TNA defends bid to thwart CHOGM 2010 in C’bo

Govt. lashes out at Sumanthiran, Dr. Pakiasothy

By Shamindra Ferdinando-April 28, 2013

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran yesterday defended campaigning in London against Sri Lanka hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo later this year. The TNA wanted the venue shifted to a suitable venue regardless of a previous decision to allow Sri Lanka to host the meeting.

National List MP Sumanthiran faulted the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for giving Sri Lanka the honour of hosting the summit in spite of the government violating Commonwealth doctrine, including Latimar House principles that dealt with the judiciary of member states.The MP was responding to government accusations that he along with Dr. Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu, overall Coordinator of programmes conducted by Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA), made representations in London against the government.

Government sources told The Island that MP Sumanthiran and Saravanamuttu, executive director of the CPA had launched a joint campaign in London ahead of Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma’s announcement in favour of Sri Lanka. Sources alleged that the UK based Global Tamil Forum (GTF), too, had campaigned alongside the TNA and the CPA.

Responding to a query, a senior official told The Island that External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris visited London in the wake of the anti-Sri Lanka campaign to counter the eelamist project. The minister who had been on an official visit to Romania flew to London from there, sources said.

London based GTF spokesman Suren Surendiran told The Island, before Sharma’s announcement, that Tamil grouping wanted the change of CHOGM venue from Colombo to Chennai. Surendiran stressed that the GTF would push for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to skip the Colombo summit.

Sumanthiran said that during his visit to London for some other event he had the opportunity to attend the launch of ‘A Crisis of Legitimacy: The Impeachment of Chief Justice Bandaranayake and the Erosion of the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka’, at the House of Lords. "Subsequently, I was invited by the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association for a meeting where contentious issues were raised. I reiterated my position that as Sri Lanka had violated Commonwealth standards, particularly Latimar House principles it shouldn’t be given the honour of hosting the summit."

Asked whether he had campaigned jointly with CPA chief Saravanamuttu against the government, Sumanthiran said that the latter, too, was present at meetings.

The MP politely declined to identify those whom he had met in London. Responding to a query, the TNA rising star said that the issue was the government in spite of failing to address both local and international concerns on accountability issues. The government move to take over thousands of acres in the Jaffna peninsula as well as the Vanni mainland meant that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had no intention of resettling those displaced in their original places of living, the MP alleged. Instead of national reconciliation, the government had been working overtime since the conclusion of the war to strengthen its military position at the expense of Tamil speaking people, the MP said. The bottom line was that the government was reversing national reconciliation process instead of taking meaningful measures to reconcile.

Need Of The Hour: A ‘National’ Provincial Council For The North

By Rajasingham Narendran -April 29, 2013 

Dr. Rajasingham Narendran

Elections for the Northern Provincial Council are scheduled for September’2013, although the date has not been announced.  Although the Provincial Councils are institutions established under the 13^th amendment to the constitution (November’1987), they have not served the function they were expected to, for various reasons that have been highlighted, analyzed, discussed and debated over the past twenty five years.  There are also recent calls for abrogation of the 13^th amendment and amendments to the 13^thamendment to negate police and land powers granted to the Provincial Councils, despite the impending Northern Provincial Council elections. The preludes to the on-coming elections have already commenced and indicate that the campaign itself is bound to be quite bitter, violent and divisive.  It is also likely the results would favour the TNA overwhelmingly.

This prospect has aroused fears as to how the TNA would conduct itself in office, in terms of questions relating to full implementation of the 13^th amendment as originally envisaged, improvements to the Provincial Council system and the perennial question relating to the so-called internal self-determination.   The potential for conflict between the Northern Provincial Council and the Sri Lankan government, and the adverse outcome are also of concern to many. These fears cannot be dismissed as baseless and unwarranted, given our history and the nature of prevailing sentiments. These fears assume critical significance as the war-torn north is yet in the early stages of the recovery process, with a multitude of problems confronting the war-affected.

The question now is how to make the best out of a potentially hopeless situation, while furthering the cause of the war-affected, national healing and establishing a Provincial Council for the north.  It appears that the time is ripe to break out of the deadly embrace of conventional thinking and conceive an ‘out of the box’ solution. The 13^th amendment as it is now and the impending elections are a reality. While the 13^th amendment with the problems in its design  and having been further undermined, is not what the Tamils expect, it is also unacceptable to the Sinhala polity at large. There is not a only a structural deficit in the Provincial Council system, but also national trust deficit pertaining to operating the system in the north

What can be done to operate the Provincial Council system as it is, optimally in the north, considering that the elections will be held and a Council will be constituted? This is the reality that demands that demands serious thought.

I suggest the TNA take the lead in contesting the election in partnership with the UPFA – a coalition of many parties of a diverse nature, the UNP and the JVP.  While the TNA should be the majority partner, it should strive towards bringing in a ‘National’ perspective into the first Northern Provincial Council, considering the present circumstances.  The best possible candidates should be nominated by all parties. The TNA should name its Chief Ministerial candidate and make sure that the person is the right person for the times. It would be advisable to leave out politicians of the old mould and ex-militants of all hues. Persons of standing, education, experience and ability should be painstakingly sought.  They should also be a mix of the middle-aged and the old.  A Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) should be signed between the constituent parties  on issues such as sharing seats, the composition of the Council of Ministers, the nominee for the position of Governor and the envisaged program of action. The Provincial Council and the Council of Ministers should have also Sinhalese and Muslim members, probably in a larger proportion than their numbers in various electorates warrant (at least in the Council).

Mr.Sambanthan should take the lead in opening discussions with the President and Mr.Ranil Wickremasingheon this possibility immediately.  The public should be kept informed of progress. If there is an agreement in the form of an MOU, it should be made public.  I can only hope and pray that wisdom will come to the fore.

If this option is exercised and taken forward in good faith, it would ensure the following:

1. Pave the way for the non-adversarial operation of the Northern Provincial Council for at least one term.
2.  Help take forward the recovery of the war-affected people and areas in an enlightened, consultative  and non-partisan manner.
3. Pave the way for trust to be established that the Northern Provincial Council is not the first step towards separation.
4. Pave the way for a new political culture in the country.
5. Identify objectively the problems with the present Provincial Council system, and pave the way for a national consensus to improve it or replace it with something better.
6. Promote national reconciliation by setting an example that the different communities and political formations can co-operate in the provincial and national interest.
7. Dissipate the distrust between the largely Sinhala South and the largely Tamil North, on the question of insipient separatism among the Tamils.
8. Enable the entry of quality persons into the political arena.
9. Forestall political issue that would potentially arise in the operation of the Northern Provincial Council, igniting divisive passions anew.
10. Pave the way for the other eight provincial councils to learn from the experiment in the north.

Will Mr. Sambanthan, The President and Mr.Wickremasinghe rise up to the occasion and act in unison with wisdom?

SLFP union boss slams govt over wages and electricity

Leslie Devendra-April 28, 2013

By Harischandra Gunaratna

Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya General Secretary Leslie Devendra yesterday said that the government should pay a ‘living wage’ to the workers as the purchasing power of current wages was little or nothing and the masses had been pushed from the frying pan to the fire.

The Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya is a trade union affiliated to the SLFP.

Addressing an SLFP news conference, at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo, on the forthcoming May Day, he said that this year’s May Day rally at Campbell Park will be one with many challenges.

"It has come to a stage where the trade unions have to change their stance in dealing with the current crises," Devendra said.

He alleged that there was a ‘mafia’ in the Ceylon Electricity Board, who were calling the shots and were mainly responsible for the hike "Though the government has launched a number of development projects, we don’t agree with it in the manner in which the electricity tariff hike was handled," he said adding that the government should order those whose electricity bills exceed over one million rupees per month to install their own solar power generation unit at their own expenses," he said.

"We need a long-term solution to the current electricity crisis and the answer is to switch to solar power generation," the veteran trade unionist stressed.

Devendra vehemently criticised the government‘s pricing mechanism in increasing the electricity tariff and added that it was a severe burden on the common masses. He said those with a very high consumption of electricity were not touched at all by the new mechanism which was grossly unfair and unjustifiable.

"A person who uses around 120 units of electricity has to pay around Rs 1,000 more today and it is a heavy burden on a man whose salary is about Rs 15,000," he said.

Devendra said that the proposed amendment to section 39 of the Wages Ordinance, which would make it illegal for any company to employ labour, or sub-contract work which formed a part of the core business of a company, was yet to be implemented though it had been submitted to the Cabinet.

"There are hundreds of thousands who have been employed by various companies and not made permanent and don’t receive EPF, ETF and gratuity while working for very low salaries. Some have worked for periods as long as seven or eight years without being made permanent and some are hired and fired at the will of the employer after more than seven or eight years thus violating their rights," he said.

If the amendment to the above mentioned bill is effected, those employees could fight for their rights, Devendra said.

Responding to a query as to what action the government would take against the ‘mafia’ existing within the CEB, Labour Minister Gamini Lokuge said that the only mafia he knew in the CEB were those who had not made an attempt to change into alternative methods from diesel power generation.

Chandrika’s loyalists intimidated

Sunday, 28 April 2013 

The President is once again suffering from a “Chandrika phobia” and is engaged in spreading false rumours about former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge where ever he goes. The President is engaged in a programme to inspect ministries and he had visited Minister Nimal Siripala’s Ministry on the 26th. The Ministry had spent an additional Rs. 7-8 million beautifying the ministry premises before the President’s visit.

When the President visits a ministry of a minister he believes to be in close touch with Chandrika, he makes it a point to be very friendly with him and shares jokes while putting his arm around the minister’s shoulder. The President who had visited such a minister had put his arm around the minister’s shoulder and said, “Did you know that I looked into Chandrika’s game plan. She is trying to be the common candidate. Ranil told me that he would never allow such a move. The people who follow her will be lost if they listen to Mangala’s misleading information.”

The President is now looking relaxed since the former President had left for London a few days back. However, the President had asked the Sri Lankan High Commission in London to keep a close watch to see if Chandrika’s visit to London was connected with the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting that was held on the 26th.

Phones Tapped 

By Indika Sri Aravinda-Sunday, April 28, 2013

The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) has purchased sophisticated equipment to tap mobile and land phones, NIB sources revealed.

Source told The Sunday Leader that the equipment was purchased last year and can be used to tap phones without obtaining the assistance of any telecommunication company.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) however said that such methods of phone tapping are illegal and can be challenged in Court.

BASL Secretary Sanjaya Gamage said that phone tapping infringes on the privacy of an individual and violates the Telecom Regulatory Act.

He said that if phones need to be tapped for security reasons, t

Sri Lanka is not a property of Medamulana, stop plunder of lands in the North – JVP

SUNDAY, 28 APRIL 2013 

Sri Lanka is not a property of Medamulana and the government should immediately stop plundering lands in the North says the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva.

Speaking at a special media conference held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta today (28th) Mr. Tilvin Silva said, "There are several issues that affect the people in the North and the East at present. As the attention of the media is less to these issues the government is attempting to trample the issues.

It will be four years since the end of the war by the 19th of next month. The government should have found solutions for the issues of the masses who have been distressed due to the war during these four years. They should have listened to their woes. However, the government, despite four years have gone by since the end of the war, is creating more problems for the people in these areas instead of finding solutions for their issues. Sowing of communalism, wrong policies followed by rulers and constricting democracy were the reasons for the 30 year war. Even after four years the government has not been able to build trust among people, unity among communities or the notion that Sri Lanka is their country. However, the government is pushing the masses in the North and the East towards separatism.

There are several issues confronting the masses in the North and the East. Among them the issue of the displaced is the foremost. The government, instead of re-settling the displaced in their villages, is abandoning them in jungles. Many more are still in camps for the displaced. The government has failed to resettle the displaced and allow them to live as human beings. Also, civil administration has not been established in these areas. The people who had to live under arbitrary conditions of the LTTE have now have to live under and arbitrary administration of the government. A semi-military administration is being carried out in the North and the East. These areas are a part of our country. These people also should be given freedom and democracy.

The government talks about an election to the North. However, the masses in these areas have been denied democratic rights. Other political parties are not allowed to engage in politics in these areas. The Army is used to interfere in political matters. The latest issue that has sprung up in the areas is the grabbing of land belonging to the people. This has drawn international attention as well. Instead of using the opportunity made available with the end of the war to create unity among communities, the government has made plundering lands its policy. There are state lands as well as private lands in these areas. The situation of the private lands is disastrous. The original settlers of these lands left the area due to atrocities of the LTTE. Now they have lost their lands. The people living in camps for the displaced should be given back their lands. However, what the government does is to take over these lands arbitrarily.

The government is taking steps to arbitrarily take over 6381 acres from Valikamam North and East in Jaffna. The government has posted notices too regarding this. These notices are displayed with the responsibility of Mr. A. Sivasamy, the officer in charge of taking over lands in Jaffna Secretariat. These are lands of ordinary people in the area. The government makes use of the Land Acquisition Act No 28 of 1964 to grab these lands. 6381 acres in Thellipale in Valikamam North, Kopai, Kankasanthurai west and East, Vimankamam South, Thiaiti South, Palaly South, Kottapulam, Valalai are to be taken over this way. The lands are in 27 Grama Sevaka Divisions. The government that temporarily took over the lands stating security needs is now attempting to take them over legally. The serious issue is that people in several families are losing their lands. There are 29,000 people belonging to about 10,000 families who are without lands in the North at present. They still live in camps for the displaced.

When the land issue was heard in Supreme Court the government stated people cannot be settled in the lands as there were land mines. As a result about 1700 people in Mallapuram and Kopapuram have been displaced. Despite agitations, were carried out by people, the government ignored them. The government not only does not solve their problems but is creating a risk of pushing them towards separatism. This would push them towards clamouring for a separate state.

The government is attempting to grab 700 acres that belongs to several people at Marudankeni in Vadamarachchi. Some time back the government held land kachcheris in all five districts in the North. Instead of distributing lands to the people through these the government took over lands that the owners could not establish their ownership. Even religious places were taken over in this manner. It is a great harm culturally. No government would take over lands of a religious place.

The government acts arbitrarily. The government doesn't care about the wishes of the people in the North. Only the government supporters are pacified. KP, Daya Master, Karuna, PIlleyan are cuddled. Members of the LTTE are brought down to show them the Parliament. However, the government does not solve the genuine issues of the people in the North and the East.

There are reports that lands have been taken over in Batticaloa area as well.  115 acres from Kiran area, 13 acres from Valachchenai, 1 ½ acres from Chenkalady, 5 ½ acres from Pattipalai have been taken over in this manner. The government took over the land reserved to construct a cancer unit at Batticaloa Hospital.  Also, there is a serious environmental issue due to clearing of jungle in state lands. The government carried out mass scale clearing of jungles stating it is for military and economic purposes. 500 acres at Mandai in Mannar, 500 acres from Moosali Divisional Secretariat area, 100 acres from Thalimannar as well as 295 acres of lands planted with medicinal herbs in Mullaithivu area have been cleared.

While the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim masses in the North and the East are displaced and are unable to prove the ownership for their lands, the government is taking steps to settle its supporters from the South in these areas. Recently it was reported that a group from Hambantota area was settled in Killinochchi. The government is distributing a printed form among their supporters to get signatures from Grama Sevakas to establish they are residents in areas in the North. The government is settling people from the south in the North to get their votes at a future election.

While India and imperialist institutions are attempting to interfere in Sri Lanka the government is creating an environment and providing opportunities for such interventions. There was an issue in Tamil Nadu recently. Sri Lankans could not go to Tamil Nadu. Our government is such an idiotic and stupid one. It burdens masses with issues; cultivates and helps separatism. The idiotic ministers come out with various stories to sow disunity. A situation has been created that people in this country are ashamed to call themselves Sri Lankans.

Hence, we demand the government to find solutions for the issues of the masses in the North and the East immediately. The plunder of lands in the North should be stopped immediately. The government that grabs lands in the north and East as well as in all parts of the island is handing over lands to multi-national companies. As such, a land clearing commission should be established. Through this the original owners of lands should be given their lands back without any difference. Rajapaksa who said he was the caretaker of the country when he came to power has now become the owner of the country. Rajapaksas think that Sri Lanka is an estate belonging to Medamulana Walawwa. The JVP will join masses in the North as well as in the South to give leadership against the plunder of lands."

Responding to questions from journalists the General Secretary of the JVP said, "We held a media conference in Vavuniya as the People's Wall of Comradeship (PWC). We also held an agitation demanding the government to hand over lands in the North to their legitimate owners. At present the government does not allow other political parties to engage in politics in the North. However, we would not stop our programme whatever obstacles are placed against us. We would pay attention to whether legal action could be taken. However, land cases in Sri Lanka go on for 15 to 20 years. This is why we demand that original owners should be given their lands through a land commission."

Members of the Central Committee of the JVP Sunil Handunneththi and Ramalingam Chanderasekar too were present.

Commonwealth faces 'real test' on Sri Lanka

Both sides were accused of human rights abuses throughout the conflict

Now alleged war crimes are being pushed onto the agenda of the Commonwealth.Sri Lanka's punishing 26-year civil war ended in May 2009, but the story of the last six months of a brutal conflict will not go away.

"Bad things happen in war, but there has to be a full accountability by both the government and the opposition for war crimes," Canada's Foreign Minister, John Baird, told me on a visit to London for theCommonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).

Canada is now leading the charge to deny Sri Lanka the privilege of hosting this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in November unless it makes progress on a list of human rights concerns, including "meaningful reconciliation" with its Tamil community.

The UN says at least 40,000 civilians, mainly Tamils, died in the last months of the protracted war between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. Other sources say the real figure is much higher.

"We find it absolutely appalling that Sri Lanka would be taking on a leadership role in the Commonwealth," emphasised Mr Baird after a meeting of the CMAG, which describes itself as "the custodian of Commonwealth values and principles".

'Unfair'

Sri Lanka is hitting back in equal measure.

In a telephone interview from the capital, Colombo, cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella accused Canada of being "very biased, very unfair".

Asked about calls from Canada and leading human rights groups for an independent, international probe into accusations of war crimes, Mr Rambukwella repeated his government's rejection of outside involvement, saying it had its own commission and reconciliation process.

The cabinet spokesman accused Ottawa of playing to the large Tamil diaspora in Canada.

Despite Sri Lankan government efforts to rebuild areas ravaged by years of war, Tamil communities outside and inside the country remain critical of Colombo's efforts to reintegrate a population still deeply traumatised by a devastating war.

Mr Rambukwella insisted: "The Tamil people are much happier today."

'Real test'

With only months to go until November's summit, it is not clear what impact Canada's very public intervention will have.

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister, Dr Dipu Moni, told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme that her country would attend a summit in Colombo, but said: "We are urging our close neighbour and friend to take all necessary steps to fulfil accountability."

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma said on Friday that he saw no reason to deny Sri Lanka the honour of staging the next summit.

He told a news conference in London that Sri Lanka was "engaged and willing" to improve the situation.

However, Mr Baird said he had seen nothing to cause him to advise Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, to change his position on Colombo's human rights record.

Yet again, this 54-member organisation - mainly former British colonies - is confronting divisions in its ranks on human rights.

In recent years, heated arguments over everything from gay and lesbian rights to military coups have made their way onto their agenda.

Mr Baird pointed out that the Commonwealth recently "raised the bar" by drawing up a charter that details "shared values" of democratic development and human rights. It was signed by Queen Elizabeth, who heads the Commonwealth, last month.

"I think this is a real test," Mr Baird emphasised.

Govt. approves Rs. 315 billion deal with Airbus

• Sunday, April 28, 2013

Ten new aircraft for loss-making SriLankan Airlines, Boeing also seeks share in the pie

The Cabinet has approved a staggering more than two and half billion US dollars (over Rs. 315 billion) for a re-fleeting programme of SriLankan Airlines which is already saddled with severe losses.

The programme, approved on April 18, entails the purchase of six Airbus A 330-300 aircraft with Rolls Royce Trent engines at a cost of US$ 234,389,333 each (or over Rs. 29.5 billion). Also to be purchased are four state-of-the-art Airbus A 350-900 with Rolls Royce XWB engines each costing US 283,308.300 (or over Rs. 35.6 billion).

Besides the prices for the ten new aircraft, the Government will also pay millions of dollars (or billions of rupees) for several other accompanying costs, including purchase of spares for ten years.

On a recommendation made by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Priyankara Jayaratne, the Cabinet has approved an initial US$ 80 million (over Rs. 10 billion) for Sri Lankan Airlines for what is described as “wide-body re-fleeting” in 2013. No details of how this money would be disbursed are explained. It is also not clear how the Government proposes to raise funds for the purchase of the ten new aircraft.

Besides Airbus Industrie, the US-based Boeing also competed for the aircraft deal. The US firm was strongly backed by an important Government personality serving overseas. A Boeing team was also in Colombo to lobby for the purpose.

At present SriLankan Airlines has a fleet of 13 aircraft. Six of them are Airbus A 3240-300 and seven are A 330-200. Whilst the age of the A 340s is between 13 and 18 years, the A 330 fleet, according to Minister Jayaratne is nine to 13 years. �According to the latest report of the Central Bank (2012), SriLankan Airlines suffered an operational loss of Rs 20.5 billion.

'Hypocritical' government ignoring Sri Lankan abuses: Greens

Greens leader Senator Christine Milne says Australia should confront Sri Lanka over alleged human rights abuses. Photo: Andrew Quilty

Chris Johnson

National Political Correspondent

View more articles from Chris Johnson

Email Chris-April 27, 2013

Greens leader Christine Milne has accused the government of placing domestic politics ahead of human rights by refusing to boycott the coming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka.

And Amnesty International says the violations there should be more seriously considered when Australia is forming refugee policies.

Its campaign co-ordinator, Ming Yu, said a new Amnesty International report to be released on Tuesday, titledSri Lanka - Assault on Dissent, provided ample evidence that violations were escalating.

''We would encourage the Australian government to properly consider all the credible evidence that exists on this issue and take it into account when making their asylum seeker polices,'' Ms Yu said.

''Amnesty International would like to see Australia and the whole international community insist that if these kinds of human rights abuses continue then the government of Sri Lanka not host CHOGM or be awarded the Commonwealth chair.''

The Greens leader said it was hypocrisy on Labor's part to be sending asylum seekers back to Sri Lanka when its government continued to sponsor human rights violations - and turning a blind eye to those abuses by attending CHOGM was appalling.

Senator Milne said the Australian government was taking a ''hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil'' approach to events in Sri Lanka.

Her rebuke follows Foreign Minister Bob Carr's insistence on being at the November summit despite increasing rights violations.

Senator Carr told ABC's Lateline he was not convinced the Sri Lankan government was engaging in human rights abuses.

''I think some of the stories that have been put to us, when we've checked them out haven't been sustained,'' he said.

He also pointed to evidence of improvements in the country when it came to human rights and said boycotting CHOGM would be counter-productive. ''I think the concerns we've got about human rights in Sri Lanka are best met through engagement with that country,'' he said.

But Senator Milne, who last year visited Sri Lanka and heard of some of the atrocities committed there, said the Australian government's position could not be sustained.

She said Australia should follow Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's example and refuse to attend the summit unless there were dramatic improvements in Sri Lanka.

Mr Harper does not believe claims made by the Sri Lankan government that it killed only Tamil Tiger rebels and not Tamil civilians.

He told his country's question period last week that without major reform in Sri Lanka he would not personally go to the meeting in Colombo.

''I know we are deeply troubled by the direction in Sri Lanka and the fact that Sri Lanka is, at this point, the host of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,'' he said.

''I know suggestions have been made of any number of countries who would be willing to host that.''

Senator Carr appeared to dismiss Canada's position and said all Commonwealth countries were expected to attend the summit.

''Apart from Canada, I can identify no other country in the 55-member Commonwealth that would not be represented at Colombo,'' Senator Carr said.

But Senator Milne said the government's excuse for not taking a stronger stance was weak.

It was trying to bring about change by engaging with Sri Lanka, which would work only if Australia was prepared to be blunt.

But the government wanted asylum seeker issues ''off its plate'' before the election and so would not properly engage Sri Lanka, she said.

''It really is a closed loop between the Australian government, the Sri Lankan government and the churn of asylum seekers, and no questions asked about what actually is going on in Sri Lanka as we speak,'' she said.

''If Australia, being on the UN Security Council, wants to be taken seriously in this region as a middle power, then we've got to be seen to be putting at the head of our agenda the strengthening of human rights.

''It should not be pushing it to the bottom of the agenda beneath domestic political considerations in relation to an election and asylum seekers.''

Prime Minister Julia Gillard did not comment, a spokeswoman saying there was nothing to add to Senator Carr's remarks.

US Continues Support For Sri Lanka Coast Guard And Navy

April 28, 2013 

The United States concluded its second training program for the Sri Lanka Coast Guard at the Trincomalee Naval Base on April 26.   The training was funded under the U.S. Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, which promotes maritime security cooperation. Featuring three U.S. Coast Guard instructors, twenty personnel from the Sri Lanka Coast Guard and four from the Sri Lanka Navy graduated as Coast Guard Instructors.

Ambassador Sison and Rear Admiral Wijegunaratne award a certificate to a participant in the EXBS Program.

In the presence of the Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, U.S. Ambassador Michele J. Sison awarded certificates to the 24 participants and spoke at the graduation ceremony. “The United States Government is pleased to conduct this training in Sri Lanka for the second time as part of our premier initiative to partner with other countries to improve their border security,” said Ambassador Sison.  “The United States hopes to continue its cooperation with the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard through this program. It draws on expertise from the U.S. Departments of State, Homeland Security, Commerce, Energy, and Defense and provides a range of legal, licensing, and enforcement training and equipment for countries around the globe.”

This train-the-trainer workshop commenced on April 15 and was designed to instruct students on how to effectively train others in maritime law enforcement as Boarding Officers or Boarding Team Members.  U.S. Coast Guard instructors taught techniques in student management, presentation skills, developing visual aids, and role-play scenarios, and theories of adult learning and feedback.  The first course was conducted in Sri Lanka in October 2012.

In addition to these programs, the EXBS Program is also funding training in the United States for two Sri Lanka Coast Guard Officers, along with a Maldivian Officer. One Sri Lankan officer will graduate from his four month training in May and the other will complete his three month training in June 2013.

*Press Release from the U.S. Embassy in Colombo

U.S. Coast Guard officers with graduating Sri Lanka Coast Guard and Navy personnel.

N & E comes under US spotlight ahead of impending PC poll

Ambassador Sison accompanied by several Colombo based US diplomats

April 27, 2013

A smiling US ambassador Sison carrying a Muslim child entering the venue of a meeting with Muslim representatives in Trincomalee on Friday

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces are under close US scrutiny ahead of forthcoming first Northern Provincial Council election with US ambassador Michele J. Sison touring Trincomalee and its suburbs on Friday (April 26) to inquire into the wellbeing of Tamil speaking Muslims.

Ambassador Sison was accompanied by several Colombo based US diplomats.

During meetings in Trincomalee with representatives of Muslim association, the US delegation had discussed about land issues, destruction of Muslim places of religious worship, setting up a security forces base at Kinniya in spite of protests due to the site being a place of religious worship, sexual molestation of children and whether the Sinhalese caused trouble to the Muslims, sources told The Sunday Island.

Referring to various website reports, the US team had also queried whether fundamentalist groups were active in the Eastern region, sources said, adding that those attending the meeting cleared many misconceptions.

The delegation also visited the Tricomalee Bishop’s House, Caritas Sri Lanka-SEDEC which is the social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference as well as Trincomalee Mayor K. Selvarasa of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).Sources said that ambassador Sison’s visit to Trincomalee took place in the immediate aftermath of a delegation from US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour for South and Central Asia visiting the Jaffna peninsula on a fact finding mission.

The visitors had inquired about High Security Zones, post-war resettlement as well as land issues. During discussions in Jaffna, the participants had agreed that the HSZ were a hindrance to restoration of civil administration in the peninsula, sources said.

Meanwhile, Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe during an interaction with the media in Jaffna last Thursday said that the forthcoming Northern Provincial Council election should be subject to international scrutiny; hence deployment of foreign election monitors was of pivotal importance.

Wickremesinghe insisted that the government couldn’t claim that having the Northern PC election was a domestic affair as it gave an undertaking to the international community with regard to the election.

The opposition leader announced four prerequisites for the conduct of a free and fair election. He called for the establishment of independent commissions, including one responsible for running the election secretariat. His second condition was President Mahinda Rajapaksa taking action in May to set up independent commission so that the process could be finalized in June with the Opposition making nominations.

The UNP leader called for the immediate removal of retired Major General G.A. Chandrasiri from being the Governor of the Northern Province to pave the way for a civilian administrator.

Wickremesinghe said that international scrutiny by way of polls observers was a necessity not only during the final week of the election now scheduled for September but throughout the campaign to ensure a level playing field.

He expressed confidence that implementation of his four proposals would pave the way for a situation acceptable to all.

Political sources said that the opposition would officially call for international observers to prevent the government from taking undue advantage of heavy military presence in the North.

Responding to opposition criticism, a senior government official told The Island that the UNP had conveniently forgotten how the LTTE and its mouthpiece, the TNA had interfered in previous elections. A glaring example of the LTTE/TNA combine high handed actions was the unprecedented directive issued a week before presidential election on Nov 17, 2005 prohibiting Tamil speaking people of exercising their franchise, the official said.

The EU Election Observer Mission following the Dec 2001 parliamentary polls revealed how the LTTE engaged in systematic malpractices to help the TNA secure the majority of seats in the then temporarily merged North-East Province, he added.

Responding to a query by The Sunday Island, that official said that the EU discarded its own report, which dealt harshly with the TNA as it would have hindered the grouping’s overall strategy in Sri Lanka. The bottom line was that the TNA wasn’t even asked to explain its relationship with the LTTE, he said.

But today, the same TNA was demanding accountability on the part of Sri Lanka, he said, alleging that a section of the international community was encouraging those still pursuing a separatist agenda.

Government sources said that the government would explain ongoing efforts to destabilize the country by those bent on carrying on the LTTE project.