is the result of numerous interviews, seventy-one lengthy meetings, and several months of reflection, discussion and hard work. Importantly, it has embraced community participation at every stage.

Sri Lanka is a country in urgent need of reform; the country situation mandates it. However, the impetus to implement the LLRC recommendations can be linked directly to the passage of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution on Sri Lanka this past March. In the spirit of reconciliation and in search of a lasting peace within a united Sri Lanka, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission People’s Action Plan (LLRC PAP) seeks to bring many of these recommendations to life.

From a careful analysis of the LLRC’s Final Report, the commission’s recommendations are focused upon flaws related to governance, weak institutions and a consistent lack of political will. With this in mind, the components and key actions in the LLRC PAP have been structured and prioritized. What is more, the methods of implementation and the respective responsibilities of stakeholders have been denoted in detail.

The LLRC PAP takes the perspective of a broad range of stakeholders into account: the commission itself, the GoSL, community members from the country’s conflict-affected areas and the international community, including the United Nations (UN) and the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC).

The LLRC PAP is forward-thinking, consensus-oriented, pro-devolution and adheres to international standards. Thirty-five critical LLRC recommendations (related to demilitarization, land, language rights and disappearances, among other issues) are highlighted in this document. Implementation will be two-tiered, pertaining to the North-East and also countrywide. Significantly, most of the LLRC PAP’s enactment will rely upon existing governmental agencies. The plan’s implementation is built around an appropriate regional governance structure which will be absorbed into existing governance structures.

The LLRC, another presidentially-appointed commission, has finished its work. For the betterment of the country, the positive recommendations of the LLRC can and should be implemented without further delay. Though still unlikely in the near-term, a return to violence in the coming years is not out of the question.

Read the report by clicking here.

The New Media Spokesmen Of Mahinda And The UN

By Vickramabahu Karunaratne -November 24, 2012 

Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne

There is a huge list of United Nations resolutions that concern Israel; and the Human Rights Council has adopted more resolutions condemning Israel than it has all other states combined. However Israel has not cooperated in many of these but there was no real intervention made by the UN on this issue. From 1967 to 1989 the UN Security Council adopted 131 resolutions directly addressing the Arab–Israeli conflict. In early Security Council practice, resolutions did not directly invoke Chapter VII but UN reiterated the need for a truce. Although the phrase “Acting under Chapter VII” was never mentioned as the basis for the action taken, the chapter’s authority was being used.

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a number of resolutions saying that the strategic relationship with the United States encourages Israel to pursue aggressive and expansionist policies and practices. The 9th Emergency Session of the General Assembly was convened at the request of the Security Council when the United States blocked efforts to adopt sanctions against Israel. The United States responded to the frequent criticism from UN organs by adopting the Negroponte doctrine declared On July 26, 2002,by John Negroponte, the United StatesAmbassador to the United Nations. He stated that the United States will oppose Security Council resolutions concerning the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that condemn Israel without also condemning terrorist groups.

During the last conflict in 2009, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1860, was adopted on January 8, 2009.  However ultimately, the resolution was unsuccessful. The resolution called for “an immediate ceasefire in Gazaleading to a full Israeli withdrawal, unimpeded provision through Gaza of food, fuel and medical treatment, and intensified international arrangements to prevent arms and ammunition smuggling.” All members stressed the importance of an “immediate and durable ceasefire”.In a statement released immediately after the Israeli cabinet session on January 9, the Israel government stated it would not accept the UN resolution, declaring that “the IDF will continue to act in order to attain the objectives of the operation — to bring about a change in the security situation in the south of the country — this in accordance with the plans that have been approved upon embarking on the operation.” In addition, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the resolution “unworkable” due to continued rocket fire by Hamas.

It is in this context we should look in to the stand taken by the new media spokesmen of Mahinda: Mohan Samaranayake. He has said “However the past of certain countries which preach human rights, good governance etc. too should be looked at. They are the ones who invaded other countries to expand their empires while at the expense of thousands of lives. This in the past; and in present, look at what has happened in Iraq, Afghanistan and certain others. Now look at the panel appointed by the UN Secretary General. It was supposed to be an advisory panel. However they now have gone public with their findings, this is grossly illegal. They have also tried to get this document to the United Nations Human Rights Council through the back door, without informing the country concerned – Sri Lanka. There is a procedure when discussing such issues.” But the real situation is that UN apart ‘from going public’ has done nothing to make Mahinda regime implement LLRC recommendations. Recently UN shed crocodile tears about the sufferings of the Tamils and genocidal war that passed thorough their home land. It is very much similar to the situation in the Middle East around Israel. Israel could get away with all its crimes because of good economic and security arrangements with American and the west. Mahinda regime also followed these policies closely. It went to war with military and socioeconomic agreements with US, INDIA and other global powers. So except for some sobs about the sufferings of Tamils no real pressure is exerted on their blue eyed baby Mahinda, by these countries pointed out by Mohan Samaranayaka. Mohan talks like a man who has lost his foot hold and direction; it is the same political decease that has affected both Vasudeva and Tissa Witharana.

'Pillars of our nation' - King's College London Tamil Society 24 November 2012 "Maaveerar naal serves not only as a reminder for us to call for the end of oppression of Eelam Tamils, but for us, as a Tamil nation, to stand strong and united as we always have to commemorate our brothers and sisters who have sacrificed their lives, their youths and their ambitions for our homeland. Today, we students have once again reunited to honour thousands of our fallen heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Tamil Eelam. It’s heartbreaking to say that all of their graves have now been desecrated and destroyed by the Sri Lankan state. However, our maaveerar will never remain unmarked pages in our history. Each one of these courageous men and women will remain forever engraved in our hearts, serving as pillars of our nation. To cause the premature death of an innocent person is murder. To cause the premature deaths of large numbers of innocent people on racial and ethnic grounds, to destroy the very fabric of a nation, that is genocide. Faced with this genocide, this massive onslaught against our nation, these men and women displayed a bravery that has been unmatched, and rose up stand as our protectors, our guardians. We, away from the Sri Lankan government, who live secure in our warm houses, who return in the evening to find hot food and familiar faces waiting for us, are blessed by those who have laboured in the mud, who have known no peace and fought for a crust of bread. This is something that us Tamils should never forget because without their suffering, we will never be where we are today. Let me remind you that it is me and you who are held hostage, it is me and you who are tortured, it is our brothers and sisters being abducted and raped and the blood dripping from their hands, its mine and yours. As the future of our homeland, it is our duty to pass on what we have today to our tomorrow especially when our identity is under threat. When so many young men and women made such valiant sacrifices... gave up everything they had for us... we need to ensure that our lives here are not pettily squandered... and the sacrifices that they made were not in vain. Bearing this in mind, when we all walk out this door today and someone asks us, ‘Why are there events such as Breaking the Silence and youth Maveerar Naal’, our answer to their question will be ‘we do such events because We ask you not to turn a blind eye, but we ask you to break the silence’."  - A speech deleivered by Ashwini Anton a student from King’s College London and campaigns officer for King’s College London’s Tamil Society, at this week's Youth Maaverar Naal held in London.

Petrie report dismissed as ‘unsubstantiated and bias’

Mirror                          Published on Friday, 23 November 2012

(Mirror) - The Government today (Nov. 23) termed the allegations levelled against it in the internal review panel report on UN action in Sri Lanka as “unsubstantiated, erroneous and replete with conjecture and bias.”

“However, some of the issues raised in the report are of grave concern to Sri Lanka, and should not be construed as the accepted position,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The report of the UN Secretary General’s Internal Review Panel on UN action in Sri Lanka is also known as the “Petrie Report.”

While noting that both these Reports are internal advisories to the UN, the ministry stated that it is disconcerting that both the Darusman Report and the Petrie Report came into the public domain initially through a leak.

“………the unacceptable procedure of leaking has been resorted to, establishing a disturbing pattern which brings into question the bona fides of the authorship of the document and its underlying motivation,” the statement said.

The internal inquiry concluded that the UN’s own conduct during the final months of Sri Lanka’s war marked a “grave failure.”

The ministry’s statement said the report seems to seek to “endorse the baseless and discredited allegations in the Darusman Report,” of civilian casualty figures during the last stages of the terrorist conflict, which has not been agreed upon even among the senior UN officials at the time.

“While this Report is an internal review of the UN’s action in Sri Lanka during the terrorist conflict, the Ministry’s attention has been drawn to certain issues with regard to allegations directed at the Government of Sri Lanka, which are regrettably unsubstantiated, erroneous and replete with conjecture and bias,” the ministry said.

It finally said that initial statements emanating from some countries seem to disregard the fact that the basic purpose of the Report was to engage in a critical appraisal of the UN system’s performance.

“Ignoring this vital aspect, they have taken the opportunity to resort to criticism of the GoSL in a manner that reflects patent bias and unwillingness to examine the developments with any degree of objectivity,” it said.

External Affairs Ministry Statement on Petrie Report

Say 'NO' to Koodankulam and Kolar

Saturday, 24 November 2012

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) strikes again! With the same kind of callousness, carelessness and recklessness!

When the Supreme Court judges asked the NPCIL officials where the Koodankulam spent fuels would be transported to, India’s Solicitor General said that they would be sent to deep mining places in Kolar. Mr. Rohit Nariman admitted in open court that Kolar had been identified as the final long-term geological repository for long-life nuclear wastes.

In its characteristic manner, the DAE has not shared any basic information on the Kolar plan with the local people, or people’s representatives or the press. The ad-hoc nature of the DAE’s decision-making and the short shrift given to science and public opinion are so glaring and, in fact, very disturbing.

The Affidavit filed by Mr. Ashok Chauhan, Executive Director of NPCIL on 7 November, 2012, has the following statement about long-term Deep Geological Repository (DGR):

It is submitted that in India, the need of DGR will arise only after a few decades from now. However, research and development work is in progress for over three decades in the field of in-situ experiments, natural barrier characterisation, numerical modelling, conceptual design and natural analogue of waste forms and repository processes. Keeping in line with the international developments, the initial focus of work in eighties mainly centred on setting up generic Underground Research Laboratories in one of the abandoned mines in India and resulted in the development of an underground chamber in Kolar gold mine located in South India. Current efforts within the Indian geological repository programme are directed towards granite based URL. In India, we have granite rock formation spread all over the country. As such setting up of a deep geological repository is not much of a technological challenge, but as is the case internationally everywhere, it is more of a sociopolitical issue."

It is a fact that the Underground Research Laboratory (URL) in Kolar was opened in 1964 mainly as a neutrino laboratory. According to DAE's own documents, the lab was shut down in 1992 following closure of the mines. The department must share the waste depository studies and analyses with the local public and the State Government of Karnataka.

However, Mr. S. K. Malhotra, the spokesperson for the DAE has claimed that the department has no plans to dump any nuclear waste either from Kudankulam or any other nuclear plant anywhere near Kolar. If Kolar was never in the reckoning, then where did Mr. Nariman get this idea from? Who is speaking the truth and who is not? All we can deduce from this culture of nuclear deception is that Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) is going to be the nuclear killing fields of India.

KGF is about 30 kilometers from Kolar and 100 kilometers from Bengaluru (Bangalore) city. It is right in the heart of southern India where three big states, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, intersect. This is a highly populated area. For instance, look at the populations figures of the three adjacent districts (2011 estimate):

Kolar District (Karnataka): 1,540,231

Chittoor District (AP): 4,170,468

Krishnagiri District (TN): 1,883,731

This high and dense population does not deter the Indian government or the DAE from setting up the dump site at Kolar for they attach more value to their own self-interests and the interests of the United States, Russia and France than our people’s lives and interests.

The elevation of Kolar is 3,981 m (13,061 ft). Look at the elevation of some of the Tamil Nadu towns and districts that lie just south of the Kolar area:

Krishnagiri: 631 m

Vellor: 224 m

Dharmapuri: 468 m

Thiruvannamalai:168 m

One can easily imagine the impact of this dangerous and deadly nuclear waste that will be lying there for the next 48,000 (forty-eight thousand) years on the ground water of the low-lying Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

When all the national roads transport the deadly nuclear cargo to Kolar, millions and millions of our people in Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu will be exposed to all kinds of threats and dangers. Nuclear waste management is much more expensive and dangerous than nuclear power plants and even the most developed countries such as the United States and Germany are not able to handle the waste effectively.

Indian government should not go against the anti-nuclear trend of the world to promote the interests of the United States, Russia and France and expose the people of our country to nuclear dangers in Koodankulam, or Kolar or anywhere else.

The Struggle Committee

People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy