பாற்காரன் இணையத்தில்

பாற்காரன் இணையத்தில் 

வெளிவந்தது

Saturday, February 1, 2014 |

Translate this page 
நெடுந்தீவு முகிலனின் முயற்சியில் யாழில் இருந்து சர்வதேச திரை நுணுக்கங்களுடன் திரையரங்கில் வெளிவந்தது து ஈழத்து குறும்படமான பாற்காரன்.

பாற்காரன் திரைபடம் ஈழமண்வாசனை கலந்த கதைஅம்சத்துடன் கூடிய திரைபடமாக 22.12.2013 ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை திரையரங்கில் காண்பிக்கப்ட்டது. . ராஜா திரையரங்கில் பாற்காரன் திரைபடமானது முற்றிலும் இலவசமாக காண்பிக்கப்பட்டது,

இணையதளத்தில் பதிவேற்றபடாது இருந்த பாற்காரன் குறம்படம் இன்று இணையத்தில் தவழ உள்ளதாக முகிலன் அறிவித்துள்ளார்.

“கடந்த மாதம் யாழ் ராஜா திரையரங்கில் வெளிவந்த "பாற்க்காரன்" குறும் படம் இன்று  01-02-2014 சனிக்கிழமை உத்தியோக பூர்வமாக இணையத்தளங்களில் வெளிவரவுள்ளது. "பாற்க்காரன்" படைப்புக்காக உழைத்த ஒத்துழைத்த அனைத்து உள்ளங்களுக்கும் நன்றிகள்.”

நெடுந்தீவு முகிலன்

Opening Day of International Land Grabs Conference Draws to a Successful Close

 Saturday, 01 February 2014 

The first day of the International Conference on State Grabs of Tamil Land in the Island of Sri Lanka, jointly organised by British Tamils Forum and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, has successfully drawn to a close.

The inaugural session, which took place in Committee Room 14 at the British Houses of Parliament, began at 10am this morning with a minutes' silence to remember all those who have lost their lives to the oppression of the Sri Lankan state. Following this, opening remarks were delivered by British Parliamentarians and long-time advocates of Tamil rights Rt Hon Lee Scott MP and Rt Hon Siobhain McDonagh MP.

The conference was addressed by a number of prominent social and land rights activists and researchers, including:

 Medha Patkar, celebrated Indian social activist and founder of the National Alliance of People Movements;

 Anuradha Mittal, founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute;

 Prof Oren Yiftachel from Ben Gurion University, Israel – activist and researcher on ethnocracies and land grabs;

 Prof Jake Lynch, Director of the Centre of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sidney;

 Denis Halliday, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and one of the judges at the at the Permanent People's Tribunal, which recently found Sri Lanka guilty of conducting genocide against the Tamil people;

 Maha Thamizh Prabagharan, Indian activist and film-maker, who screened a trailer of his film

– to be shown at the second session tomorrow
– This Land Belongs to the Army.

There were many common themes in these activists' speeches –
in particular emphasising the urgent nature of the crisis and the need to understand the land grabs issue within the context of the long-running campaign of structural genocide being waged by the Sri Lankan state. Professor Yiftachel in particular pointed out how Sri Lanka and other oppressive states use the language of democracy and rule of law to enable, legitimise and conceal the state's seizure of oppressed peoples' lands and
livelihoods.

Mrs Medha Patkar also launched British Tamils Forum's new land grabs campaign – Stop Uprooting
Tamils Forum from their Land!

The conference was also addressed by a number of prominent Tamil politicians, including:

 Several Parliamentarians from the Tamil National Alliance, the largest Tamil political party in Sri Lanka, including: Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachandran, Pakkiyaselvam

Ariyanethiran, Selvam Adikkalanathan, Sivagnanam Sritharan;
 Tamil National Alliance's Eastern Province politicians S Thandayuthapani;

 Founder and Leader of the Tamil National People's Front, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam.

These politicians, along with the Sri Lankan NSSP Internal Secretary Kumarasinghe Ranath, painted a dire picture of the current situation in the island of Sri Lanka. They cited several examples of both completed and planned land seizures and the powerlessness of the local population – and the Sri Lankan political/legal system – to do anything about it. Several of these politicians clearly spelt out how they saw the Sri Lankan military-led campaign of land grabs to be an integral part of genocide, intended to deprive Tamil people of their identity and their claim to their traditional homeland.

They also lamented the pernicious effect of the loss of land in additionally destroying Tamil peoples' sources of livelihood – as the seized land is used by the military to produce subsidised agricultural produce, tourism services and other economic goods – undercutting and decimating the local Tamil economy.

Following a successful day of opening speeches, BTF and APPG-T look forward to a productive second day of panel discussions tomorrow at the University College, London.

BTF Conference at British Parliament 31-01-2014

Landgrab Meeting UK BTF Tamil

Darkness at Noon on the Ethnic Front

By Izeth Hussain-January 31, 2014

In my article Re-thinking the Ethnic Imbroglio in the Island of January 25, I pointed out that the prospects for a political solution of the ethnic problem "are nil, or almost nil". With the definitive military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 we expected that, sooner rather than later, there would be a political solution and there would ensue noon-tide glory in the resplendent isle of Sri Lanka.

Darkness at Noon on the Ethnic Front by nelvely

India refuses to support Sri Lanka against US resolution in UNHRC 
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister GL Peiris met his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid in New Delhi Wednesday and sought the Manmohan Singh government’s support. 


By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, ET Bureau | 1 Feb, 2014 

NEW DELHI: To avoid hurting Tamil sentiment ahead of elections, the government has refused to commit Sri Lanka any support against a US-sponsored UN resolution accusing its military of committing war crimes in the final assault on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister GL Peiris met his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid in New Delhi Wednesday and sought the Manmohan Singh government's support to ensure that the final resolution does not call for any international probe into alleged human rights violations, officials at the External Affairs Ministry said. 

Vanni Aid Foundation

, 01 February 2014

Is this program the same as micro-finance?

No. THE GANESHA PROGRAM loans are interest-free. The repayment period is 30 months and there is no cross-guarantee amongst the villagers. Loans are administered by commercial banks and require a business plan. Repaid loans are reinvested into the same village. Traditional micro-finance loans have a 6-month repayment term with interest rates between 20 – 50%. Typically, they are funded outside of the banking system and do not require a business plan, leaving loan recipients dependent, beholden and vulnerable to failure. GANESHA is dedicated to the implementation of successful, self-sustaining practices.

Why is the program not charging any interest on the loans?

Based on an analysis of the borrowers’ earning potential, we do not believe they can succeed if interest is charged. These villagers need this additional encouragement and support to help them bear the burden of their current situation and establish a sustainable existence. Bank interest charges are borne by the donated funds.

How much of the donation money reaches recipients?

The Ganesha program commits 87.5% of all donations directly to the villagers in form of loans. Any amount in excess of 12.5% spent on bank interest and administration will be borne by the program founder.

What happens to loan repayment proceeds?

All loan repayments will be reinvested back into the given village for further economic development of the community, such as improved housing, school transportation, increased loans to expand businesses and the development of small industries and endeavors that will provide employment. Repaid loans will also present an opportunity to introduce ecologically responsible and economically sustainable practices, such as solar power.

Is this a permanent program?

No. This program is specifically geared to help innocent people who became the collateral damage of the civil war in Sri Lanka. Ganesha’s mission is to ensure that they reestablish their livelihood. Our plan is to continue to help until villages demonstrate a sustainable livelihood. We believe that our work can be accomplished within 5 years.

What role does the Sri Lankan Army play in the administration of this program?

Most of the conflict areas remain under army control. Land mines have not yet been cleared throughout. The army is on an “observe and help” mode and will likely maintain a long-term presence. They are the de facto authority while the civil service structure is reestablished. The army currently handles transportation and provides Ganesha members with an escort. They also supply manpower and support to the villages in the rebuilding effort. They often help to construct schools and wells, prepare irrigation tanks, provide emergency transport, solicit donations for building materials and tutor school children.

What will happen if the loans are not repaid?

We are assuming there will be loan losses. We currently estimate them at 20%. Given the recent floods in Sri Lanka, there could be more. We will redeploy repaid funds to help participating villages with their other goals. The less a village pays back, the less it will benefit from future developmental activity. Lending bank data indicates that, prior to the war, this region had some of the lowest loan losses in the country. We believe this will continue to be true, barring unforeseen events such as the recent flooding.

What is the Sri Lankan government doing to help returning villagers?

The government provided modest resettlement assistance in the form of roofing and siding materials, $50 cash and 6 months of food subsidy. Sri Lanka is focused on rebuilding roads and railways, restoring power and establishing security, schools and medical facilities.

What are the operating/administrative costs?

•  Interest on the loans
•  Sri Lankan travel by local staff
•  Audit expenses and reporting
•  Paid ground staff member(s)
•  U.S. fund-raising expenses

How can I be kept up-to-date on the program and how donations are helping the villagers?

We will periodically post progress reports on this website: www.GaneshaProgramNamaste.org. We will also call or write to Donor Partners with personal updates, based on their preference.

For more information, please download our PDF document.

If you have any questions, please contact us: GaneshaProgramNamaste@gmail.com or 650.574.3154

De Facto CJ Mohan Pieris Exposes His Bias At Kotelawela Defence Academy

February 1, 2014

De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris has exposed his partisan agenda clearly during a speech at the Kotelawela Defence Academy last year, identifying himself with the policy and planning of the RajapaksaAdministration and claiming that it was universally agreed that the doctrine of separation of powers implies no absolute distinction between the three branches of Government – the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

De facto Chief Justice Mohan Pieris

“Good Governance and the Rule of law are very nice words, but I am not quite sure that it is found anywhere in the world,” Peiris quipped at the beginning of his address.

“Sri Lanka is doing everything in the book to ensure the rule of law and good governance, except that no amount of Governance and no amount of compliance appears to satisfy the so-called international community. So don’t worry about it. We are doing our best, you are doing your best and I am sure we will soon become the Ascharya of Asia,” he said, in a strange imitation of the rhetoric employed by the executive arm of the Government.

Peiris said judges sometimes think that sustainable development and peace and governance are things for the Government. We tell ourselves that we are some God given gifts to mankind, who are in ivory towers who can detach ourselves so badly that we lose the connection,” he explained.

Peiris repeatedly notes in his speech that it is also the role and duty of the judiciary to ensure  Sri Lanka lives up to the ideal of becoming the Miracle of Asia, a catchphase often touted by the Rajapaksa regime’s elites.  Peiris, who heads the judiciary following the impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake appears to believe that judges should be less concerned with rule of law and good governance than sustainable development and peace and implies that he and the executive branch of Government are one and the same, constantly referring to himself and the rulers as “we”.

Following is the full video;

WORK TOWARDS MUTUALLY 

ACCEPTABLE RESOLUTION TO AVOID 

FURTHER POLARISATION

 01 February 2014

The Sri Lankan government and the Tamil polity in Sri Lanka, together with sections of the international community, appear to be getting into inflexible positions vis a vis the allegations of war crimes and violations of International Humanitarian Law. The Northern Provincial Council has adopted a resolution calling for the UN to establish an International war crimes investigation. On the other hand, the government has asserted that the international community has no role in the matter of accountability. Even if this is the standpoint of the government, the issue of accountability cannot be avoided if these allegations are true. Cultural relativism cannot be used to dismiss the universal validity of human rights and humanitarian values as cultural products of the West.

The government has sent a high level delegation headed by the President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga to canvass its case with the international community in Geneva. He has warned of a descent into chaos if there is an international investigation that probes war crimes and targets the Sri Lankan military. This would be a dangerous adventure for anyone to launch on. It is unlikely to take place spontaneously. The polarisation within the country is increasing once again. Given the issues at stake a victory by either side is not likely to further the post-war reconciliation process within Sri Lanka. It will only induce bitterness and whet the appetite for revenge in the name of justice. Reconciliation will be the casualty.

The National Peace Council believes that in the interests of reconciliation and Restorative Justice, since both sides are alleged to have committed heinous crimes, forgiveness and reparation to the victims rather than punishment of the offenders particularly if they accept their responsibility would be better for the country’s future since both communities would have to live together under the same government.

Previous sessions of the UN Human Rights Council have passed resolutions calling on the Sri Lankan government to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission that was appointed by the government. There is a need for Sri Lankan society as a whole to be apprised of the nature and consequences of the political violence conducted with impunity by all sides in the past so that the cycle will not repeat itself. In this context, we believe that a Truth and Reconciliation mechanism with international involvement that has the consent and participation of all major stakeholders within Sri Lanka is an option worth considering. The South African government has indicated its interest in supporting a process if it has cross party support within Sri Lanka. Such a TRC would need to be nested within a larger process of reform, which the LLRC report envisaged.

In particular, LLRC recommendations specifically with regard to governance will need to be implemented, which has not been the case. Democracy will have to be restored by repealing the 18th Amendment and restoring the Independent Commissions for that alone will make the government machinery function impartially and not as an arm of the ruling political party. There is a need to ensure that the recently elected Northern Provincial Council is permitted to function effectively. The government also needs to implement the 13th Amendment undiluted and give land and police powers to the Provincial Councils. If a resolution with time frames on these lines is agreed upon by all, Sri Lanka’s prospects for justice along with healing and reconciliation would assuredly improve.

Governing Council

The National Peace Council is an independent and non partisan organization that works towards a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It has a vision of a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka in which the freedom, human rights and democratic rights of all the communities are respected. The policy of the National Peace Council is determined by its Governing Council of 20 members who are drawn from diverse walks of life and belong to all the main ethnic and religious communities in the country.

BJP now slams Sri Lanka

By admin on February 1, 2014

The Indian opposition BJP, which had once spoken in support of Sri Lanka, has now accused the Sri Lankan Government of failing to keep it’s word on the fishermen issue.

Senior Indian opposition BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Friday also accused the Indian Government of remaining “indifferent” to the problem of fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat who are affected by attacks from the Sri Lankan and Pakistan Navy, the Press Trust of India reported.

She alleged that the Centre did not take any step to provide them security and fish in the sea. “If BJP comes to power, it will get all Indian fishermen detained in Sri Lanka released, though it is not possible to bring back the dead fishermen,” she said, taking part in ‘kadal thamarai porattam’ (Sea Lotus demonstration), organised by the BJP state unit.

Describing the Manmohan Singh government as a “deaf government”, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha also claimed that she spoke directly to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi about the fishermen’s problem. “But she did not listen to her complaints nor took any action.”

She said fishermen’s problems were being raised repeatedly in Parliament in each session. But the central government was indifferent to the problem, she alleged.

The Prime Ministers of both the countries should talk about the fishermen’s as well as Tamils’ problems and resolve them. She said the President Mahinda Rajapaksa had assured her that Indian fishermen would not be attacked.

“But he did not keep his word.” Seeking the support of the fishermen for the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections, she said the fishermen community would get all benefits if the BJP was elected.

Swaraj said BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would visit Chennai on February 8 and would speak in detail as to what he would do for the fishermen community’s welfare.

The present government was a corrupt one with a long list of corruption including Coalgate and 2G, she said.

The symbol of the congress party was “hand”, and the congressmen keep that “hand” in their pockets, she quipped.

Thousands of fishermen and their family members participated in the demonstration and aired their grievances to the BJP leader.

Earlier talking to newsmen at Madurai, the BJP leader claimed she could see “Modi Wave” in Tamil Nadu also.

She said BJP was holding talks with various parties in the state including DMDK, MDMK and PMK for a tie-up in the Lok Sabha polls.

When a reporter said “There is no Modi wave” in the state, she said “That is your assessment. It is wrong to say there is no Modi wave. I don’t want discuss it now.”

Darkness At Noon On The Ethnic Front

By Izeth Hussain -February 1, 2014

Izeth Hussain

In my article “Re-thinking the Ethnic Imbroglio“, I pointed out that the prospects for a political solution of the ethnic problem “are nil, or almost nil”. With the definitive military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 we expected that, sooner rather than later, there would be a political solution and there would ensue noon-tide glory in the resplendent isle of Sri Lanka. Instead, what we see looks much more like darkness at noon. I argued that what we need in this situation is a re-thinking of the fundamentals of the ethnic imbroglio. In this article I will continue my own rethinking on the fundamentals, and point out that just now the most important desideratum – the desired but missing thing – is a paradigm shift in our thinking on the imbroglio: we must give primacy to attitudinal change over Constitutional and institutional change.

My sense of darkness deepened when I read the headline news in the Island of January 29 that the Ministry of Defense will carry out investigations into the nexus between the TNA and the LTTE in the past. There is, of course, everything to be said for such investigations because a healthy society should place a high value on truth, which means that it is imperative to establish the truth about what happened in the past. But is this the time for it? We must take certain inescapable facts into account. The Defense Ministry is not just another Ministry but the most powerful one, and its Secretary Gotabaya R is second in power only to the President. His power derives not from the sibling nexus but from his credentials as one of the authentic saviours of the nation. Furthermore the Defense Ministry is regarded as having a nexus with the Sangha, and together they constitute the most powerful force in the country, which can countermand the will of the people because of the nexus between the Sangha and the Buddhist majority. It is also an inescapable fact that a system of devolution is usually difficult to operate. Considering all these facts, the conclusion becomes inescapable that if the investigations really get going the successful operation of 13A will be jeopardized. Its successful operation will really be impossible without flexibility and trust between the Government and the TNA, and that will become impossible with the investigations. We are forced to the conclusion that the Government is not in earnest about 13A or is thoroughly ambivalent about it.                       Read More

British Tigers call for sanctions against SL

 

By Shamindra Ferdinando-January 31, 2014,

The US is seeking a broad consensus on its proposed resolution against Sri Lanka at the forthcoming UNHRC session in Geneva, while an influential section of overseas Tigers strongly pushed for unprecedented inclusion of a special clause to pave the way for UN sanctions in case President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government ignored the latest resolution.

The US led two successful resolutions in 2012 and 2013.

Sources told The Island that the UK-based Tamil grouping was pushing the UK and US for toughest possible resolution seeking UN sanctions. The position adopted by an influential section of the Diaspora was very much contrary to the US effort meant to produce a resolution which wouldn’t be too offensive to the majority of UNHRC members, sources said.

Having met Labour Party Leader, Ed Miliband on January 29, at his office in parliament, Tamils for Labour chief, Sen Kandiah called for the inclusion of a clause to ensure that non-compliance would result in sanctions. The meeting was attended by senior representatives of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and the British Tamil Forum (BTF), now at loggerheads with each other over the post-war strategy vis-a-vis Sri Lanka. Sources said that all major Tiger Diaspora groups, including National Council of Canadian Tamils and Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils as well as the recently created umbrella organization, International Council of Eelam Tamils would back the call for UN sanctions.

Members of the UNHRC are Algeria, China, Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Gabon, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Kuwait, Macedonia, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Venezuela, Argentina, Austria, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Namibia, Peru, South Korea, Romania, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America.

US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal will be in London on Monday (Feb 3) to discuss ways and means of taking forward the initiative. The Island in its yesterday front-page story headlined ‘Third consecutive US resolution targeting SL: Consultations in London after US official’s Jaffna visit’ inadvertently said that Ms Biswal would be in London on Saturday (Feb 1). The error is regretted.

Sources said that the US, UK as well as Diaspora groups were urging as many as 40 countries to co-sponsor the resolution. But Diaspora efforts to include special clause to pave the way for UN sanctions could undermine US efforts, sources said. Asked whether major British political parties were agreeable to nudge the US for a tougher resolution, sources said that Labour Party Leader Miliband during his meeting with Diaspora representatives reiterated his commitment to push British Premier David Cameron to use UK’s current position as a member of the UNHRC to demand an internationally acceptable credible accountability mechanism.

During the meeting, Diaspora representatives raised the issue of continuing heavy military presence in the Northern Province and Sinhala colonisation.  

Tamils for Labour quoted Miliband as having said: "Prime Minister Cameron had to be held to the promises he made at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November 2013, when he first acknowledged the need for an international inquiry.  Labour will continue to press the UK Government to do all they can to support accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka and Labour will demand action from the Government of Sri Lanka as well."

TESO to Centre: Support US resolution against Sri Lanka 


  February 1, 2014  
Reviving its demands over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, the Tamil Eelam Supporters' Organisation (TESO) on Saturday urged the Centre to propose an international enquiry into the alleged genocide in the island nation in the coming UNHRC meeting in Geneva.

One of the resolutions passed at the TESO meeting in Chennai urged the Centre to not only support the US resolution against Sri Lanka, but also propose a separate resolution at the meet against Colombo for an independent enquiry into the alleged genocide in the island nation.

It also referred to similar demands made by British Prime Minister David Cameron and Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

The meeting also insisted that the Centre take steps to put pressure on the Sri Lankan government to give complete powers to the Northern Province and take steps to protect Indian fishermen, "who are repeatedly being attacked by Sri Lankan armed forces."

Another resolution opposed the Centre's stand on the Kachchatheevu issue, that fishermen from Tamil Nadu do not have fishing rights in the islet, ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1976.

The meeting, headed by DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, was attended among others by DK leader Veeramani, VCK leader Thirumavalavan, DMK leaders T.R. Baalu, Durai Murugan, M.K. Stalin and T.K.S. Elangovan.(TH) 

“Patience Is Wearing Thin”: US Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal

February 1, 2014

The US Government has underscored that patience was wearing thin in the international community with the pace of the Sri Lankan Government’s progress on addressing reconciliation, democratic governance, justice and accountability in the country and promised a third US resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in Geneva in March this year.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Biswal told a press briefing in Colombo a short while ago that she had reiterated to senior Government officials during a visit to the island about the “insufficient progress” to address reconciliation and accountability five years after the war. “We are concerned about the worsening situation with respect to Human Rights, including continued attacks against religious minorities, as well as the weakening of the rule of law and an increase in the levels of corruption and impunity,” Biswal told journalists.

She said the US would sponsor a third resolution calling on Sri Lanka to do more to promote reconciliation and accountability in March. “While it is too soon to say what that text may include, it will be carried out in the spirit of friendship with the Sri Lankan people,” Biswal explained.

“As we see Asia taking on a leading role in the global economy, we don’t want to see Sri Lanka left behind,” the US envoy said, adding that the continued deterioration in the areas of human rights and democratic governance was already taking its toll on democracy in Sri Lanka.

Substantial steps towards real reconciliation five years after the end of the war had always been applauded by the US when they were taken, the US Assistant Secretary said. “But such steps have been too few and too far between,” she added.

“The culture of deteriorating human rights gives us great concern. And when churches and mosques are burned down, when people feel they cannot practice their faiths without fear, then the concerns of the International Community are justified,” Biswal explained.

Signs are imminent that the third Resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC will build on the two previous resolutions and may contain stronger language and tougher standards and goals for the Sri Lankan Government to meet.