Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Multi-Billion rupee deals pushed by Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN !

Tuesday, 03 September 2013

There are no monies to subsidize health and other necessities of the poor masses or built houses for them. Cost of living is sky rocketing, and bus fares and electricity tariffs rising.

However, monies are somehow found by the Treasury Secretary to purchase Airbus aircrafts by Sri Lankan Airlines for travel by the affluent and the new rich.

Reliable sources at Maharaja Organization have disclosed that the Airbus aircraft Agency had been taken away by their former employee Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN, married to a niece of the President. Airbus France should be asked to disclose how much Commissions were paid and to whom and where, on the purchase of a fleet of Airbus aircraft by Sri Lankan Airlines recently.

Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN is living in 2 luxury houses in Colombo 7 with apartments at Crescat. He is not known to have known sources of income, though he has stacks of monies stashed away in foreign countries in secret bank accounts. He travels regularly abroad and could be easily tracked by the authorities. But they will not do so.

At one time, he was wheeler dealing with Ramalingam Paskaralingam, the all powerful Secretary of the Treasury. His daughter’s wedding at Dorchester Hotel in London had been funded by Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN, who claims to be a close confidante of Basil, the powerful Minister and artful politician. One time Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN had been pushing to sell large extents of land in Trincomalee and Pasikudha, he had got from the Government at a pittance of Rs. 1,000/- a Perch from Minister Moragoda. He has said he held this land for Basil.

Who are the beneficiaries behind the mega deal reported in today’s (September 3rd) Island lead story on non-bided Sampur Project by Gateway Group of Singapore promising US $ 4 Billion ? The same applies to the controversial Krrish deal, where revelations made with documents by a professional accountant have been swept under the carpet. Is it that politicians and their cronies can pocket bribes and are above the law ? There is known to be a wheeler dealing woman who could get many things done. Why is the Bribery Commission like Camel with a head buried ?

Not only with powerful Paskaralingam, but Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN had also dealings under the table with Paskaralingam’s right hand man Shanmugalingam, whose nephew K. Sripavan is the Supreme Court Judge. According to Supreme Court sources, Justice K. Sripavan helped Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN to takeover the Hilton Hotel, whilst at the same time Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN has also been in the front man for Taisei Corporation of Japan getting large government contracts for them for huge commissions.

If assets of ousted Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake of a mere apartment at Trillium Apartments is being investigated by the Bribery Commission of Justice Jagath Balapatabendi, then should not Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN be investigated far more intensely on the acquisition of ill-gotten wealth ? Will the Bribery Commission have the courage and guts to do so ? If not, the case of Justice Shirani Bandranayake becomes a sheer political witch hunt, whilst money grabbing political cronies such as Tirukumar Nadesan aka TN are not even touched. There are many more shameless money grabbing cronies and overtake cover under pious religion !

Gota Blames Tamil-Muslim Insularity For Rise Of Sinhala Hardline Movements

September 3, 2013

Under pressure internationally to address the country’s human rights situation four years after the defeat of theLTTE Secretary to the ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa today warned of new terror threats, the rise of Muslim extremism and said minority insularity was resulting in the emergence of hardline Sinhala groups in Sri Lanka.

Gota with BBS monk Gnanasara

Addressing the Defence Seminar 2013 in Colombo, the Secretary MOD said Muslim Fundamentalism was spreading all over the world and in this region. “This is a situation that our Law Enforcement agencies and Security Forces are concerned about, particularly as there have been instances where extremist elements were found in transit in Sri Lanka and were arrested and handed over to appropriate authorities. The possibility that such extremist elements may try to promote Muslim extremism in Sri Lanka is a cause for concern,” Rajapaksa said.

The Secretary MOD said that Tamil and Muslim minority communities were growing increasingly insular, choosing to identify themselves more with Tamils in Tamil Nadu or the global Muslim community, resulting in a lack of integration with the rest of the population in Sri Lanka.

“One of the consequences of the increasing insularity amongst minority ethnic groups is the emergence of hard line groups within the majority community,” Rajapaksa said, referring to several Sinhala hardline groupsthat have mushroomed in the recent past that have been implicated in rising intolerance and violence against the Muslim population.

MaRa creates murder climate in Jaffna again: Gota’s murder group candidate shoots down opponents

(Lanka-e-News-02.Sep.2013, 10.30PM) Just when the UN human rights Commissioner concluded her tour of Jaffna , the candidates of MaRa’s own party for the north provincial council (NPC)elections began their campaign on a most ruthless violent note- candidate Kumar Sanath and his supporters were shot at by Sathasivam Ramanathan who is enjoying Gotabaya’s patronage.

Satahasivam Ramanathan’s son Angjan Ramanathan is also an Alliance candidate for the NPC elections. The shooting took place in the vicinity of Chavakacheri post office on27th August. Two persons have sustained injuries. One victim had received injuries to his head , while the other had received injuries to his leg, and both are admitted to the Jaffna hospital.

It is most significant to note that after the conclusion of the 30 year old war , it is between the MaRa’s candidates this shooting had taken place once again in the north. . It is the consensus that Ramanathans -father and son are flaunting their murderous power with the patronage of Gotabaya , the criminal defense secretary of SL Though Satahsivam Ramanathan was arrested 28th Aug evening , no weapons of his had been taken into custody.

The Jaffna headquarters police inspector Sigera who is as notorious as any criminal is upholding not the laws but the lawlessness presently prevailing in the country . Sathasivam is in possession of three T 56 weapons and a mini ooshi gun used by the Forces.

Although the complaint was made by the victims yesterday evening , Sathasivam Ramanathan had been arrested only after 24 hours , and his weapons had not been taken into custody..

Sigera the notorious Inspector who dances to the murder and Looney tunes of Gota can never do anything that is lawful . Gota has appointed 6 army personnel including two Colonels during the election period in order not to enthrone the law but rather to dethrone the laws.

All the police stations in the north have to abide by the orders of these six officers who have made the northern security power headquarters as their center . The fear psychosis that has been created in the north , had rendered it difficult for other political parties to do their election activities. The 18 candidates of the UNP are contemplating withdrawing from elections vis a vis their vulnerability to life risks and absence of adequate security to them in the present volatile climate , the sole architects of which are Gota and his marauding team.

The UNP chief Minister candidate Thiagaraja Nuwarageshwaram said, this decision was arrived at following the latest escalation of violence and climate of insecurity for the opposition. Within two hours of opening of the new UNP party branches at Jaffna and Karainagar , the MaRa marauders and murderers have stormed them and launched attacks causing loss and damage.

If security is not provided the UNP candidates will be withdrawing , he added. It is most unfortunate that after the end of a most cruel war in the north , what this government is offering is not peace and prosperity to the people but murder and ruthless violence , he further noted.

The Postwar Discourse & The New Sri Lankan Identity: How Can We Have A Just Peace?

By Godfrey Gunatilleke -September 3, 2013

Dr Godfrey Gunatilleke

The last part of the background note prepared for the first session of the Marga Institute’s panel discussion on ‘Long War, Cold Peace’ contained the conceptual framework which Dr Jayatilleka uses for his assessment of what he describes as the post war crisis – “ the cold peace” on which he focuses in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 of his book. A war which he argues was fundamentally just for the reasons he has given is followed by a peace which is flawed by “the delay or inability … to make the transition to a stable and just framework for durable peace and successful nation building.”

This formulation of the conditions of peace gives us the point of entry to our discussion. The author closely examines the nature of the post war crisis. He goes on to analyze the manifold character of the crisis, distinguishing five major components of the crisis. He then elicits what we might identify as the five fundamentals of peace and nation –building. He does this in the chapters 3, 4, and 5 and distinguishes five major components of the crisis which he highlights in the overview he provides in Chapter 1 “The Lessons of the Thirty Years War. These components contain the main issues pertaining to a just peace. Let us recapitulate the main elements of this conceptual frame (which we reproduced in the note for the first session).

First, “the crisis of national unification – reconciling and reunifying the different identities into an overarching macro identity – that of being Sri Lankan.”
Second the inability to make” the transition to a state that is neutral as between the constituent communities and with capacity to mediate between them”.
Third the crisis of public policy arising out of the war – the depletion of resources to health, education, public transport and infrastructure.
The fourth the party system as a whole and the democratic opposition in particular.
Fifth the crisis of transition and transformation which he argues is at least in part the post war discourse.

These are the strategic issues we need to address. The five facets of the crisis are as it were integral parts of a pentagon. We can use this structure to locate where we are at present and the spaces that have to be covered if we are to achieve a just peace. There is a resonance in the chapter on “Lessons of the Thirty Years War”.

Sri Lanka sees new threats of terrorism, Muslim extremism

Sri Lanka's Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa listens during a news conference in Colombo January 24, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte/Files

By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal

COLOMBO | Tue Sep 3, 2013 5:34pm IST

(Reuters) - Sri Lanka, under heavy pressure to end human rights abuses four years after the end of a brutal civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels, said on Tuesday it faced a new threat of terrorism and Muslim extremism.

The comments came three days after U.N. Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said people were still suffering amid signs the country was becoming more authoritarian.

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said groups linked to the Liberation of Tamil Tiger rebels had been trying to undermine government reconciliation and development efforts.

"These include winning of international opinion for the separatist cause... and pushing for the resumption of conflict through reorganizing of local militant activities in Sri Lanka," Rajapaksa told a defence seminar.

Rajapaksa said Pillay's visit was mostly due to pro-rebel linked groups. He also said there had also been Muslim extremist elements found in transit in Sri Lanka.

"The possibility that such extremist elements may try to promote Muslim extremism in Sri Lanka is a cause for concern," he said.

Rajapaksa said Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka faced possible threats from groups involved in previous insurgencies, trying to mobilise people to once again take up extreme leftwing causes.

The Tamils, mostly Hindu with some Christians, are the largest minority in Sri Lanka, followed by Muslims.

Marxist rebels of the Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna (JVP), or People's Liberation Front, launched the second phase of an insurrection in the late 1980s.

Security forces responded ruthlessly and many rebels were killed or disappeared. The JVP later transformed itself from a rebel group into a political party.

More recently, there has been increasing violence against Muslims, mirroring events in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

The government battled separatist Tamil guerrillas from 1983 to 2009. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed in the final months of the war, according to a UN report, as government troops advanced on the rebels' last stronghold and many hundreds of people, most of them Tamils, simply disappeared.

The United Nations has urged Sri Lanka to carry out credible investigations into the killings and disappearances.

Pillay, after ending her controversial visit, raised concerns about the degree to which the military has been involved with civilian activities and said she was surprised at the government downplaying violence against religious minorities, including attacks on churches and mosques.

(Reporting by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Sri Lanka Is One Of The Peaceful, Stable And Democratically Secured Countries In The World

By Gotabaya Rajapaksa -September 3, 2013

Gotabaya Rajapaksa

It gives me great pleasure to deliver the keynote address this morning, at the 3rd Annual Defence Seminar organised by the Sri Lanka Army. I am aware that distinguished delegates and guests from 29 countries are participating in this event, alongside a large number of attendees from Sri Lanka. On behalf of the Government, I take this opportunity to welcome our foreign guests to Sri Lanka and to wish all the participants an educative and productive time at this important event. I also extend my congratulations to the Commander and the Officers of the Sri Lanka Army who have organised this event with great professionalism and skill.

This year’s Defence Seminar is the third successive one organised by the Sri Lanka Army since the series began in 2011. The first Seminar centred on the lessons learnt by the Sri Lankan defence establishment in defeating the ruthless and formidable terrorist organisation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE. During that Seminar, senior members of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces shared their experiences on the strategies and tactics used to defeat terrorism, and discussed their broader applicability and relevance to other nations. In 2012, the second Seminar focused on the post-war efforts to create lasting peace and stability in Sri Lanka after the war. It examined the steps taken towards Reconstruction, Resettlement, Rehabilitation, Reintegration and Reconciliation in the conflict affected parts of the country, as well as the overall development of the country at large and its prospects for the future.Read More

'No Fire Zone - The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Is One Of The Peaceful, Stable And Democratically Secured Countries In The World

Gota admits to allegations of people missing after surrendering to the army

Tuesday, 03 September 2013

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has today confirmed that there are people reported to have gone missing after surrendering to the army during the final stages of the war.

Addressing the defence seminar in Colombo today, Gotabhaya has disputed the figures on disappearances and deaths during and after the final stages of the war.

He has said that only 26 complaints had been received by the authorities of people missing after surrendering to the military.
Making this statement, Gotabhaya has inadvertently admitted to the allegation that some people who have surrendered to the army during the final stages of the war have gone missing.

The Defence Secretary has added that several people had fled the country during the war to other countries and so far some of those countries have failed to give a full account of the Sri Lankans living there.

SORRY ! I Beg To Defer Madam Pillai !!

By Kusal Perera -September 3, 2013

Kusal Perara

“This type of surveillance and harassment appears to be getting worse in Sri Lanka, which is a country where critical voices are quite often attacked or even permanently silenced. Utterly

unacceptable at any time……….I urge the Government of Sri Lanka to issue immediate orders to halt this treatment of human rights defenders and journalists who face this kind of harassment and intimidation on a regular basis. More than 30 journalists are believed to have been killed since 2005, and several more – including the cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda – have disappeared. Many others have fled the country. Newspaper and TV offices have been vandalized or subjected to arson attacks – some, such as the Jaffna-based paper Uthayan, on multiple occasions. With self-censorship fuelled by fear, journalists report that there are articles that they dare not write, and others their editors dare not print. Freedom of expression is under a sustained assault in Sri Lanka. I have called for the right to Information Act to be adopted like many of its neighbours in SAARC.” - Ms. Navenethem Pillai, High Commissioner, UN Human Rights Commission, issuing a media statement on 31 August, 2013 at the media briefing held at the Colombo UN office, before her departure from Colombo.

This condemnation, this appeal to the government to halt attacks and threats on media even in a stronger voice, would have been very appropriate in early 2009, especially during the pre and post Lasantha Wickrematunge murder period and till the end of the 2010 elections. That early period was an extremely bad and uncertain period and it is true, very true, many journalists in mainstream media and a few who were media activists had to flee the country for life. All were not S. Rajan in Trincomalee or Wickramatunge in Attidiya, though. Nor were all Kieth Noyshrs or Poddala Jayanthas. All who fled were not possible victims either. That 2009 period was similar to the post ’83 July and post 88-90 period when every one who fled was not a Tamil Tiger under life threat and every one who fled was no JVPer being hounded after. That tensed period perhaps saw the last, with the still unsolved disappearance of Ekneligoda. Some of the recent exits thereafter were mere hyped cases with half told stories. Some who should have actually fled for what they wrote and still write, remained here as journalists, only to be blocked out by these editors and their owner/publishers.

Sri Lanka snubs UN as it bids for more trade links with the UK

Criticism by Human Right Commissioner was ‘jaundiced’, says Foreign Minister

The Sri Lankan government today snubbed the United Nations and made a direct appeal to British business to help rebuild the country in the face of damning criticisms of its human rights record as it emerges from 26 years of civil war.

Stung by a report by the UN’s Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay that accused it of increasing authoritarianism, the Sri Lankan government said it was looking to build business links with Britain as David Cameron prepares to visit the country later this year for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Canada has criticised Sri Lanka’s hosting of the summit because of the regime’s conduct of the war and continuing rights’ violations, but Mr Cameron has decided that travelling to the country will focus attention on the rights issue in the country. The Prince of Wales is also due to attend the meeting as the representative of the Queen.

Ms Pillay conducted a week-long visit in August last month after the government promised her access to former war zones but said that the Sri Lankans who came to meet her were harassed and intimidated by security forces.

Speaking in London on Monday, the country’s Foreign Minister, Gamini Lakshman Peiris, said that the UN envoy had failed to give them details of the harassment so they could investigate. He claimed that she had a jaundiced view of the country.

However, he criticised the “deplorable” comment by a fellow government minister who said that he would marry Ms Pillay to keep her on the island, and promote a favourable view of the island nation.

Officials highlighted the increasing roles played in Sri Lanka by companies such as British Airways and HSBC and said that the country represented a potential lucrative area of investment for UK businesses.

But rights groups said they were concerned that profits were being put above principles and expressed concern over links being forged between governments.

The Sri Lankan army defeated Tamil separatist rebels in 2009 but the authorities have come under pressure to investigate killings and disappearances in the final stage of the conflict that left at least 100,000 dead.

The authorities said they had nothing to hide. “What we find very distressing about the tone and the substance of her statements is a total lack of balance and fairness,” said Mr Peiris.

The Sri Lankan government claimed that Ms Pillay had downplayed significant infrastructure building in the Tamil areas in the north. “We need to remember that this was a conflict that went on for 30 years. The government and people of Sri Lanka had just four years to deal with those very complex and challenging problems,” he said.

“She’s looked at Sri Lanka’s situation through jaundiced eyes and we found that very strongly objectionable.”

Ms Pillay is the most senior UN official to visit the north of the country since 2009 and she warned that surveillance and harassment appeared to be getting worse in Sri Lanka. She said it was a country where “critical voices are quite often attacked or even permanently silenced”.

Polly Truscott, of Amnesty International, said the rights violations remained critically high, with the government showing no will to account for past crimes. “The reprisals against those she [Ms Pillay] met, doesn’t bode well for the Commonwealth summit set for November in Colombo. The government must stop its attacks on Sri Lankan society,” she said.

Sri Lanka heading in 'authoritarian direction', says UN human rights chief

High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

31 August 2013 – Although the fighting is over, the suffering is not, the United Nations human rights chief today said wrapping up a week-long visit to Sri Lanka where she warned that the country is sowing the seeds of future discord by limiting personal freedoms and human rights.

“I am deeply concerned that Sri Lanka, despite the opportunity provided by the end of the war to construct a new vibrant, all-embracing state, is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction,” Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told journalists in the capital, Colombo.

“It is important everyone realizes that, although the fighting is over, the suffering is not,” she noted, adding that while the Government has made importance reconstruction achievements - with the help of donor countries, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations - reconstruction alone would not bring reconciliation, dignity, or lasting peace.

“A more holistic approach is needed to provide truth, justice and reparations for people's suffering during the war,” Ms. Pillay said, warning against the curtailment or denial of personal freedoms and human rights, persistent impunity and failure of rule of law.

The High Commissioner noted that checks and balances on the Government have been weakened with recent legislation allowing the president the appoint members of commissioners, and the independence of the judiciary questioned.

“The war may have ended, but in the meantime democracy has been undermined and the rule of law eroded,” Ms. Pillay told the press.

During the trip, her longest official visit to a single country, Ms. Pillay met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, among other government officials, and held talks with senior judicial figures, members of the National Human Rights Commission and the committee monitoring the National Plan of Action on the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt Reconciliation Commission.

Ms. Pillay also met with representatives of civil society and spoke to families in the northern former war zones in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Trincomalee in the east.

The High Commissioner said that the Government, which had invited Ms. Pillay for the visit, had allowed her to go and speak to whomever she wanted, but that some of the activists, journalists and ordinary Sri Lankans who wanted to meet with her were harassed by police or military officers.

“This type of surveillance and harassment appears to be getting worse in Sri Lanka, which is a country where critical voices are quite often attacked or even permanently silenced,” Ms. Pillay said.

She added that such actions are “utterly unacceptable at any time” but “particularly extraordinary” during a visit by a UN high commissioner for human rights.

“The United Nations takes the issues of reprisals against people because they have talked to UN officials as an extremely serious matter,” she noted.

In her remarks, Ms. Pillay also urged the Government to urgently stop harassing and intimidation of human rights defenders and journalists.

She also called on the Government to pass legislation in support of witness and victim protections, which has been languishing in draft form since 2007.

In addition, she said that she was concerned about attacks against religious minorities and was surprised that the Government “seemed to downplay” the issue.

Ms. Pillay also noted the prevalence of the military and its level of involvement in what should be civilian activities, including education, agriculture and tourism.

She also noted the vulnerability of women and girls, especially in female-headed households to sexual harassment and abuse, and the obstacles to counseling and psychosocial support to families, particularly in the North.

Ms. Pillay is due to brief the UN Human Rights Council on her findings next month, with a full report to follow in March 2014.

Sri Lankan Government forces declared victory over the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, after a conflict that had raged on and off for nearly three decades and killed thousands of people. The final months of the conflict had generated concerns about alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Island Blues: The end of Sri Lanka's bloody civil war promised better than this

Monday 2 September 2013

Colombo clearly thought it had done everything to ensure a good report card. Instead the UN lambasted Rajapaksa's government for large-scale abuses of democracy

The unjustified impeachment of the Chief Justice and the use of surveillance, intimidation, harassment and disappearance to stifle dissent: these are just some of the deeply worrying abuses she logged during her stay. The end of the brutal civil war brought the opportunity, she said, “to construct a new, vibrant, all-embracing state”, in which the minorities could play their parts on terms of equality with the majority Sinhalese. Instead, the country “is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction”.
Sri Lanka has long been adept at observing the forms of democracy while neglecting the principles on which it rests. Too often pluralism, transparency, equal opportunity and the right to dissent have been honoured more in the breach than the observance.
The country has a troubled history. It endured a brutal civil war lasting from 1983 to 2009. The attempt by the Tamil Tigers to cut the island in two – which would-be peacemakers, including Britain, often appeared to endorse – caused deep bitterness in Colombo. Many Sinhalese believe that the ghastly bloodshed of the final battle, in which an unknown number of civilians died, was the only way to break out of the nightmare of war. And the West’s insistence that alleged war crimes committed during the battle be investigated has deepened the government’s isolation. The acknowledgement by Dr Pillay, herself a Tamil, that the Tigers were “murderous” and a “ruthless organisation” did not go far enough to reverse that.
But for a country with such vast potential, the urge to turn inwards is profoundly unhealthy. It could also be very bad for business. If foreign investors see the island’s politics as “increasingly authoritarian”, with important judicial appointments subject to the fiat of the elite, their confidence in its level playing field for business may be fatally weakened.
Sri Lanka still has a chance. In two months, the Commonwealth heads of government descend on Colombo for their annual summit. Canada has threatened to boycott the event because of the Sri Lankan government’s human rights record and the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has urged David Cameron not to attend for the same reason. This newspaper agrees. But the likelihood is that the meeting will go ahead as planned, in which case it will be a golden opportunity for Colombo to prove its critics wrong. Re-arranging the scenery will not be enough.

Sri Lanka’s Peiris picks holes in Pillay’s report

PARVATHI MENON-LONDON, September 3, 2013 ri Lanka’s Minister for External Affairs Gamini Lakshman Peiris

APri Lanka’s Minister for External Affairs Gamini Lakshman Peiris

The report on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka by United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights -Navi Pillay was “unfair, wrong and biased” said G.L Peiris Sri Lanka’s Minister for External Affairs. He was addressing a press conference at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London on Monday.

He said the “tone and substance” of the report showed a “distressing lack of balance.” Mr. Peiris contested several of the points made by Ms. Pillay in her report. Unlike Yugoslavia and Cambodia where post-conflict reconstruction took years, he said that Sri Lanka had made remarkable progress in reconstruction efforts in just four years since the end of the conflict. He said that the government had already invested US $ 3 billion in infrastructural development and in creating new opportunities for the people of the north.

Sri Lanka had invited Ms.Pillay in the interests of “transparency and visibility”, he said, allowing her free access to any part of the country she wished to visit. Her “trenchant criticism” of the presence and role of the army in the north, which she called “obtrusive and oppressive,” was incorrect, he said. She chose to ignore the findings of a report that was recently prepared by a group of UN agencies in Sri Lanka that came to the opposite conclusion. All this suggested that Ms.Pillay had “formed her views before reaching the shores of the country.”

The army, he said was in fact playing a constructive role in helping the complex and difficult transition from a state in conflict to post conflict stability. Ms.Pillay did not touch on the central issue of land, and of the problems in re-distributing land to those from whom the LTTE had forcibly acquired land and destroyed title deeds.

Mr. Peiris said that Ms.Pillay did not produce empirical evidence to substantiate her allegation that “Sri Lanka is moving towards authoritarianism.” He said that the northern province will vote this month in the provincial council elections after a gap of 25 years. “We have taken action to see that people can pass judgment on their own government. Is that authoritarianism?” he asked.

He said she provided no basis to her allegation that the government is guilty of “war crimes.”

The Sri Lankan government took exception to her plans – which she later cancelled – on paying floral tributes to the spot in Mullivaikal where LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was killed. Mr. Peiris claimed that she had kept the Sri Lankan government in the dark about this. It was understandable, he said, if she had paid tributes to all those killed in the conflict in a neutral place, but this however was partial.