1,230 families affected due to rain at Chettikulam. Diverse tasks are speeding

Wednesday , 26 December 2012

Due to the continuous rain falls and floods, four thousand and 400 persons from 230 families living in Chettikulam divisional unit had been affected was stated by Chettikulam Divisional Secretary S.Kamamalanathan.

 

All of them are sheltered in 15 evacuation centers and are maintained. They are provided with cooked food and distributed with essential items.

 

 

People from Aandiya Puliyankulam, Periyakattu, Kannatti, Piramanthan pond, Kaduventhapulavu, Kurukkal Puthukulam, Pawatkulam Unit 2, Pawatkulam unit 4, Muthaliyar Kulam, Chettikulam,Mugathaankulam, Christopher kulam, Neriyakulam, Chinnachippi kulam and Kanthasamy town area people were displaced and are living in evacuation centers.

 

People have returned to the native lands where water has subsided, they are provided with cooked food and currently due to continuous rains, there is an atmosphere that more people may  move to safer areas was further mentioned by him.

 

Meanwhile Vavuniya District Government Agent Banthula Harichandra met the affected people and provided the necessary assistance.  

Why do asylum boats keep coming from Sri Lanka?

26 DEC 2012, 8:06 AM   -   SOURCE: NAOMI SELVARATNAM, SBS RADIO

Figures from the Department of Immigration have revealed a sharp increase this year in the number of boat arrivals from Sri Lanka.

Why do the asylum boats keep coming from Sri Lanka?

So far this year, the number of boat arrivals from Sri Lanka is over six-thousand - almost 30 times bigger than last year's figure.

It's raised questions about the reasons for the recent jump.

LISTEN: Naomi Selvaratnam reports.

It's been more than three-and-a-half years since the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka between government forces and Tamil separatist rebels.

Yet 2012 has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of Sri Lankans arriving in Australia by boat to seek asylum.

Figures from the Department of Immigration show well over six-thousand Sri Lankans have arrived by boat so far this year - with Sri Lankans comprising by far the biggest source country of asylum seekers.

By comparison, there have been close to four-thousand (3850) Afghans, about two-and-a-half thousand (2499) Iranians and just over one thousand (1099) Pakistanis.

Senior Research Fellow for the Human Protection Hub at Griffith University, Sara Davies says it is common for the number of asylum seekers from a country to rise several years after a conflict ends.

"It's not uncommon in a post-conflict situation, particularly in a situation like Sri Lanka where it was a civil war, and where the conflict was in a particular location where there was an ethnic group that was under sustained combat with the government, to then in that post-conflict situation, to no longer feel safe, and to feel that they need to flee and escape.

"And it should be remembered too that there were hundreds of thousands of people forcibly displaced and sent to internment camps, and we still don't have precise numbers about how many were sent to these internment camps. And it is not impossible that these groups are slowly making their way down to coastal lines, to seek a passage, and it takes a lot of time."

Sara Davies says the number of people claiming asylum from Sri Lanka could be influenced by past Australian government policies - or stories told about them.

"There is no doubt that one of the things that might be informing the dramatic increase is the fact that a number of Sri Lankans were (previously) recognised as refugees.

"They've had their asylum seeking claims heard and processed, and people smugglers are reporting these positive news stories, if you like, back to the community, and they're saying that you have the chance to seek and gain passage.

"This is not uncommon. I mean, this has happened from World War One, World War Two, when populations are fleeing and they find out that there's a possibility of being received in a neighbouring country, no matter the distance, this is what they will do.

They will try to get to the country that provides them asylum."

One Australian Tamil community group says it believes the dramatic increase in the number of people seeking asylum is because some parts of the population in Sri Lanka still feel unsafe.

Bala Vigneswaran is a spokesman for the Australian Tamil Congress.

"The war means sometimes it's physical - the bombs are falling, the shells are flying and all sorts of things and the blood and death. Yes, that particular physical war is over. But all the factors that caused the war continue."

"People disappear, the militarisation of the northern east of Sri Lanka continues, and people are still in trouble. They're not getting the dividend of peace. People were very hopeful things would be better, but it doesn't seem to happen. So people are kind of disappointed, they are really leaving to save their lives."

Basil Fernando from the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, says the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka does not mean that human rights are now being respected.

In fact, he says the situation has worsened.

"The situation in Sri Lanka in many ways, is a very oppressive situation. In the past, the main problem was regarding the civil war. Now that situation doesn't exist after 2009. But over the country, the respect for civil rights have degenerated quite a lot."

The Sri Lankan government argues that there's no reason for any of its nationals to now be seeking asylum in other countries.

Government leaders say if there was anyone in genuine fear of persecution, they could take a far shorter and safer trip, for example, to neighbouring India.

But Basil Fernando from the Asian Human Rights Commission says many Sri Lankans have good reasons not to choose not to seek asylum in nearby countries, such as India.

"(The) Indian government doesn't provide any kind of support for their existence. So other places of course and even worse. So none of the Asian countries have a strong policy or protection for refugees. That is one of the reasons people go for other places. The system of refugee protection, the respect for the UN convention on Refugees is very much less in many ways and actually it doesn't exist."

The Gillard government has sought to dissuade asylum seekers from Sri Lanka by stepping up co-operation with the government in Colombo.

But the Deputy Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy Khalid Koser says Australian policy changes may not necessarily have any effect on reducing the number of people seeking asylum by boat.

"Lots of asylum seekers don't trust governments, and this isn't just about the Australian government. If you're fleeing a country where you're being persecuted or you think you're at risk of being persecuted then I think you have a natural mistrust of governments."

So the idea that because the Australian government says something asylum seekers will believe it I think is the first question. The second this is that, and of course not all asylum seekers are fleeing persecution and some of them are clearly economic migrants."

"But if you are fleeing persecution, if you are fleeing conflict, then frankly there's not much Australia can do that would make my life worse than it may be in Afghanistan or Sri Lanka or other places I'm coming from. So even if asylum seekers know that there are tough policies, even if they know they may be detained, that's not going to be enough to stop them trying to get out of harms way and come to a place where they think they will be safer."

Whether government is expecting Muslims to carry weapons? Muslim Tamil National Alliance query

Wednesday , 26 December 2012

Pothubala Sena" the Sinhala movement and other Sinhalese racists are carrying out unscrupulous activities against the Muslim and why government is silently watching.

 

Suppression against Muslims and continuous autocracies are unleashed against the Muslims by the government,   and to protect their rights, whether Muslims should carry weapons, is what the government expect was queried by Muslim Tamil National Front. Movements appealed not to shove the Muslims to that state.

 

Government is stating minor problem and avoiding but the consequence would be dangerous was the warning given by Muslim Tamil National Front Leader and Colombo Urban Council former Deputy Mayor Azath Saali to the government.

 

By opposing to the suppression which are advanced by the government against the Muslims, he said, suppression against Muslims in recent times are increasing. Last Sunday a Sinhala group assaulted two Muslim businessmen which evidence is recorded.

 

 

Two Muslim shops were in the Embilipitiya market and the owners were assaulted by a Sinhala group. Why they were attacked by a Sinhala group? For what?

 

"Puthubala Sena" the Sinhala movement and another Sinhala racist group are continuously executing suppression against the Muslims. But government did not take any action against them.

 

We are not aware whether government will take action against the Embilipiitya Muslim traders attack incident, he said.

 

Bhikku who was in foremost for Dambulla mosque attack, government did not take any action. There is sufficient evidence to arrest them, but government ignored the issue.

 

 

When suppression are carried out against the Muslims, the ruling party Muslim Ministers and MPs are complaining to Defense Ministry Secretary. What is the use of complaining to him?

 

Smashing the Muslim mosque, attack against the Muslim traders, unscrupulous activities carried out by the Sinhala racist that Muslim’s  Halal food should be banned are minor issues is claimed  by Defense Secretary.

 

 Playing with the religion and in people’s lives is considered whether to be minor issues?

 

Consequence for these minor issues may divert the country to a dangerous situation. Suppressions against the Muslim should not continue in future in this country. The government should take necessary and immediate action concerning this.  Penalty should be given to those advancing suppression.

 

Government silently watching,   the suppression unleashed against the Muslims, and whether government   is expecting that Muslim should carry weapons to protect their rights. No. don't push us to that situation was mentioned by Azath Saali.

Attempt to assassinate the Chief Justice

Tuesday, 25 December 2012 

We reliably learn that several powerful officials in the defence establishment are drawing a plan these days to assassinate the Chief Justice.

The first step of this plan is being implemented in the Y-O Ward in the Welikada Prison. It is persons who have committed serious crimes that are held in this ward. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is currently carrying out an investigation in to the recent riot at the prison and four officers from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) have also been included in the team.

Also, an official who works directly under the Defence Secretary is also included in the team of investigators. His name is Wasantha Kodagoda. The CID officers have found this man’s conduct an obstacle to conducting the investigation.

This official, who had entered the prison under the guise of being part of the investigation, has now developed links with persons who have committed serious crimes in the Y-O Ward. As a result of this move, underworld leader Manna Thushara who has been charged in about 20 murder cases has been transferred from the Y-O Ward to the Temple Ward.

It is learnt that this Manna Thushara is to be taken to the Nugegoda District Court shortly and he is to escape en route to the courthouse. Manna Thushara has been contracted to assassinate the Chief Justice.

Manna Thushara has told his fellow inmates before being transferred to the Temple Ward, “You will be able to see my photographs in the newspapers and television. I’m the one who will give the works to the lady boss.” The “lady boss” has referred to is the Chief Justice.

Senior DIG Anura Senanayake has already taken steps to minimize the security provided to the Chief Justice in order to help Manna Thushara achieve his target without much difficulty.

It is Anura Senanayake who had taken steps to send Wasantha Kodagoda inside the Welikada Prison along with the CCD officials. The President had granted Senanayake an extension of service following a recommendation by the Defence Secretary due these services.

Portrayal of Eelam Tamils in mainstream Kollywood cinema: Some observations

26 DECEMBER 2012

BY R.M.KARTHICK

Many scholars studying Tamil Nadu politics have noted, and rightly so, the pervasive influence on Tamil cinema on Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. Writing in 1996 in ‘The Eye of the Serpent: An Introduction to Tamil Cinema’, Tamil film historian Theodore Baskaran argues “over the seventy-nine years of its existence, Tamil cinema has grown to become the most domineering influence in the cultural and political life in Tamil Nadu.” Sixteen years later, the statement is still not an exaggeration, with the leader of the ruling party of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalitha, and the leaders of the two major opposition parties DMK and DMDK, Karunanidhi and Vijayakanth respectively, hailing from strong backgrounds in Tamil cinema. Indeed, a walk in the streets of Chennai, Madurai or Salem would expose one to the near omnipresence of the gods of Kollywood – posters on walls, pictures on shops, autos, cars and buses, larger than life cut-outs, mobs thronging theatres that screen blockbusters and so.Kollywood, or the Tamil version of Hollywood, is term that is used to refer to the Tamil cinema industry that has Kodambakkam in Chennai as its heart. With about 200 films produced annually, with the highest paid actor in India (Rajinikanth) and with huge investments put into the production of a single movie – Shankar’s Endhiran was produced at a whooping budget of over 1.5 billion Indian Rupees, making it the costliest movie to be made in India – it is a thriving commercial enterprise. Taking from Zizek who contends that much of the issues in the so-called post-industrial society can be analyzed through a study of Hollywood, I argue that an analysis of Kollywood Cinema, considering its strong influence in contemporary Tamil Nadu’s political culture, would greatly assist in understanding social aspects of Tamil society.

Now, while many in the Tamil cine world have expressed their sympathies for the plight of the Eelam Tamils, it is only a few actors and directors – and they are mostly not box office hits – who have explicitly empathized with the political struggle of the Eelam Tamils. In fact, despite the claims of many in Tamil Nadu cinema, both on screen and off, that they express ‘genuine’ Tamil sentiments and culture, the portrayal of the Eelam Tamils’ struggle in mainstream cinema has been negligible. Now, this is a relative statement considering the fact that the political struggle of the Eelam Tamils heralded a new phase of militant Tamil nationalism, created a society that reformers and poets of Tamil Nadu could only write about, and waged a war for liberation that was of epic proportions in its moments of both triumph and tragedy.  Thus, it is a matter for lamentation that a culture industry in the ‘heart of Tamil civilization’ did not give adequate artistic due in its mainstream medium to an achievement that is claimed by many a Tamil nationalist to have been the ‘height of Tamil civilization’.

This article seeks to briefly explore the few mainstream Tamil movies that have touched on the subject of the Eelam Tamils and interrogate how the portrayal has been executed.  By ‘mainstream’, I refer to those movies that have been made for explicitly commercial purposes and have produced by well established production houses. This article does not want into take into consideration Eelam Tamils portrayed in non-mainstream Tamil Nadu cinema not because there haven’t been any, but just because most, if not all, are hardly worthy of critical examination for the sheer lack of artistic form or content. Of course, there is considerable debate on what is mainstream and what is not. And I do welcome the criticism that this labelling is in itself a discriminatory act that pushes other artistic productions to the sidelines. For purposes of providing a general idea of the issue at hand, the article prefers to stick to the definition of ‘mainstream’ mentioned above.

Eelam Tamils have been subjects in some movies while in others, they have been explicitly referred to or allusions have been deployed.                                      Read more...

Assets And Liabilities: 225 Members Of Parliament Now Have To Answer My Questions

By Kusal Perera -December 26, 2012 

Kusal Perera

(Personal address deleted)

25 December, 2012

Mr. Chamal J. Rajapaksa,

Hon. Speaker of the Parliament,

Office of the Speaker of Parliament,

Parliamentary Complex,

Sri Jayawardnepura.

Hon Speaker,

Regarding Declaration of Assets & Liabilities –  Members of Parliament

First and foremost, I wish to convey my appreciation to all 117 Members of Parliament who wittingly or unwittingly placed their signatures to the petition calling for the impeachment of the Chief Justice, Dr. Ms.Shirani Bandaranayake, wherein they have raised the issue of annual “Declaration of Assets and Liabilities” which is also equally applicable to all 225 Members of Parliament. They therefore now have to answer my questions, on their own declarations of assets and liabilities as Members of Parliament since May 2010.

The law says, any and all Members of Parliament who have not declared assets and liabilities can not function, sit in parliamentary sessions and vote. They could also be prosecuted against, for violation of law, in any Magistrate’s Court. I do therefore appreciate your statements made on the strict adherence to Constitutional requirements in parliamentary conduct by all Members and would stress, it is your obligation and responsibility to ensure that only Members who have submitted their annual declarations on assets and liabilities to you, who would participate in the day to day functioning of parliament.

For your easy reference, let me refer to sections of the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities (Amendment) Act No. 74 of 1988, that is relevant and which applies to Members of Parliament and to your office as Speaker of Parliament.

Section 2 (1) (a) very clearly says that provisions of this law shall apply to all “Members of Parliament”.  It then says, under Section 3 (1) that assets and liabilities of the MP, his or her Spouse’s and that of the children should be declared. All candidates for LG, Provincial, Parliamentary and Presidential elections, are expected to hand over the declarations at the time of nominations, to the Commissioner of Elections and where such compliance have not been made, if elected, Members (of parliament) should hand over their declaration of assets and liabilities to the Speaker of Parliament under Section 4.(b).

The amended Section 3 also states, “….a person  to whom this law applies referred to in paragraph (dc) of sub section (1) of Section 2 shall be deemed to have complied with the provisions of this sub section if he makes a declaration of his assets and liabilities as at the date of nomination as a candidate for election under any of the Acts referred to in that paragraph on the date of such nomination or before he functions, or sits, or votes….” in parliament, as relevant to this letter. This essentially means, all Members have to submit their first declaration on assets and liabilities, latest at the time of their swearing in as members of parliament, to be sworn in as a MP. Thereafter they have to continue declaring their assets and liabilities annually, before every 31^st day of March, every year.

“Assets and liabilities” have been defined under Section 12 of this law as, “assets and liabilities in and outside Sri Lanka, and includes movable and immovable property”.

This law also says, under Section 9 (1) that any person who fails to declare assets and liabilities without reasonable cause, makes false statement or contravenes any provision of this law, shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction after trial before a Magistrate be liable to a fine not more than one thousand rupees or imprisonment of either description not more than a year, or both such fine and imprisonment.

The legal right for any citizen to access such information as declared in a statement of assets and liabilities submitted to the relevant authority, is given in Section 5(2)(3) as. “Any person shall on payment of a prescribed fee to the appropriate authority, have the right to call for and refer to any declaration of assets and liabilities and on payment of a further fee to be prescribed, shall have the right to obtain that declaration.”

On that provision, as the appropriate authority in the parliament, I wish to first have your early answers to the questions below.

1. Have all those 117 MPs who signed the petition handed over to you on 01 November, 2012 to impeach CJ Bandaranayake, declared their assets and liabilities on or before they were sworn in parliament as Members, after the parliamentary elections held in April, 2010 and if all have not, how many of them have done so ? Can you please provide the 02 name lists of those who have declared and those who have not ?
2. How many out of the 11 (eleven) Members who sat as the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the impeachment motion, have declared their assets and liabilities and if any have not, who are they ?
3. How many Members of Parliament from the 225 sworn in, have handed over their declaration of assets and liabilities annually, as required by law and can you please provide the 02 name lists of those who have done so and those who have not ?
4. Will you as Speaker ensure that it would be only Members who have declared their assets and liabilities according to law, who would be allowed to debate the impeachment report handed over to you on 08 December, 2012 ?
5. What is the prescribed fee to obtain a copy of a declaration of assets and liabilities of a MP and to whom should that fee be paid to ?

I wish I could have made this request more brief for your convenience, but, as I intend to make this available in the public domain, I believe all relevant details as regards declaration of assets and liabilities needs to be included for the benefit of those who wish to have them.

Shall expect an early response from you to all my above queries.

Thanking you,

Yours most sincerely,

Kusal Perera

Journalist

C.c – to all media institutes and organisations

People s debt burden increased by 25 percent

Wednesday , 26 December 2012

An individual Sri Lankan's debt burden is increased by 25 percent was pointed out by Sri Lanka Central Bank statistics.

 

Last year this amount was 245,980 rupees, but now it has increased to 308,171 rupees. On the basis of an individual debtor, the loan money which is paid to the Sri Lanka government, dividing the total population, this amount was valued.

 

Sri lanka population in year 2012, 20,277,597.The debt amount 5133 billion dollars is the total amount to be settled to the government.

 

During the past 8 months period 1,115.6 billion is increased by 6,248.9 billion rupees.

 

The local debt from 449 billion has increased by 16 percent, and has increased to 3,253 billion.

 

Foreign debts have increased from 666.5 billion to 28.6 percent, has increased to 2,995.8 billion.

 

According to Economy expert’s data, country’s export earning, for the past 9 months have increased by 8.3 percent, import expenditure increased by 11.2 percent.

 

Due to this reason increase has occurred in state loans was cited. 

'Not Sonia, another woman claimed to be Rajiv Gandhi's wife' WEDNESDAY, 26 DECEMBER 2012  Twenty-one-years after Rajiv Gandhi's death, a statement from a revenue official shocked all. An official of Kancheepuram district informed that a woman had claimed to be Rajiv Gandhi's wife. The woman, who was identified as Sabeen Firdous from Hyderabad, was also issued Mr Gandhi's death certificate. Congress President Sonia Gandhi might be shocked over the incident. Times of India quoted the revenue official as saying, "Death certificates are not confidential papers but what has caused discomfiture is that she claimed to be Rajiv Gandhi's wife." The daily also reported that the woman, in her application, mentioned her age as 50 and her place of residence as Dada Sahib Road, Hyderabad. The sub-registrar officer Ramalingam had issued the death certificate copy to the woman. Later, a probe was held and Kancheepuram district administration ordered the transfer of the record clerk B Natarajan. The shocking revelation ignited controversy over Rajiv Gandhi's death. Recently, K Ragothaman, who was the head of the investigating team of the assassination case, published a book which brought the then chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB) MK Narayanan to the centre of the controversy. Narayanan, who is currently the governor of West Bengal, has been accused of suppressing a video which allegedly had captured "human bomb" Dhanu at the Sriperumbudur venue where Rajiv Gandhi was killed on May 21, 1991. The video tape allegedly showed Dhanu's presence at the venue prior to the former prime minister's arrival. In his book "Conspiracy to kill Rajiv Gandhi - From CBI files", Ragothaman writes, "The assassin gang, as per our investigation, was very much in the sterile zone for more than two and half hours waiting for its target." The allegations of the author raised fingers at Tamil Nadu police who had easily got away with the claim that Dhanu had sneaked into the sterile zone after Rajiv Gandhi's arrival at the venue around 10 pm. The author, in his book, also asserted that "the tape taken by the IB officials was the original one and that the video given to the local police was a substituted one". The former IB chief also informed that DR Karthikeyan, the then chief of Special Investigation Team (SIT), had allowed Narayanan to go scot-free after conducting a preliminary investigation regarding the missing video. In his book, the author leaves a question for Narayanan saying, would Narayanan have dared "to damage the goal of the Congress party, irrespective of his personal affiliation to Rajiv Gandhi's family?" According to Ragothaman, the crucial video tape was suppressed as it could have exposed those people with whom Dhanu had interacted at the venue (One India News)

WikiLeaks:1988 Indian Payoff To LTTE Revealed – 520 Million Indian Rupees To Tigers

By Colombo Telegraph -December 25, 2012

“Major Sri Lankan Papers April 15 have head lined a report (First published in the April 3 London Observer) which quotes both Indian High Commissioner J.N. Dixit and an LTTE spokesman in Madras that Indian Prime Minister Gandhi agreed in late July to pay the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam a monthly stipend to compensate for lost Tax revenues following the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka accord.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Gandhi and Prabhakaran

A Leaked US diplomatic cable, dated April 5, 1988,  updated the Secretary of State regarding the the Indo-Sri Lanka accord and the Indian – LTTE secret  package.The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable subject was “Indian payoff to LTTE revealed”.

The Embassy wrote; “The monthly payment, reports say, was to have been five million Indian Rupees (or nearly $400,000). An Indian HICOM officer has confirmed that some money was given the Tigers in late July. Apparently only its pledge to participate in Interim Administrative Council In late September and the deal fell through.”

“An unnamed LTTE spokesman in Madras in quoted as saying that the payment was part of a larger secret package of guarantees which Gandhi offered LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran in July to get him to agree to the bilateral accord.” the Embassy further wrote.

Read the cable below for detail package;

O 051045Z APR 88
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7892
INFO AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY
AMCONSUL MADRAS PRIORITY

UNCLAS COLOMBO 02367 

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 

E.O. 12356;  N/A
TAGS: PREL PINS IN CE
SUBJECT:  INDIAN PAYOFF TO LTTE REVEALED 

REF:  COLOMBO 1755 

¶1.  MAJOR SRI LANKAN PAPERS APRIL 5 HAVE HEADLINED
A REPORT (FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE APRIL 3 LONDON
OBSERVER) WHICH QUOTES BOTH INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER
J.N. DIXIT AND AN LTTE SPOKESMAN IN MADRAS THAT
INDIAN PRIME MINISTER GANDHI AGREED IN LATE JULY TO
PAY THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM A MONTHLY
STIPEND TO COMPENSATE FOR LOST TAX REVENUES
FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF THE INDO-SRI LANKAN ACCORD.
THE MONTHLY PAYMENT, REPORTS SAY, WAS TO HAVE BEEN
FIVE MILLION INDIAN RUPEES (OR NEARLY $400,000).
AN INDIAN HICOMM OFFICER HAS CONFIRMED THAT SOME
MONEY WAS GIVEN THE TIGERS IN LATE JULY.  APPARENTLY
ONLY ONE PAYMENT WAS MADE BEFORE THE LTTE RENEGED
ON ITS PLEDGE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERIM
ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND THE
DEAL FELL THROUGH. 

¶2.  AN UNNAMED LTTE SPOKESMAN IN MADRAS IS QUOTED AS
SAYING THAT THE PAYMENT WAS PART OF A LARGER SECRET
PACKAGE OF GUARANTEES WHICH GANDHI OFFERED LTTE
LEADER V. PRABHAKARAN IN JULY TO GET HIM TO AGREE
TO THE BILATERAL ACCORD.  OTHER PARTS OF THE PACKAGE,
ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT, INCLUDED:
-
-- AN ASSURANCE THAT THE LTTE WOULD FORM A MAJORITY
-  OF THE INTERIM PROVINCIAL COUNCIL FOR THE NORTH
-  AND EAST.  (COMMENT:  THE LTTE WAS GIVEN SEVEN
-  OF THE TWELVE SEATS IN A DEAL WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED
-  AND FELL THROUGH THE SAME DAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1987.)
-
-- ONE BILLION INDIAN RUPEES FOR REHABILITATION OF THE
-  JAFFNA PENINSULA WHICH APPARENTLY WAS TO BE
-  FUNNELED THROUGH AN LTTE-DOMINATED INTERIM
-  ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL (COMMENT:  THIS APPEARS TO
-  BE IN ADDITION TO THE AID WHICH INDIA PLEDGED
-  PUBLICLY AT THE DECEMBER CONSORTIUM MEETING IN
-  PARIS.  AT THAT MEETING, THE GOI OFFERED US $40
-  MILLION (ABOUT 520 MILLION INDIAN RUPEES) FOR
-  REHABILITATION WORK IN THE NORTH AND EAST.)
-
-- HELP, AFTER AN INTERIM ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
-  WAS IN PLACE, IN SETTING UP A TAMIL POLICE FORCE.
-
¶3.  EMBASSY COMMENT:  LEFT UNSAID IS ANY INDICATION
WHETHER THE PACKAGE SUGGESTED ABOVE IS STILL ON THE
TABLE IN THE GOI-LTTE TALKS WHICH APPARENTLY HAVE BEEN
GOING ON FOR SOME TIME.  ACCORDING TO JOHN RETTIE,
THE LOCAL BBC CORRESPONDENT, TALKS BETWEEN THE TIGERS
AND THE GOI BEGAN IN LATE FEBRUARY IN MADRAS.  THEY
WERE BROKEN OFF RECENTLY, HE SAID, BUT ARE DUE TO
BEGIN AGAIN NEXT WEEK.  END COMMENT. 

Post-Mullivaaikkaal governance in Sri Lanka: Towards a totalitarian state

Post-Mullivaaikkaal governance in Sri Lanka: Towards a totalitarian state

Groundviews -26 Dec, 2012

Image courtesy Lanka Standard

The present crisis engulfing the Jaffna University may be a turning point for the Tamil politics and Sri Lankan politics at large. There are three important issues, I would like to deduce from this stalemate, which are necessary to gauge the trajectory of post-war Tamil politics in Sri Lanka. Two of those issues are very familiar ones, that is because of the very reason, in Sri Lanka we have had repeated failures in achieving a dignified political settlement in the past. And the third one is an entirely new and alarming phenomenon that is unique to the post-Mullivaaikkaal governance structure of the Sri Lankan state. This new governance is misleadingly called as ‘militarization’ in the popular discourse without realising the conceptual and theoretical elucidation. Obviously, I would like to dwell in the third one in detail after a brief sketch of first two issues.

Firstly, this crisis will lead to the delegitimization and destruction of Tamil moderates in politics. Throughout the post-independent Tamil politics, Tamil moderates were electorally destroyed, during the first half of the history and during the second half, they were physically destroyed by the Tamil militancy. (I have dealt in detail about this particular aspect in this piece [1]). This is a very familiar story; successive governments in Colombo have let down the moderate Tamil politicians and they were never given a dignified solution to this protracted ethnic conflict. Presently TNA is having same old problem and its legitimacy has consistently been eroded by each and every crisis affecting Tamil population in Sri Lanka. On the one hand, Sampanthan and his cohorts have to deal with a deceitful regime, and on the other hand, they have to convince the exhausted and traumatised Tamil electorate that they can deliver a dignified political solution via political negotiations. Since the eruption of this crisis in Jaffna University, the TNA seems to be losing its grip and leadership in Tamil politics. Its first reaction was somewhat confused one and merely followed the protest momentum of the TNPF led by Gajan Ponnambalam, parliamentarian Mavai Senathiraja’s slothful body language at the Jaffna protest, organised by the TNPF, itself was a clear indication that the TNA is not comfortable with the idea of protest. The lacklustre protest organized by the TNA, at the Chelvanayakam memorial site, on 21^st of December, has wittingly or unwittingly revealed the TNA’s internal contradictions among its constituent parties. Hence, any escalation of Jaffna University crisis can further delegitimize the TNA in the eyes of Tamil people.

Continue reading »

45 former LTTEers arrested in Jaffna

WEDNESDAY, 26 DECEMBER 2012 

At least 45 ex-LTTE cadres, who were hiding since long period without surrendering to the security forces, were arrested in the Jaffna peninsula by the Terrorist Investigations Division (TID), official sources said.
They said that following several search operations covering the entire peninsula in the recent past, these former LTTE members were taken into custody.
The TID was interrogating these suspects and steps would be taken to take legal action against some of the suspects, if found involved in criminal activities.(Srinath Prasanna Jayasuriya)

Sri Lanka’s terror abductions, arrests, summons mark Christmas Eve in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 December 2012, 22:43 GMT]
28-year-old Mrs Soundararajan Sivamalar, wife of an LTTE member killed in the war, and presently working at SL government’s Uduvil divisional secretariat, was abducted at midnight at her house recently. Sri Lanka’s Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) now informally acknowledged to the SL Human Rights Commission office in Jaffna that the ‘arrest’ was their act. Complaints of such abductions and ‘arrests’ of around 45 people have been registered in recent days at the SL human rights office in Jaffna, officials acknowledged on Monday. Many more abductions and arrests in the north have gone unregistered as the family members have been sternly warned by the occupying SL forces, not to register complaints at the SL human rights office. Meanwhile, many girl students of the Jaffna University have been ‘summoned’ over telephone by the TID in Vavuniyaa. 

The summoning of the girl students of the University of Jaffna over the phone by the TID in Vavuniyaa now takes place directly, without any intimation to the university authorities.

Direct telephonic summoning of the university students has become an unchallenged and established practice now, following such a summon served to the President of the University Teachers’ Association and Head of English Language Teaching Unit at the university, Mr K. Rajakumaran.

Many girl students have silently gone with their parents to Vavuniyaa to submit themselves to TID investigations.

TID at Vavuniyaa is run directly by SL Defence Secretary and presidential sibling Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile, most of the abductions of Tamil youth in recent days that have gone unregistered, took place in midnights or at dusk times, news sources said. 

Occupying Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission’s office in Jaffna nowadays don’t encourage direct complaints of abductions coming to them, news sources in Jaffna further said.

The HR office tells the victim’s family members to lodge complaint at SL police stations.

Since the very SL police is a party to the abductions and arrests, how to lodge the complaint with them, ask the family members of the victims.

Of all the outfits of the occupying Sinhala state, the Human Rights Commission office is the only one for civilians to approach in a civil manner. Even this outfit is now directed to openly play on the side of State’s terrorism, public in Jaffna say. Some days ago, citing weekend, a threatened university student was prevented from surrendering at the HR office.
* * * After the IC-India-UN abetted genocidal war, the Eezham Tamils are subjected to State terrorism of Sri Lanka, in various ways and at various stages to complete the genocide through structural means and through individual terrorisation of every member of the nation of Eezham Tamils. In fact the process got accelerated after the USA and India enacted a resolution sanctioning the LLRC process at the UNHRC, political observers in Jaffna said.

What’s happening now through the terrorisation process of the public, students, women and the former LTTE activists, and through the political manoeuvring process of the TNA are not two separate phenomena, but are interconnected as preparatory grounds for the next rounds at Geneva in March, aiming at further engineering of the total subjugation and annihilation of the nation of Eezham Tamils, the observers commented.

All the forces that don’t recognize the genocide, the nation of Eezham Tamils and its right to self-determination in the island are invariably parties to the crime of genocide through State terrorism that takes place now, the observers further said.

The terror campaign currently carried out especially against the released cadres of the LTTE, its former activists and even family members of them, is aimed at prodding them to join for safety with outfits and paramilitaries run by the genocidal government in collaboration with some of its international abetters, political observers in Jaffna suspect.

After the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 and the occupation of the country of Eezham Tamils by the ‘Indian Peace Keeping Force’, all the Tamil militant groups except the LTTE were made to renounce the independence aspiration of Eezham Tamils. The unquestioning support the LTTE gained from the people mainly came from its commitment and steadfastness to the cause.

Increase Of Crimes And Constitutional Tomfoolery

TG

By Basil Fernando -December 26, 2012

Basil Fernando

The construction of a government that prevents one person becoming the prey of another can be said to be the aim of constitutionalism. Ever since Montesquieu, the greatest of political thinkers and statesmen have struggled to develop principles to achieve this aim of preventing citizens becoming prey of rulers who rule not for the purpose of achieving the greater good for the people, but to enrich themselves at the expense of the nation. The foundations of most of constitutions developed to achieve this aim are based on the work of John Locke.

The recognition of the liberties of the individual as a central concern is one of the major characteristics of a government that is created for the purpose of preventing authoritarianism, which simply means the attempts by the ruler to control the nation for the benefit of him or herself as against the interests of the population. Without embedding the liberties of the individual as enforceable rights, it is not possible to have a form of governance that is for the benefit of the people.

The development of the idea of the separation of powers arises from the recognition that the liberties of individuals are a part of the structure of the government. That the executive should be controlled by a system of restrictions on power led to the recognition of separate branches of government. Such separation, therefore, cannot be artificial and has to be genuine, so as to bear concrete results when disputes arise between the ruler and the individual citizens.

The development of judicial power arose from this recognition of the conflict that is unavoidable between the ruler and the individual citizens or groups of citizens. In such conflicts, the settlements need to be fair and the working out of such fairness is what is called justice. Thus, there is always a conflict between power and justice. The task of those who hold judicial power is to protect the individuals or groups of individuals without allowing them to become prey for those who hold power. If those who hold judicial power are unable to do that, then their existence has no purpose.

The right of the judicial review of legislation arises from these same principles. In the name of making laws, the rulers should not be allowed to suppress the rights of individuals or groups of individuals. To put it in another way, legislation should not be a means of making individuals or groups of individuals prey of those who hold power.

Thus, the judicial power and the power of judicial review are inseparable. To say that there is the separation of powers is to say that the judiciary has judicial power. To say that judges have judicial power is to say that they have the power to review legislation.

That even this simple premise has become a matter of dispute in Sri Lanka shows how some people have become so powerful that they claim the right to make prey of others.

When Justice Vigneshwaran spoke of the constitutional tomfoolery played in Sri Lanka, what he was pointing to was the way that the very basic principles of constitutionalism have been distorted by the 1978 Constitutionand how the 18^th Amendment to that Constitution has completed that distortion. This tomfoolery has made the Sri Lankan legal system into a dysfunctional system. The present attempt to remove the Chief Justice of the country without observing the internationally recognized norms relating to such removals will further destabilize the entire legal system of the country.

Everyday events are showing the extent to which the whole system is distorted. Take, for example, the situation of a village, now well-known to everyone due to a large number of mysterious killings that took place there. The murders took place in the village of Kahawatte, where about 20 persons were brutally killed within a short span of time. Now reports are coming out about how some of the alleged murderers are being dealt with. Two people were reported to have been shot dead after they were released on bail. A third person has gone missing since last week, also after getting bail. It was not long ago that four persons who were initially arrested as suspects of a brutal murder were found dead with gunshot injuries, with their hands tied behind their backs and blindfolded. The suspicion is that these killings are done by the police or paramilitary groups, and that this is the way crime is being dealt with in Sri Lanka.

In some other cases, the suspects have connections to the government. It is just under a year ago that a British citizen was brutally murdered by the Chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha, Sampath Chandra Pushpa Vidanapathirana and others, in Tangalla. A Russian girl, who the murder victim was protecting, was also attacked and narrowly escaped death. However, the suspects are now roaming freely.

Thousands of similar situations have been reported.

The attempt by the rulers in Sri Lanka to manipulate and play the fool with the constitution and other laws has created this situation.

These are matters that should be a big part of the discussion on the impeachment issue. Do Sri Lankans want to continue to be the prey of their rulers or do they want a rational form of governance that will protect them from being such prey? If the people want the latter, then they should protect their judiciary, which is their last resort when they are faced with assaults because of the failure of governance.

None of these serious matters are of any concern to the state media. The state media does nothing at all to expose the failure of the system of governance in the country. Their attack is on those who do try to expose these matters and call for a reform of governance in order that the people’s security can be assured. Cynics who support constitutional tomfoolery lead these state media programs. Such cynics, who get paid with taxpayers’ money, sing songs for those who prey on the people themselves.