Sri Lanka Unfit To Lead The Commonwealth After CHOGM: Letters Written To The Guardian UK

October 11, 2013

The UK’s Guardian Newspaper is receiving letters to its editors castigating the Commonwealth for allowing Sri Lanka to host the grouping’s Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) in Colombo next month.

The letters state that Sri Lanka’s Human Rights record makes it unfit to lead the 53-member body, of which it will assume the chair after the summit is held in the Sri Lankan capital in November.

Mahinda Rajapaksa

“The Commonwealth is making a major mistake in holding its heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka (Report, 9 October), when that country is in serious breach of the values set out in the Commonwealth charter, and has even failed to comply with the recommendations of its own “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission”,” writes Michael Ellmanfidh, an officer for the Commonwealth, International Federation for Human Rights

Ellmanfidh says many NGOs accredited to the Commonwealth who successfully persuaded the heads of government four years ago not to hold their 2011 meeting in Sri Lanka insisted that the human rights situation there had not improved by 2013, and in some respects (notably the impeachment of the chief justice and her replacement by a government nominee), the rule of law and governance have got worse.

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Why We’re Boycotting Sri Lanka Commonwealth

By John Baird -October 12, 2013

By John Baird - Minister of Foreign Affairs - Canada

Canada takes its membership in the Commonwealth very seriously. It is for this simple reason that we believe in upholding the basic principles it stands for: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Without them, what does the Commonwealth stand for?

Despite Canada’s efforts, the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), failed to utilize this summit as an opportunity to address long-concerns and to catalyze meaningful change for the people of Sri Lanka. The Commonwealth failed to put any pressure on a regime that has so blatantly ignored international calls for change.  Despite CMAG’s enhanced mandate, which was based on the recommendation of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group and approval by heads of government, it refused to put Sri Lanka on the agenda to allow members an opportunity to discuss these shortcomings.

We failed to use this when it mattered most. As a consequence, we gave this regime a free pass to continue down this path.

The prime minister’s decision not to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka was based entirely on upholding the principles of the Commonwealth. This was not a decision taken in haste. It was carefully considered with one aim in mind: for Canada to send a message about our displeasure with an organization that has failed to stand up for its fundamental principles. How can an organization like the Commonwealth reward a country like Sri Lanka, not just with hosting a summit, but by allowing it to chair the organization for two years? And after no meaningful reconciliation following a brutal and violent struggle?

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Sri Lanka puts Commonwealth funding at risk

 Friday, 11 October 2013 

The conduct of the Sri Lankan government and the complacency adopted by the officials heading the Commonwealth has have now put funding received by the Commonwealth at risk.

Britain, which is the key funder of the commonwealth, has pulled funds over concerns about its leadership and performance.
The Commonwealth continues to face mounting criticism over the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka.

The Daily Telegraph has reported that with 52 of the organisation’s 53 members prepared to defy human rights protests by gathering in Sri Lanka, concerns over its direction have seen major donors scale back contributions to its budget.
Whitehall has imposed cuts of £3 million over two years from its grant to the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, provoked fears of a funding crisis this week by warning that Ottawa was looking at the scale of its own “financing”.

Canada is boycotting the November CHOGM summit over its concerns about the host’s human rights record and continuing extra-judicial killings.

David Cameron faces criticism from an influential group of MPs over his decision to attend the meeting.

Several MPs on the foreign affairs select committee want to use a human rights report to be published next week to express “regret” at the Prime Minister’s decision to attend.

Cameron has pledged to raise human rights abuses with Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, who has dismissed widespread international concern about mass violations during and after Sri Lanka’s civil war against Tamil separatists.

Divisions over the Commonwealth’s democratic standards are likely to dominate the summit.

Canada provides £10 million to the Commonwealth every year, the second largest contribution after Britain’s £16 million.

The Way Of A Tamil Formation – EPRLF And It’s Suresh Premachandran

By S. Sivathasan -October 11, 2013

S.Sivathasan

Even as all Tamils approach the hour of destiny and look forward to the moment of awakening, comes a discordant note from the head of a constituent group of TNA, the EPRLF. The statement in TamilWin is now in the public domain from 10^th evening, SL time. Little does Suresh realize that the attention of the world is upon us when the Council assumes its full form with the Ministers and the members taking their oath of office. At issue is not any principle, but crass advancement of self. Suresh taking umbrage at the Chief Minister and the TNA, saying they have ruffled the feathers of his younger brother. Why? Because the latter wanted to be the minister of agriculture and that wish was not met.

Was it to meet his personal ambition that an election was held? For what purpose did the people struggle? Why did they make all those sacrifices? Is it not the task of leadership to symbolize their aspirations, to burn the dross in their own selves and to lead them to the promised land? This was precisely the path of idealism that Chief Minister Wigneswaran was seeking to chalk out in the last few weeks. It is now for everyone to stand steadfastly by him and the TNA.

The Atman insignificant by itself, merging with Paramatman is held out to be the ultimate and the ideal of many Hindus. In like manner a nondescript EPRLF, ventured to add respectability to itself by first rubbing shoulders with the TULF. Then it aligned itself with the TNA. But never did it merge in it. It wanted to maintain its separateness to cash in on a situation by presenting its IOU at the appropriate time. The way Kaikaeyi in Ramayana turned villainess to spoil Rama’s coronation on the very eve. Not losing its identity for the Tamil cause, but bolstering  its electoral fortunes for its own sectarian interests was its clear priority. It stands proven now.                                           Read More

Sri Lanka: Coming To Term With New Environment

By R Hariharan -October 11, 2013 

TNA chief minister for NPC

Col. (retd) R.Hariharan

It would be facile to describe the swearing in of CV Wigneswaran as the chief minister of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) at the ‘Temple Trees’ in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on October 7, 2013 as a breakthrough in the troubled relationship between the Sinhala majority and the Tamil minority. Both the communities have many more miles to go before they can forge a new relationship.

After all the pre-election rhetoric, a chief minister of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) – a party described till yesterday as LTTE proxies – swearing by the constitution in the presence of the Sri Lanka President does herald a change. It signals the willingness of both the TNA and the government to evolve a working relationship.  The Sri Lankan military’s action of blowing up one of the final abodes of LTTE leader Prabhakaran on the election-eve may well portend changes more than symbolic. Even otherwise, it is a good beginning that might turn out of be nothing more than that if it is not sustained.

There is no doubt the NPC chief minister has a difficult task of  meeting voters’ aspirations within the constricting format of 13the Amendment (13A) ‘Minus.’ And to get some results he has to progress a dialogue with a highly assertive national leadership. Added to this is the opprobrium of TNA being considered as an Indian proxy while trying to live down its unpleasant client relationship with LTTE in the past.

The ‘India proxy’ tag of TNA seems to cloud the thinking of not only key national leaders but even better informed Sri Lankans. A case in point is the editorial description of the well merited TNA electoral victory by the Sunday Times, Colombo, on October 29. It said: “India has eventually got its way by having its proxy now in power and place in the North of Sri Lanka. This was the foothold it had wanted all these years and it is going to be more than a headache for the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government that caved in to concerted pressure from the so-called “international community”.  Was this the sum total of an election held after 25 years? Does it require international pressure for an elected government to “cave in” to conduct its own election?

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Sri Lanka: Reading tea leaves; Centre vs. NPC

Guest Column: Dr Kumar David-Dated 5-Oct-2013

The time for euphoria is past, celebrations must wind down. A carousing Tamil gentleman of my vintage and neighbourhood has drunk his whisky cellar dry. The serious stuff is getting started, so time to buckle down. The mouths of Jonas at home and in the diaspora who pressed the TNA to boycott the elections are stuffed with sludge by the scale of victory and inspiring voter turnout.

Sri Lanka Reading Tea Leaves; Centre vs. NPC by nelvely

Mannar Bishop to take up poaching crisis with TN

FRIDAY, 11 OCTOBER 2013

Mannar Bishop the Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph said he intended making representation to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram and DMK Leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi with regard to poaching by Indian fishermen and that he would demand immediate action be taken against them.

“This has nothing to do with politics. It is a humanitarian issue which needs to be resolved. Indian boats come as close as 500 meters from the coastline and they come in their thousands. On the days these boats come our people do not go fishing because they are frightened of doing so,” the Bishop told Daily Mirror.

He said our fishermen have taken a defiant stand against poaching by the Indians but to no avail.

“Our fishermen have done all they can to urge the government to take action against this blatant robbery of their livelihood. They have held protests by placing the boats on the road and various other means but nothing has happened so far,” he said and added that he had raised this matter on numerous occasions at the Bishops Conference.

Bishop Joseph said the issue getting out of control with the fishermen finding it extremely difficult to even cover the cost of fuel for their outboard motors because of the depleted catch of fish.

“These boats can be spotted in the evening from the coast because they come so close to the shore. The use of bottom trawling by Indian fishermen has resulted in the entire sea bed being destroyed. Our fishermen do not engage in such illegal activities because they are not industrialized. They often return empty handed,” he said.(Hafeel Farisz & Darshana Sanjeewa)

Sinhala People Have No Other Land: What And Which Zone Of Agreement?

By C. Wijeyawickrema -October 12, 2013 

“If the Tamils’ cry for separatism is given up, the two communities could solve their problems and continue to live in amity and dignity.” - M.C. Sansoni, CJ—(Sessional Paper No. 7 of 1980)

“Sinhala people have no other land [place to go].” - Wigenswaran-CM, NP

Vessantara-traitor dilemma 

Where Tamils live (Source map: Tamilnation.org website 1/25/2010 

Wigneswaran

Between getting branded as a Tamil traitor (even GG Ponnambalam was once called a Tamil traitor) or a Sinhala Vessantara/Siri Sangabo, Wigneswaran and MahindaR, respectively, could find the zone of agreement that Dayan Jayatilleka is talking about, if both of them act honestly and reasonably. Beyond the picture-taking oath ceremony, and the prohibited word “unitary” (Dayan talks of a united not unitary), there are serious but simple questions one could ask. When Wigneswaran (W) says that Sinhala people have no other land [except this island], then he accepts the history and geography of the country. But is this because the visiting Indian foreign minister told him to say so? If it was his own genuine realization, then is he ready to forget the Tamil homeland myth of SJV Chelvanayagma? Since nobody calls Tamils buying land in Colombo as Tamilisation would he stop using the word Sinhalisation when Colombo government does anything in NP or EP? Then only one can think of W or one his granddaughters one day becoming a Tamil Obama in Sri Lanka or at least a reincarnation of Lakshman Kadiragamar or even a Jeyaraj Fernandopullai. More Tamils live outside NP like a scrambled egg.                       Read More

Coronation ceremony for Sambanthan and Wigneswaran

[ Friday, 11 October 2013, 12:11.43 PM GMT +05:30 ]

Supporters of Tamil National Alliance organised coronation for TNA leader R.Sambathan and Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran at Jaffna Weerasingham hall today.

This special event organised at the swearing-in ceremony of TNA northern provincial council members.

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NPC members take oath in Jaffna after honouring fallen Tamil Heroes

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 October 2013, 06:57 GMT]
Twenty members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) elected to the Northern Provincial Council took oaths in Jaffna after visiting the memorial site of SJV Chelvanayakam and after observing honour to fallen Tamil Heroes (Maaveerar) and the people perished in the war, at Jaffna Veerasingham Hall Friday 9:00 a.m. EPRLF-leader Suresh Premachandran and five of the six EPRLF's elected members, TELO's M.K.Sivajilingam and an elected TELO member, PLOTE leader Tharmalingam Siththarthan and one elected PLOTE member were absent at the event. Ms Ananthi Sasitharan was present marking her independency between the ITAK and the portfolio-seekers. The ceremonial event took place without any celebrations and the members declined to wear traditional garlands at the function. 

After reading a common oath, individual members signed their document in front of TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan and handed their documents to the Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran, who had taken his oath as CM in front of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo. 

Apart from the religious leaders present at the function, a notable visitor to the event was the Consul General of India Mr V. Mahalaingam. 

As the details of portfolios and other roles of elected members were released to the media, it became clear that all the key functions, including the revenue generating areas, have come under the CM's portfolio, political observers in Jaffna said. 

Informed sources within the ITAK also said the controversial appointment of Mr Aingaranesan was a decision taken by Mr R. Sampanthan on the request by India. 

• Division of ministries of the NPC & subjects for councillors

TNA Northern Provincial Council members took oaths today

[ Friday, 11 October 2013, 08:00.10 AM GMT +05:30 ]

Tamil National Alliance members elected to the Northern Provincial Council members assume duties at 9.00 am in the Weerasingham hall, Jaffna today. 8 TNA provincial council members boycotted the ceremony.

Members garland the statue of father Chelvanayakam and took oaths before party leader R.Sambanthan. Parliamentarians delivered special speeches at the ceremony. Members of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi and the leader of TELO Selvam Adaikalanadhan present at this event. Other political party members representate the TNA boycotted the ceremony.

Government’s internal strife spills over : its members vote with opposition

(Lanka-e-News -11.Oct.2013, 7.00PM) No matter what desperate efforts are being made by the moribund Rajapakse government to conceal its beleaguered situation , when appointing the chairman and vice chairman for the Central provincial council Last 9th October , 7 members of the government voted with the 9 opposition members when a vote was taken to appoint the candidate nominated by the opposition, thereby clearly demonstrating the government’s unpopularity and embattled state.

The name of government party member S B Ratnayake and UNP member Rohana Bandaranaike of the opposition were proposed for the post of Vice Chairman . When the voting took place , Ratnayake received 33 votes whereas UNP member Bandaranaike polled 24 votes. The number of opposition members in the Council is 18. Of them one member was absent for the voting . That is, there were only 17 opposition members at the time of voting , yet Bandaranaike received 24 votes meaning that 7 members of the government side had clearly voted for him.

Even when the vote was taken for electing the Chairman of the council , a similar situation prevailed. Since two members , one from the government side and the other from the opposition staked their claims for the post , a voting took place. Mahinda Abeykoon’s name was proposed from the government side , the opposition proposed the name of L D Nimalasiri who is also a member of the government party.

Finally when the counting was done , Abeykoon secured 29 votes while Nimalasiri polled 27 votes. On this occasion , 9 members of the government party had voted for the candidate proposed by the opposition. If the member who was absent had also voted the government candidate would have won by a meager one vote.

A majority of the Central provincial councilors are angry over the appointment of notorious former chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake as the chief Minister sidelining Anuradha Jayaratne , the son of the Prime Minister who received the most number of preferential votes . They point out , every time the President arrived he was treated lavishly to a bevy of women at the former chief Minister’s official residence at Gagsiribada mawatha , Maolmada.

Moreover when teacher appointments were given , Mahinda Rajapakse was invited specially by Ekanayake and the teachers received their appointments directly from him so that aging Mahinda could gratify his seven year itch at senile seventy. The Councilors also claim these appointments are all camouflages of the procurer Ekanayake to satisfy his favorite client. It is therefore no wonder Ekanayake was President’s favorite for the chief Minister’s post, they added.

Political analysts say this same situation can arise in Wayambe PC too in the future.

Regional polls raise hopes of Lanka's Tamils

Saif Khalid Last Modified: 09 Oct 2013 

Former proxy of LTTE rebels wins provincial council elections, but will they be able to achieve reconciliation?

Following a disastrous civil war, Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority is slowly trying to reintegrate into the political process, after a strong showing in local elections in the island’s restive north last month.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), once a political proxy of the vanquished armed Tamil rebels (LTTE), scored a landslide victory in provincial elections on September 21 - winning 30 out of 38 seats in the northern Provincial Council, a body with little power but lots of hope riding on it.
Listening Post: Media battle heats up in Sri Lanka

a Rajapaksa talks to Al Jazeera

Listening Post: Media battle heats up in Sri LankaVideo

Listen

Regional Polls Raise Hopes of Lanka's Tamils by nelvely

Above the Law: Violations of Women’s Reproductive Rights in Northern Sri Lanka

• by The Social Architects 
• - on 10/11/2013 -

Image courtesy The Social Architects

This report, TSA’s fourth, outlines the findings of the organization’s September 2013 field mission on coercive contraception clinics in Kilinochchi District. In early September of this year, activists in Kilinochchi discovered that public health workers had administered the sub-dermal contraceptive implant, Jadelle, to women from Veravil, Keranchi, and Valaipaddu during a nutrition clinic. After publishing accounts from these women, TSA traveled to Kilinochchi for an in-depth follow up investigation.

Above the Law Violations of Women’s Reproductive Rights in Northern Sri Lanka by nelvely

Turning to sex work in Sri Lanka’s north

Women-headed households are under immense pressure

COLOMBO/KILINOCHCHI, 10 October 2013 (IRIN) - With more women taking up as family breadwinners in Sri Lanka’s former war zone - the island’s north - the region is recording an increase in women turning to survival sex. 

Turning to sex work in Sri Lanka’s north by nelvely