Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka Rishad Bathiudeen has sent a letter of demand  to the  Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) seeking $ 3.8 Mn (Rs 500 Mn) in compensation over defamatory statements made by them.

The Minister said the BBS had wrongly accused him of destroying the Wilpattu National Park and creating an exclusive Muslim Zone from Wilpattu to Mannar and an  Arab colony in Sri Lanka in the Mannar – Wilpattu area.

“In the aftermath of the end of war thanks to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, we Muslims were looking forward to a new beginning. But we are facing newer problems” Minister Bathiudeen said.

Minister Bathiudeen, who is also the leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress, said the letter of demand was sent to the venerable Galagodawatte Gnanasara Thero, the General Secretary General of the BBS.

“After more than 20 years, the Muslim IDPs have not re-settled yet. Many Mosques and Muslim schools in their places of origin were destroyed. We do not get any support from anyone for resettlement. Meanwhile, I have been wrongly accused. These are clearly defamatory and they are intended to create anti-Muslim feelings. I demand an apology for these false statements from BBS and if no apology is made to me or no retraction is made in the next two weeks, I will ask BBS for $ 3.8 Mn in compensation. If no compensation is made, then I will institute legal proceedings,” the Minister said.

Source: Colombo Gazette (Sri Lanka)

The European Union has considered Sri Lanka, which was warned earlier over illegal fishing issue, had made significant progress, but the Commission is continuing to monitor the situation, the EU said.

It also blacklisted Belize, Cambodia and Guinea, effectively banning their products from the world’s most valuable seafood market.

The move to target the three “as countries acting insufficiently against illegal fishing” means EU states will now be required to ban their fish imports and EU vessels required to stay out of their waters.

“These decisions are historic,” said the EU’s Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki. “I want EU citizens to know that the fish they consume is sustainable, wherever it comes from.”

Illegal fishing is estimated to account for 15 percent of world catches and the decision by the EU, which imports 65 percent of its seafood, won swift praise from environmental groups.

“Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing depletes fish stocks, damages marine ecosystems, puts legitimate fishers at an unfair disadvantage and jeopardizes the livelihoods of some of the world’s most vulnerable communities,” said WWF, Oceana, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Environmental Justice Foundation.

The three countries were among eight nations warned in late 2012 to take action against illegal fishing or face such action.

The European Commission considered that the five other nations warned — Panama, Fiji, Togo, Sri Lanka and Vanuatu — had made significant progress, but the Commission is continuing to monitor the situation.

Another three countries — South Korea, Ghana and Curacao — received warning “yellow cards” in November and are currently being evaluated.

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

The third revised draft resolution on Sri Lanka currently in circulation among the UNHRC members call for a comprehensive independent investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka, during the period covered by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) from 2002-2009.

 “b) to undertake a comprehensive independent investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka, during the period covered by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, and establish the facts and circumstances of such alleged violations and of the crimes perpetrated with a view to avoiding impunity and ensuring accountability, with input assistance from relevant experts and special procedures.”

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the outcome of the Provincial Council elections next Saturday will be significant as it could send a message to the international community at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Speaking at an event in Kalutara, the President said that the public must send a message to those looking to pass a resolution against Sri Lanka that they will not support international interference in the country.

“The people and the whole world is watching this election. The countries that support and do not support the resolution brought on Sri Lanka by the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, the US and UK in Geneva, they are all watching to see the pulse of the people,” he said.

Rajapaksa said that the war in Sri Lanka was a war against terrorism and not against the Tamil people.

He said that after 30 years of fighting the Government was able to secure the right to life for the people in the country.

However he says powerful countries have succumb to pressure from the LTTE diaspora and are making allegations of human rights being violated in the country.

He also said that those who failed to form a Government in Sri Lanka are now looking at doing that with the support of the international community.

The President said the people of Sri Lanka reject suck moves and must reiterate this at the March 29th elections.

Source: Colombo Gazette (Sri Lanka)

British Prime Minister David Cameron said that he had secured the ‘full backing of the European Union’ for the UK co-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka next week at the UN Human Rights council session.

“Countries will vote on that resolution next week, and today I secured the full backing of all of the European Union for that approach,” the Premier said in a statement.

“I also raised the situation in Sri Lanka. As you know, this is an issue I care deeply about. I want to see reconciliation in the country, and that means properly addressing issues of the past. President Rajapaksa has failed to do this, so now we need an international, independent investigation into alleged war crimes. The UN human rights commissioner has called for this, and that is what a UK co-sponsored resolution at the UN human rights council supports,” Cameron added.

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

Pandemonium reigned in the Pettah and Fort areas yesterday afternoon as the police riot squads used tear gas and water cannon to disperse a group of undergraduates who attempted to march on Temple Trees in protest against what they called the government’s failure to solve problems affecting universities.

The Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) march which commenced from the Kelaniya University, was stopped by the police at the Lotus Roundabout in Fort.

Hundreds of slogan shouting university students, including undergraduate monks participated in the march and blocked the main road to and from Colombo city disrupting traffic.

One lane of the Kandy road had to be closed due to the protest march yesterday.

IUSF Convener Najith Indika said that they had  launched the protest against the reduction of the duration of the Allied Health Sciences degree from four years to three, lack of accommodation for female undergraduates of the Kelaniya University, suppression of students in the Rajarata, Ruhuna and Sri Jayewardenepura universities.

“We wanted to hand over a statement to President Mahinda Rajapaksa after the protest march yesterday, but police blocked us at the Lotus Roundabout near the Hilton hotel,” he said.

Indika alleged that one of their undergraduates from the Ruhuna University had been assaulted by police intelligence officers near the Presidential Secretariat.

He said that the injured undergraduate was admitted to the National Hospital.

The Police Media division said it was not aware of such an incident.

By Dasun Edirisinghe
Source: The Islands (Sri Lanka)
Photo courtesy  The Islands (Sri Lanka)

The Presidential Commission to investigate cases of persons from the Northern and Eastern Provinces who went missing during the period between 1990–2009 commenced its first public sittings in the eastern part of the country in the Batticaloa District today, a Government statement said.

The public hearings take place from March 20–22, 2014, in the towns of Chenkallady, Vakarai and Batticaloa, covering 56 Grama Niladhari Divisions in the district.

The Commission will hear oral submissions of those persons who have already submitted their complaints and it will also register any new complainants on the days of the public sittings.

The Commission held its first public sittings in the Northern Province from January 18–21, 2014 in Kilinochchi, where it heard complaints from 440 people. Another 984 people made submissions from Feb. 14–17, 2014, when the Commission conducted its sittings in the Jaffna District.

The Commission has thus far received a total of approximately 16,000 complaints from all parts of the country. Of those complaints, approximately 9,300 are of civilian disappearances while 4,300 are of disappearances of security personnel.

The three-member Commission, comprising Maxwell Parakrama Paranagama (Chairman), Mrs. Dimingu Badathuruge Priyanthi Suranjana Vidyaratne and Mrs. Mano Ramanathan, has been given the authority to conduct inquiries and investigations necessary, and submit a report to the President.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had extended the mandate of the Commission by another six months until August 2014.

Source: Colombo Gazette
Photo Courtesy Colombo Gazette  

Sri Lanka today informed the UNHRC in Geneva that the Sri Lanka’s Law enforcement authorities have to take national security into consideration as a prominent LTTE operative now in Sri Lanka was actively involved in reviving the LTTE by regrouping LTTE cadres.

“Investigations revealed that K.P. Selvanayagam a.k.a. Gobi who had been overseas and returned to Sri Lanka was actively involved in reviving the LTTE through regrouping LTTE cadres and recruiting unemployed local youth with the intention of using them for acts of terrorism,” the Sri Lankan delegation to the UNHRC said in its right of reply on statements made regarding the arrest and detention of Ms. Balendran Jeyakumari, and the detention of Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen, today.

It also said that the intention of these LTTE operatives headed by Gobi had been to recover arms cachés hidden by the LTTE prior to their defeat.

The intention of these LTTE operatives headed by Gobi had been to recover arms cachés hidden by the LTTE prior to their defeat.

The key operative directing the operations, Gobi, had been evading arrest. Following further investigations, the Terrorist Investigations Division (TID) had recovered an arms caché including mortar and RPG type live ammunition, 3 hand grenades, 2.5 kg claymore bomb and ammunition for T-56 weapons.

Pursuant to this recovery, and a lead obtained on the whereabouts of Gobi, a team of Police Officers proceeded to the residence of Balendran Jeyakumari in Killinochchi. During the search operation Gobi had fired at the Police, injuring a sub-Inspector and escaped.

The statement also said that at this residence, the landlady Balendran Jeyakumari and her 13 year old daughter Vibooshika were present.  Since suspect Gobi while being armed escaped, a search was carried out on the said residence. A Menelab F-3 type mine detector was recovered.  Therefore, Ms. Jeyakumari was placed under arrest on suspicion of aiding and abetting Gobi in his activities.

As Balendran Jeyakumari had been unable to provide an appropriate caregiver/relative to keep her 13 year old daughter, she was taken along with the mother and produced before the Killinochchi Magistrate. Based on the Magistrate’s order, Vibooshika has been placed under the care of Probation and Child Care Services.

The aforementioned arrest was made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The ICRC has access to all detainees being held at Boossa.

“Therefore, it is regrettable that an elected member of the Northern Provincial Council, Ms. Ananthi Sasitharan, has chosen to misrepresent this case in this august body and depict it as an arrest made of a child who had participated in protests.  It is also regrettable that Ms. Sasitharan, despite being a member of a provincial administration, has chosen to make statements in the Council using time allocated to two NGOs. We also note that Ms. Sasitharan, in referring in her statements to the Council to “Tamil Eelam”, has failed to adhere to the agreed language of the United Nations, and is in violation of the Constitution she has pledged to uphold as a Provincial Councilor,” the statement said.

The detention on 16th March of Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen under the PTA were in connection with the aforesaid investigation into attempts to revive the LTTE by operatives, including the recovery of the arms caché at Vishwamadu and the shooting incident in Dharmapuram involving Gobi. Investigations have revealed that Mr. Fernando and Father Praveen had been in Killinochchi engaging with persons connected to Gobi. Their questioning is continuing at present to ascertain the whereabouts of Gobi and other related operatives.

“The above actions taken by the Law Enforcement Authorities of Sri Lanka are well within the existing legal framework and following due process. This development also underscores the need to be vigilant on the activities of the remnants of the terrorist group, considering its bearing on national security,” the statement added.

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

In a recent interview, Former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka who heads the Democratic Party spoke to Daily Mirror about the present political situation in the country, his party’s plan to win the upcoming Provincial Council elections and expressed his views about the UNHRC session taking place in Geneva.

He said that the main aim of his party was to save the citizens of Sri Lanka from the present rulers of the country.

Read full interview>> 

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

A callous killer has been jailed for life after police filmed him confessing at the scene and saying: ”I hope she’s dead. I’m happy she die.”

Gobinath Vellasamy still had blood on his hands when his dramatic arrest was captured on a police bodycam as he calmly told officers “Some people are not eligible to be on this earth.”

The Sri Lankan asylum seeker was caught within minutes of his brutal knife attack on victim Mayurathy Perinpamoorthy because one neighbour saw it through a ground floor window.

Horrified neighbour Bernadine Reid saw Mayurathy run to the window with her arms outstretched, shouting for help, before Vellasamy dragged her back and killed her.

She was stabbed so many times in the neck she died before police arrived and a pathologist was unable to count the number of wounds.

Vellasamy resented Mayurathy because she had started a relationship with fellow Sri Lankan Punnahairaja Serveraj, known as Raj, who was a distant relation and who had been his closest friend after they both fled to Britain to escape the civil war in their own country.

He referred to her as a cheating bitch in a phone call to another friend just moments before the killing but later claimed she had been pestering him for sex.

Former shop worker Vellasamy killed 32-year-old mother-of-one Mayurathy after going to the flat she shared with Raj in Tudor Court, Yeovil, while she was alone on the night of August 6 last year.

An upstairs neighbour heard an argument and her screams for help and Miss Reid saw the killing as she passed the window on her way back from a swimming session.

Police were on the scene within a couple of minutes, some officers running from the nearby Yeovil police station and the next constable to arrive wore a bodycam which captured Vellasamy’s arrest.

The jury took just over an hour to reach their guilty verdict. Earlier in the trial they had a unique chance to be taken inside the crime scene when they were shown footage from the camera worn by Pc Mark Doble.

It showed Vellasamy still inside the flat but handcuffed through an open window to Sergeant James Page. The body of the victim was visible in the background, lying in a pool of blood.

Vellasamy still had blood on his hands but was calm and passive. He was eventually manhandled out of the open louvre window by three officers while still handcuffed to the Sergeant.

He told the officers:”She is a cheating bitch and does not belong on this earth. You are wasting your time, she is dead. She is not worthy to be on this earth. I hope she is dead.”

The bodycam footage recorded him saying: ”I hope she’s dead. I’m happy she die.”

Later, on the way to the police station, he was seen saying: ”How many years will I get? Ten, 20, 30, 40?” Some people are not eligible to stay in this world. She’s not fit for this world.”

Vellasamy, aged 36, of Everton Road, Yeovil, denied murder but was found guilty and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years.

Judge Mr Justice Lindblom told him:”You used the knife with frightful force in a sustained attack on a defenceless young woman.

“She ran to the window screaming for help but this seems to have had no effect on you, neither did the desperate effort of a neighbour who saw what you were doing and banged on the window trying to get you to stop.

“That witness described the mechanical way in which you killed her and the prosecution likened it to an execution.

“You showed not even the faintest remorse and even now I cannot discern any real sense in you of the dreadful crime you have committed.

“It is impossible to say precisely what was your motive, but no motive could justify any violence, let alone the brutality with which you ended her life.

“A very serious aggravating feature is the quite extraordinary degree of sustained violence with a knife you used to murder the victim in her own home. It was a truly horrific attack.

“She had no chance of escape or of parrying your relentless assault.”

The judge praised the ‘quiet fortitude’ of Mayurathy’s parents, who had sat through the trial with Raj.

He quoted from their victim impact statement in which they revealed that Mayurathy’s seven-year-old daughter Thanika has been left orphaned because her father died in the Sri Lankan civil war.

The father’s statement said:”We struggle to express in words our feeling of devastation at Mayurathy’s death. I will never see my daughter again, never be able to chat to her or laugh with her or comfort her.

“Her child will grow up without a mother. The impact on her is huge. She does not have a mother or a father.

“It is very difficult to explain to a seven-year-old that her mother has been taken away from her and why she will never be able to see or talk to her again.”

Vellasamy came to Britain as an asylum seeker after being accused of supplying mobile phones to the Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka and worked in petrol stations around the country.

He developed a drinking and gambling problem while living in Glasgow and then moved to Somerset where he lived in Ilchester before moving to Yeovil.

He shared a flat with Raj and Mayurathy in Ilchester but they argued because of his drinking and volatile behaviour and he held a grudge against both.

He believed Raj owed him money and blamed Mayurathy for coming between him and his friend.

In the eight months he lived in Yeovil he was in constant trouble with the police because of his heavy drinking. Every beat officer had dealings with him and had previously been arrested trying to get into Raj and Mayurathy’s home.

In all the police were called to 34 different incidents including two half-hearted suicide attempts, one when he took an overdose and another when he put his head on the railway line at Yeovil Junction.

He denied murder and claimed he had no intention to kill but had lost control when Mayurathy referred to his grandmother as ‘an old piece’, which is apparently a serious insult in Sri Lankan.

His defence team argued he was suffering from depression and paranoia brought on by alcohol dependency, but a prosecution expert said he knew what he was doing when he carried out the killing.

After the case Mayurathy’s family and her boyfriend Raj thanked the police for their efforts.

Raj said:”We are relieved at the verdict and would like to thank everyone who has got justice for Mayurathy, especially the Avon and Somerset police.”(Western Morning News)

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has effected some changes to its report on Sri Lanka scheduled to be submitted to the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions scheduled to begin today (March 25).

Government sources told The Island that the amendments had been made following Sri Lanka’s responses to the unedited version of the report prepared following UNHRC chief Navy Pillay’s visit to the country last year.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris will address the UNHRC on Wednesday (March 5).

The OHCHR has changed its original demand that Sri Lanka establish a timeline for the demobilisation and disarmament of the armed forces in addition to stop them from performing civilian tasks.

Following representations made by the External Affairs Minister, the OHCHR has dropped its unprecedented call for demobilisation and disarmament of armed forces as well as a time line to achieve the objectives. Responding to a query, sources said that Sri Lanka reminded the OHCHR that it had no mandate to make such demand of a sovereign state.

She also recommended that the government work with five party Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Senior officials said that they were taken aback as the OHCHR didn’t realise the importance of the Northern Provincial Council polls.Sources appreciated that the OHCHR had included a new paragraph which dealt with the reduction of military presence in the Northern and Eastern Provinces by 30 and 26 per cent, respectively, and the release of state (20,011 acres) and privately (5,470 acres) owned land. Pillay added that over 6,000 acres of privately owned land had been acquired around security forces cantonment at Palaly and over 2,000 persons were seeking legal redress. Pillay quoted the GoSL as having said that the affected would be compensated and alternative land provided for them.

Another important amendment was the sourcing of allegations relating to about 280 incidents of threats and violence directed at the Muslim community in 2013 to the NGO called Secretariat for Muslims.

The OHCHR has amended the number of persons killed due to the Sri Lanka Army opening fire at those demanding clean water to three. The original report mentioned the deaths of six persons. The OHCHR also corrected the date of the appointment of Army Court of Inquiry to August 2, 2013 from September 2, 2013.

She also acknowledged that the GoSL had sought information regarding Sri Lankans whose asylum claims were denied by foreign governments. The External Affairs Ministry said that this addition was due to Sri Lanka seeking information from UK, Canada and the USA.

Interestingly, the OHCHR had deleted part of a sentence that dealt with the killing of Prabhakaran’s 12-year-old son, Balachandran. The deleted part claimed that the boy was killed when troops were moving to take the LTTE’s last stronghold located on a strip of coastline near Mullaitivu.

by Shamindra Ferdinando
Source: The Island (Sri Lanka)

ජිනීවා මානව හිමිකම් රැස්‌වීමේදී ඇමරිකාව විසින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට එරෙහිව ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට යන යෝජනාවට සහාය ලබා ගැනීමට මෙරට බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය මහ කොමාසරිස්‌වරයා සහ ඇමරිකානු තානාපතිනිය ඉකුත් සතියේ නවදිල්ලියේදී හා නිව්යෝක්‌හිදී මානව හිමිකම් කවුන්සිලයේ සාමාජික රටවල තානාපතිවරුන් සහ රාජ්‍ය තාන්ත්‍රිකයන් හමු වී සාකච්ඡා පවත්වා ඇතැයි තානාපති ආරංචි මාර්ග කියයි.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය මහකොමසාරිස්‌ ජෝන් රැන්කින් මහතා පසුගිය සතියේ නවදිල්ලියට ගොස්‌ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ තානාපති කාර්යාල නොමැති මානව හිමිකම් සමුළුවේ සාමාජිකකත්වය හිමි රටවල තානාපතිවරුන් හමුවී ඇමරිකානු යෝජනාව සම්මත කර ගැනීම සඳහා සහාය දෙන්නැයි ඉල්ල ඉල්ලා තිබේ.

මේ අතර ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ඇමරිකානු තානාපතිනිය මිචෙල් ඡේ සීසන් මහත්මියද ඉකුත් සතියේ නිව්යෝක්‌හිදී සාමාජික රටවල තානාපති නිලධාරීන් හා රාජ්‍ය තාන්ත්‍රිකයන් මුණගැසී සාකච්ඡා කොට ඇත.

විදේශ කටයුතු ඇමැති මහාචාර්ය ජී.එල්. පීරිස්‌ මහතාද පසුගියදා නවදිල්ලියට ගොස්‌ එහි සිටින විදේශ තානාපතිවරුන් හමුවී ඇමරිකානු යෝජනාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ස්‌ථාවරය පැහැදිලි කළේය. ජනාධිපති ලේකම් ලලිත් වීරතුංග මහතාද ඉකුත්දා නිව්යෝක්‌ නුවරට ගොස්‌ එරට රාජ්‍ය තාන්ත්‍රිකයන්ට කරුණු පැහැදිලිs කළේය.

Source: Divaina (Sri Lanka)

Eleven US Senators on Thursday tabled a resolution urging the ‘US and the international community to assist Sri Lanka in establishing domestic mechanisms to deal with any grievances arising from actions committed by both sides during and after the civil war in Sri Lanka.’

The resolution urged the US Government and the international community to assist the Sri Lankan Government to set up such domestic mechanisms with due regard to its sovereignty, stability, and security.

It has also urged  the US President to develop a comprehensive and well balanced policy towards Sri Lanka that reflects United States interests, including respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, as well as economic and security interests.

The resolution urges the Sri Lankan Government to improve religious and media freedoms and to bring to justice those responsible for attacks on journalists and newspaper offices as well as places of worship, regardless of religion.

The eleven Co-Senate sponsors are: James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma);John Cornyn (R-Texas);Orrin Hatch (R-Utah);Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming); Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri); Senator John Manchin (D-West Virginia); Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama); Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas)Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho); Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming)

The Full resolution>>

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

‘The Last Phase’, a documentary film depicting the life story of a former female LTTE cadre during the final stages of the humanitarian operation in Sri Lanka was screened in the Westminster Houses of Parliament, London on Monday.

The event was hosted by Lord Naseby, Chair of The All Party Parliamentary Group on Sri Lanka, supported by Conservative Friends of Sri Lanka.

The documentary revolves around the life of a former LTTE female cadre who grew up at ‘Senchcholai’, the LTTE run orphanage for Tamil children. ‘Jayawadanee’ was brought up in an environment that was deliberately planned to portray the other side as the necessary evil.

The defenec ministry said that it was the first time that an independent Sri Lanka produced documentary about the War had been shown in the cradle of Britain’s democracy and seen by parliamentarians from all sides of the Houses of Commons and Lords. Ian Paisley MP, who attended the meeting commented that it was refreshing to see an alternative perspective about the Sri Lankan war, and this event clearly demonstrated that the international community did not have a monopoly on the truth in relation to Sri Lanka.

Apart from Mr Paisley, the other parliamentarians who attended the event were Baron West of Spithead (former First Sea Lord) and the following Members of Parliament, Brian Binley, Mark Durkan, Bob Blackman, James Wharton, Laurence Robertson, Andrew Turner, Nick De Bois as well as Foreign Office and Parliamentary researchers and assistants.

Lord Naseby introduced a distinguished panel, comprising Professor Paul Moorcraft and Mr. Richard Mundy, who was the narrator on “The Last Phase” to discuss the war and current developments in Sri Lanka.

Professor Moorcroft spoke of the events at the end of the war from a military perspective. He explained that in all his experience, having investigated wars in other countries, that the Sri Lankan Army conducted themselves very professionally in comparison to other armies. His observations and opinions were formed after visiting Sri Lanka and having had access to all the workings of the armed services as well as with surviving Tiger cadres. The total civilian casualties in the final days of the war, he observed, could not be ascertained with accuracy, but based on the figures of those injured, the estimate of 40,000 civilian deaths quoted by Gordon Weiss in his book and thereafter repeated by many others, including by the Darusman Report and Channel 4, is a gross exaggeration, which he confirmed should not be relied upon as being accurate.

Dr. Chris Nonis, High Commissioner addressed the issues pertaining to the Government of Sri Lanka. In a robust delivery he stated that there was never a Civil War in Sri Lanka and that it should be instead correct to understand it as a war against terrorism. He said that people from all communities and religions lived side by side in all parts of the country, and that for example, the demography of the capital Colombo was 30% Sinhalese, 30%Tamils, 30% Muslims. He maintained that many external politicians were making unwarranted pronouncements about Sri Lanka with understanding basic demographics and that it was long and complex war story, which needs to be understood by visiting and experiencing the country’s committed efforts at post-war progress first-hand. He made a passionate plea for supporting the country’s reconciliation processes via the LLRC and appealed to all expatriate communities to work towards this goal. His appeal to the international community was for greater understanding of Sri Lanka’s achievements and stated that all communities are playing a substantial role in the economic and social progress of the country. His address was well received by all those present.

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

The Government says human rights is now being used as a political tool and was no longer based on moral or ethical issues.

External Affairs Minister, Professor G.L Peiris said that human rights was also being used selectively and there was a need for uniformity in its application; with some countries left alone and other countries, such as Sri Lanka  being singled out and hounded, disproportionately.

The External Affairs Ministry quoted the Minister as saying that Sri Lanka, which drew from a great continuum and heritage in the region, did not subscribe to a vindictive justice that was pushed by some.

He noted that despite the quests of a few to target Sri Lanka, other countries stood behind Sri Lanka to have its own national solutions to its specific challenges and circumstances and not impose external solutions.

The Minister urged the need for nations to be treated equally and fairly in the international arena adding that the eradication of terrorism in Sri Lanka has paved for not only Sri Lanka’s development and progress, but that of the region.

He said that Sri Lanka looked forward to engage its friends and the international community, with mutual respect and reciprocity and that after enduring the difficult legacy of the past, as a nation, could collectively face any challenge ahead.

Source: Colombo Gazette

Colombo based British, US envoys campaign against SL in New Delhi, NY

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that the government wouldn’t demobilize the Army or reduce military presence in the Northern Province under any circumstances, though a section of the international community was pushing the government on the diplomatic front ahead of the 25th session of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The war veteran was responding to Western calls for a smaller army in the wake of the LTTE’s battlefield defeat in May, 2009.

British High Commissioner John Rankin was in New Delhi during the second week of February to urge heads of missions of member states of the UNHRC accredited to Colombo. HC Rankin sought their support for the US-UK initiative, while US Ambassador in Colombo Michele J. Sisson met several Permanent Representatives of UNHRC members based in New York to convince of the need to move the resolution. The US and UK are seeking as many countries as possible to co-sponsor the resolution.

Asked whether the government would demobilize some formations raised during eelam war IV (June 2006 to May 2009) to appease Western powers threatening to haul Sri Lanka up before an international war crimes tribunal over accountability issues, the Defence Secretary said that the peacetime deployment of the Army as well as the acquisition of armaments too, was the prerogrative of the government.

Recently British High Commissioner John Rankin as well as Norwegian Ambassador Grete Løchen inquired about the military presence in the Northern Province when they met Jaffna Security Forces Commander, Maj. Gen. Udaya Perera. The Norwegian envoy inquired about the possibility of demobilization.

The Defence Secretary told The Island that United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay too, had called for demobilization of the Army in accordance with their overall plan to destabilize the country. An irate Rajapaksa said that large scale demobilization would cause a major social upheaval. “Can any sensible government send home those who risked their lives in the battlefield. Demobilization can cause uncertainty and political turmoil, thereby undermine social as well as economic stability. Perhaps, those working closely with the LTTE rump expected us to send men home believing such a course of action will lead to a major crisis.”

The armed forces had been deployed in support of the post-war recovery projects and people of all communities benefited from their expertise, he said. President Rajapaksa endorsed a plan to double the army at the onset of eelam war IV.

The government wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize security, the Defence Secretary said, pointing out that those who now wanted the government to demobilize the Army went to the extent of recognizing the LTTE’s conventional military deployment across eight districts in February 2002.

Commenting on US concerns over intimidating military presence in the Northern Province, the Gajaba Regiment veteran pointed out that the US was concerned only about its security as well as its closest allies. The Defence Secretary said that the US was fully aware of sharp reduction of Jaffna military presence since the conclusion of the conflict, though it acted as if Sri Lanka was retaining wartime strength in the Northern Province. The Defence Secretary said that the US maintained substantial forces outside US territory to ensure safety and security of its citizens as well as those of its closest allies. Why couldn’t they realize that our deployment was nothing but to ensure that the LTTE wouldn’t make an attempt to reorganise again, the Defence Secretary said.

Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga recently briefed the international community in Geneva and separately met US officials to explain the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Weeratunga assured that there had been a 30 per cent drop in the military strength in the Northern Province since the end of the war.

by Shamindra Ferdinando
Source: The Island (Sri Lanka)