Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Who is responsible to the fear psychosis of the Tamils in Jaffna ? Are the Tamils in Sri Lanka willing to be Sri Lankans ?
By Charles S. Perera
LankaWeb.com
January 07, 2011
Douglas Devananda had spoken in the Parliament to say about the fear psychosis of the Tamils in Jaffna. With a 30 years of war and uncertainty of life under the terrorists during that time, the fear psychosis is nothing new to Tamils in Jaffna. However, what is “new” is that it follows the elimination of their bane -the terrorism.
This second wave of the “old” fear psychosis with which Devananda says the people in the North are gripped with has come about hardly two years after the elimination of terrorism by the Government Armed Forces consisting of the Sinhala Buddhist Officers and Soldiers.
The report adds that Devananda said the people of the North looked forward to a peaceful environment after the end of the war against terrorist, and now the fear is that north will slip back to violence again.
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If that fear had arisen among the people of the North it is interesting to examine who is responsible for this state of affairs ? Who brought about that fear psychosis ?
The moment the terrorism was eliminated the people of the north, did not turn to the government to allow it to continue to create an environment of peace , despite the fact that the people of Jaffna were aware of the tremendous development projects the government undertook for their welfare.
The people of Jaffna and those in the East in the succeeding elections after the elimination of terrorists, did not show any gratitude or place any confidence in the government to create the necessary environment of peace that should have naturally come after the thirty years of continued terrorism.
The people of Jaffna and the Tamils of the East instead took to their confidence the very same people that was responsible for the thirty years of their suffering and daily dose of fear psychosis- the lackeys of the terrorists the Tamil National Alliance to provide them a peaceful sanctuary. It is like asking jackals to look after the chicken farm.
It is evident to any fool who had followed the statements of Sambandhan the Leader of the TNA and its MPs through out the terrorism after they were named by the terrorist Prabhakaran to represent the terrorists in Parliament. They were a part and parcel of Prabhakarans terrorism. Their existence depended on their servility to the terrorist Prabhakaran. They had no voice of their own as they had to run to Kilinochchi every now and then to get Prabhakaran’s approval of their actions and speeches in Parliament.
How could TNA MPs have ever given to the people of Jaffna and the East peace or progress ?
The fear psychosis Devananda is reporting to the Parliament , is the making of the Tamil people of the North and East, themselves. There is none to be blamed for the sad state into which they have pushed them selves into. The TNA has no other political aim other than that they had been trained in, and brainwashed to follow by the terrorist Prabhakaran.
The TNA stands for division , and separation of the Tamils from the Sinhala people, and they cannot stop terrorism if there is to be another wave of it in Jaffna or the East, as in case terrorism raises its “bloody” head again in Jaffna in what ever way, the TNA will stand by the terrorists as their lackeys- that is their raison d’etre.
Devanada had said that he would not embarrass the government internationally by raising the matter in the Parliament. Devananda should not worry, as he does not embarrass the government at all. The Government is aware that any disturbance of peace in the North and East, will automatically be made the responsibility of the Government and Armed forces.
Because as long as things are going well for the Tamils, there would be those from the diaspora, the international Community, and the TNA taking credit for it. But moment things go wrong they will accuse the government for abductions, white vans , murders and now the fear psychosis.
But it is the foreign and anti government Media, International community, Human Rights Watch, the Amnesty International and the Internal anti-government forces who made an issue of the suspected terrorist kept separately and demanded their release, who should take full responsibility for what is happening in Jaffna.
The terrorists who escaped during the last phase of the military operations against the terrorists, along with the IDPs who were evacuated by the humanitarian mission of the Government armed forces, were rightly separated from the Tamil Civilians and kept in separate camps for security reasons. If the government was left alone to settle all these matters of terrorists things would have been different.
But unfortunately the government had to please these “foreign vultures” out to divide Sri Lanka, and make it a sort of a “banana state” dependent on them. It does not matter to them whether the release of suspected terrorists in camps will affect the country negatively, and that it would be a security risk. The fear psychosis now taking its grip in the North may be the result of this “hasty release” of terrorists who had been kept in separate camps.
These elements moving freely in Jaffna, could still be contacted by the pro terrorist Tamil diaspora, through TNA , and through people like Jehan Perera, Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu and rein them in to create an anti government group to cause difficulties to the Government to maintain peace and security in the North. It may be the beginning of another armed group calling for a separate Eelam State.
UNP also had been calling for the release of these suspected terrorists in separate camps, and they may also be responsible for the reported fear psychosis in the North.
If peace is to be brought about in the North and East, to avoid the people to be gripped in to another wave of fear psychosis; the Tamils will have to put their trust in the Government and the Sinhala people and become Sri Lankans without seeking a narrow communal existence.
The media in Sri Lanka today is the worst a fast developing country like Sri Lanka could have. A progressive media should work along with the government to unite the communities. After the 30 years of savagery under terrorism what is needed today is to create possibilities of bringing the communities together as Sri Lankans. Instead the media publish all types of contradictory news items without any basis merely to discredit the government. The people are at a loss not knowing what is the correct situation and what is not.
An armed Force that waged a war against terrorist at a greater cost to themselves, is now not going to abduct, kill, or rape the very people they saved from terrorism. The Tamil people should be able to give credit to the armed forces and place their trust in them, otherwise they will not be able to save themselves from their fear of , “….. whether their area will be stained with blood again…….” as Devananda stated in Parliament.
In the mean time , a group calling it self, « We Are Sri Lankans’ (WASL) organization backed by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) » had held the security establishments of the country responsible for the string of abductions taking place in the North that had led to an atmosphere of fear in the area. This is a statement that should not go with out proper action against Udul Premaratne who appears to be behind it. These are the people responsible for the « fear psychosis » in the North and they should be stopped before they cause further damage.
Tamils should be willing to become Sri Lankans.
Tamils will not be a part of Sri Lanka as long as they refuse to integrate with other communities to become Sri Lankans. If Tamils stand aloof participating in narrow Communal politics associating with TNA and their political objectives they cannot be Sri Lankans a part entieres . They will then be a race with one leg in India and the other in Sri Lanka.
There are Tamils in Tamil Nadu. There are Tamils in Malaysia. There are Tamils in Sri Lanka. Tamils in Tamil Nadu are Indians, Tamils in Malaysia are Malaysians. But the Tamils in Sri Lanka refuse to be Sri Lankans, they still want to be Tamils.
The Tamils in Sri Lanka should accept to be Sri Lankans before they make any demands. The Sinhala the majority do not want to give any rights to the Tamils, but they are ready to share their rights with other Communities including the Tamils, if they give up their narrow Communal identity to identify themselves with all communities as Sri Lankans.
The Tamils do not want to integrate with the Sinhala because of their inane inferiority complex. The Tamils find strength in the “ we Tamils” complex. That is again the reason why they want a Tamil homeland so that they can feel strong being among themselves.
It is only in giving up their call for a homeland and integrating with other communities as Sri Lankans that they will be real patriots of their motherland -Sri Lanka, sharing every thing with their compatriots. The Sinhala, who ask Tamils to come and become one with them are not racists. Nor are they supremacists or Chauvinists. Those are the name callings of un Sri Lankan Tamil racists.
The Tamils of the Diaspora are not Sri Lankans because they were born to Tamil parents. They will be Sri Lankans only if they begin to love Sri Lanka with all its communities without demanding a separate Tamil homeland. Their cultural and mental make up do not have any resemblance to the Tamils in Sri Lanka, therefore they should convert themselves to become Sri Lankans.
The Tamils joining hands with the Sinhala and other communities to become Sri Lankans will also be saved from any fear psychosis as the other communities will be there to rally together to dispel their fear and give them patriotic affection.
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90 comments:
Sri Lanka MUST PERMANENTLY STATION its Defense Forces in the North and East to maintain security and preserve its hard won peace.
Eelamists who want to destabilize the North & East loudly demand that military force presence is UNNECESSARY. That is to allow them the freedom to resurrect their aborted struggle for EELAM.
It is ludicrous to even contemplate withdrawal of the armed forces given that Jaffna was the crucible of racism that spawned Tamil Separatist Terror.
We must NEVER AGAIN listen to such wolves, now masquerading in "democratic" sheep's clothing, and let our guard down.
The SURVIVAL of our motherland and ACHIEVING our National Goal of becoming the New Wonder of Asia depends upon it.
Let us pursue ETHNIC INTEGRATION with the goal of eliminating ethnic concentrations, and ethnically homogenizing Sri Lanka, as the ONLY PERMANENT SOLUTION to communal conflicts WITH ALL SPEED!
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Jaffna: Dark days are here again
By Sutirtho Patranobis
HindustanTimes.com
January 11, 2011
In January, 2010, Jaffna was thrown open to Lankan citizens after decades of isolation. Passing through the former LTTE capital, Kilinochchi, thousands flocked to the peninsula in rickety buses over the potholed A9 highway. Jaffna residents were beleaguered by the sudden attention from southern
tourists and traders but it seemed acceptable in exchange for a post-war sense of normalcy.
A year later, that sense of normalcy is dipping. A spate of murders - some suspect extra-judicial killings - and abductions around the district have brought back dark fears. What is deepening the fear is that the crimes were committed even though the district is still under tight security - or at least enough number of well-armed policemen and military personnel are seen to be on duty.
Opposition leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe told Parliament that an all party delegation should be urgently sent to the Tamil heartland to assess the situation. Government minister, and Tamil politician, Douglas Devananda added that "a fear psychosis'' was prevailing. Tamil parliamentarians submitted a list of 15 incidents reported in less than two months.
Among the most shocking incidents were the beheading of a young man, killing of a Hindu priest and the murders of an education department officer and an environmentalist.
The response from the authorities was immediate and innovative: leaflets were distributed and announcements made asking the citizens to be wary and take care of themselves. Women were asked to wear imitation jewellery and homeowners asked to keep a light bulb on at night; don't go out alone at night, residents were warned.
"Such violence were the daily events when the government troops were locked in fierce war with LTTE but the re-emergence of the dark era even after the military defeat of the LTTE has raised a million dollar question on the motive of such organised crime,'' Journalists for Democracy, a group working in exile, said in a statement.
Last week, the government announced that it would recruit Tamil personnel for its police force; a move that would probably improve policing in Tamil-dominated north and east where lack of communication between Tamil citizens and Sinhalese policemen is a sharp hindrance against policing. Currently, less than 5 percent of Sri Lanka's 85,000 policemen are Tamils.
MISGUIDED TAMIL LOGIC:
1. Many Tamils volunteered to fight for the LTTE, believing LTTE promises to deliver an exclusive apartheid Tamils-Only Vallhalla.
In such wars, combatants die.
Yet, the GOSL is now held accountable for resurrecting these dead terrorists. Clearly, in their families eyes, only Government soldiers die in war; LTTE cadre never die.
2. The LTTE kidnaps people, including children, and forces them to serve as soldiers.
Yet, it is the GOSL that is held accountable, and MUST restore them to their families.
3. The LTTE herds the Tamils into the war zone ahead of them to serve as a human shield, and executes civilian escapees fleeing their human shield.
Yet, it is the GOSL must account for them.
Could you please demand restitution from those LTTE-ers hiding among you? How about demanding restitution from the Eelamist Diaspora abroad?
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These Tamils clearly believe that only people of other communities in Sri Lanka are MORTAL; Tamil people are indestructible, IMMORTAL. If Tamils go to war, they SURVIVE & MUST return. If they do not return, then the GOSL is holding them in secret camps!
HERE IS SOME NEWS FOR THESE BEREAVED FAMILIES:
All over Sri Lanka people mourned the loss of their loved ones over 30 years.
Very often they were non-combatants blown to bits on their way to work, hung from lamp posts or shot as dissenters, sliced and diced by entire villages in the dead of the night, executed as captured prisoners by the thousand after the fall of Government bases, while the Tamil Eelamists praised "OUR BOYS" and hero-worshipped the KILLERS.
In the last phase of the war, over 7,000 Sri Lankan defence personnel paid the last full measure of their devotion to their country; and we still mourn them.
As much as we would like, we cannot resurrect them and restore them to their families.
If your relatives fought for the LTTE, most likely they were killed by the LTTE itself, or by the defense forces.
Adjust to it; you are NOT SPECIAL in any way. This war consumed us all.
EVERY WAR DOES! Ask those who survived the battles and mass aerial bombings in World War II!
We hope and pray that you find your relatives among the living, or the imprisoned LTTE cadre awaiting rehabilitation and release.
But don't blame the Government of Sri Lanka for YOUR LOSS.
Take RESPONSIBILITY for YOUR OWN FAILURE to CONTROL your own people, your own children, and your unquestioning support for their monstrous activities.
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Sri Lanka's war panel arouses strong emotions
Emotional people have flocked to testify before the Sri Lankan commission looking into the final years of the country's war. Many of those who bore witness in the former war zone said their close relatives had disappeared. Charles Haviland was granted rare access to the hearings in the north-western town of Mannar.
In a crowded room in a government building there was an agitated buzz of people talking Tamil.
Men and women of all ages held up pictures for the camera - pictures of their missing sons and daughters, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters - with dates of disappearance: January 2008; April 2007.
A man tried to organise things, telling them to get their sad case histories ready to submit.
Raw emotions
The people were clamouring to appear before the war commission, its fourth visit to the north.
Continue reading the main story
Before the commissioners arrived they unburdened themselves to us.
A woman told us her son aged 17 disappeared eight years ago while tending goats. Perhaps he was taken by the Tamil Tigers (LTTE). He was later seen in an army detention camp but then vanished.
An elderly man told us his son disappeared four years ago - the police had not been able to find him.
Once they were testifying to the panel, raw emotions came through.
Sri Lanka's war panel arouses strong emotions
....continued 1....
A weeping mother, R Bhuwaneswari, clutched a bundle of victims' written testimonies as she addressed the team.
Her 15-year-old daughter was forced to stay back by the Tigers as the family escaped the war zone. She was later seen in a government-run camp but is now missing.
"Tell her to give the information to the commission secretary," the commission chairman and former attorney-general, CR de Silva, told the interpreter.
"We'll try to trace her daughter."
'Nothing happens'
But Ms Bhuwaneswari continued speaking.
"They all say there's peace, but there's no peace," she cried, weeping.
"We people don't have any happiness or freedom. We live with tears. We've reported our missing children to so many but nothing happens. You at least, please give us some good news. There are so many wives crying for their detained husbands.
Members of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Critics say that the commission lacks a mandate to investigate war crimes
"If my daughter were here now she would have sat her O-level exams."
Another woman, R Virginia Shanthi, said she and many others had been assaulted while their children were taken.
Her son disappeared in 2007 on his way to a beer store in an area which she said was under navy control.
"We hope you'll dry the tears of these mothers," she told the panel, breaking down.
"We are hurt, both mentally and physically. We are becoming ill, thinking about our lost ones."
Scores of others waited restlessly to testify but there was not time for many. They were asked to submit written details of their missing family members.
Senior Catholic churchmen including the Bishop of Mannar, Rt Rev Rayappu Joseph, had already given a long submission criticising the government and military's actions in the north.
He told the BBC he would have liked more time for people to unburden themselves. He wanted them to accept that their relatives were dead and try to get death certificates for them.
At a later session the wife of the LTTE's former local commander, Anthony Rayappu, said she had seen him taken away by the army but there was now no clue of his whereabouts.
Not independent
At one of the Mannar hearings a soldier in uniform made witnesses nervous as he took photographs of them and the panel. His presence was brought to the attention of commission officials who asked him to go outside.
The commission, which began hearings in August, was appointed by the president and is called the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
It is supposed to determine who was responsible for the failure of a 2002 ceasefire, suggest ways to prevent another war and foster reconciliation and to promote restitution for those affected.
International human rights groups have refused to testify, complaining that it lacks a mandate to investigate alleged war crimes.
They also say the panel members are too close to the government and therefore not independent. The government denies this.
In May this year the LLRC is to give the president its final report, which may or may not be made public.
All of its public hearings so far outside Colombo have been in Tamil-majority areas.
But this month it will visit the Sinhalese-majority town of Anuradhapura, where 27 people were killed and 94 injured by an LTTE suicide bomber in 2008.
Sri Lanka's war panel arouses strong emotions
....continued 2....
Witnesses have given extremely diverse accounts.
Bishop Joseph's team said it believed there were as many as 146,000 people still unaccounted for during the last phase of fighting - a figure higher than most other calculations.
But last week Champika Ranawaka, a government minister from a Sinhalese nationalist party, the JHU, declared that only about 1,100 civilians were killed in the war's last three years.
He said the ethnic majority had come out of the war worse than Tamils because Sinhalese people displaced from the north had never returned home.
Wikileaks: Norway assisted LTTE gun-running ship escape!
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SLMM and rogue arms ships
By Mano Ratwatte
Island.lk
January 11, 2011
It will be fascinating to see the Norwegian Lutheran regime explaining the latest Wikileak about the SLMM deliberately enabling a Tamil Tiger terrorist weapons ship to escape and then President Chandrika Kumaratunge wanting their commanding officer expelled. According to a news report: "A move by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) made a gunrunning vessel belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), escape from the Sri Lanka Navy - whistle-blower website Wikileaks reveals. The highly confidential cable sent by Colombo US Embassy to Washington, dated October 23, 2003, was classified by Colombo’s Charge´ d´Affaires James F. Entwistle."
I am referring to the leak that speaks of the Norwegian SLMM tipping off the Tigers. Apparently that was an "honest mistake" that enabled the Tigers to evade the Sri Lankan Navy or was the mission playing a double game in face of an impotent, appeasing UNP led regime at that time and throwing egg in the faces of Sri Lanka’s national security interests?
How did these so called highly educated, experienced military professionals and top commanders/ experts at monitoring missions advertently let the Tigers off like this? Are rational, logical people to believe that these poor innocent naïve professional SLMM Nords were gullible "podi babbu" hoodwinked by clever Tigers? What else will the Wikileaks tell the world about the war in Sri Lanka? Was SLMM chief Tryggve Teleffsen an arrogant jerk who thought he could get away or was he a not so clever gullible General outwitted by uneducated but smart Tigers?
Now the US public also knows something the rest of the world knew for a long time; that Iraq had nothing to do with Jihadi terrorists and the main source of funding for Al Qaeda’s version of Jihadi intolerant Wahabi terrorism is Saudi Arabia and that is something the US government is afraid to tell Americans because of energy interests.
Wikileaks may end up strengthening democracy and hold western nations more accountable for their actions than before. No wonder they want to charge Assange. The Wikileaks imbroglio has the US and Britain scrambling to silence Julian Assange. He is now a political prisoner being accused of breaking an archaic Swedish law about having unprotected consensual sex. In other words, the high and mighty preachers of political rights, human rights, and free speech are misusing Interpol (which never acts on sex allegations) and using their might to pressure Assange by bringing charges of having sex without a condom because of his temerity to challenge the world’s only military superpower. It seems that Interpol is more interested in imposing Sharia Law about extra marital sex these days just like Taliban.
The real issue is the embarrassment caused to British and American interests. So far there is no evidence the leaks have threatened anyone’s life but it did force some serious issues out in the open. For example, the traditional mistrust and historical rivalry between Persians and Arabs can be viewed in the way Saudi Arabia plays puppet master and encourages the US to attack Iran; or the way they wanted the US to do their dirty work in deposing Saddam Hussein(a secular dictator who oppressed radical Islamic groups during his reign).
SLMM and rogue arms ships
...continued....
What more surprises are in the leaks about the Tigers, SLMM, US ambassadors interfering with local elections and wanting to rescue Tigers, Norwegians, Indians, and other western nations vis-à-vis Sri Lanka’s 30 year old war?
One thing is abundantly clear; if the current Rajapaska regime and the military did not stand strong, the Tigers would still be wreaking havoc under Norwegian auspices and Colombo’s western- funded NGO elite would be writing tomes about how the Tigers cannot be defeated militarily and how the government should negotiate with them while bombs were going off in every corner of Sri Lanka.
Canada's refugee board says Tamils are no longer in danger of persecution in Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 11, Colombo: Refugee Protection Division of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board has said in a 'Persuasive Decision', a clear written policy note that sets consistency in decision making, that Sri Lanka's political landscape has radically changed over the last 18 months and young Tamil males from North are not in danger of being persecuted.
Rejecting a refugee claim by a 25-year-old Tamil from Northern Sri Lanka, the IRB said the evidence has led the panel to conclude that the "changes in Sri Lanka are meaningful and durable and that the claimant's fear of persecution based on his particular social group, perceived political opinion and nationality is not well founded."
The IRB has heard the claimant's case in September 2010 and a decision was reached in November 2010. The case was cited in the Persuasive Decision in December before the holidays.
The IRB has decided that the claimant is not a conventional refugee and his fear of persecution if returned to Sri Lanka is not well founded. The IRB has concluded that there are no substantial grounds to believe that claimant's removal to Sri Lanka would subject him personally to a danger of torture.
According to Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, protection is limited to those who face a specific risk that is not faced generally by others in or from the country and in the claimant's case the IRB has decided that he faces the same risks as others and therefore he is not a person in need of protection.
A Globe and Mail report today said the policy which could affect refugee claimants who arrived in Canada aboard the Ocean Lady and MV Sun Sea, is being challenged in court by a lawyer who says it is not legally sound.
The note was also criticized by activists, who suggested it could put lives in danger, the Globe and Mail report said.
According to the IRB the adjudicators are not expected to follow persuasive decision notes but they are 'encouraged to rely upon in the interests of consistency and effective decision-making.'
Birthplace of Gautam Buddha archaeological survey begins in Nepal
People.com.cn
January 12, 2011
An international team of archaeologists has begun a three-year survey of the archaeological vestiges in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, in southern Nepal.
According to Wednesday's The Himalayan Times, the team, which also includes experts from the Department of Archaeology and the Lumbini Development Trust, is working under the leadership of Robin Coningham, Vice Chancellor and Professor of Archaeology at Durham University, Britain.
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific,and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Nepal, the panel will work to identify the locations of archaeological remains below the surface so that development of facilities for pilgrims does not damage valuable archaeological resources.
"There is also a pressing need to prepare a plan for the area immediately outside the levee of the sacred garden to ensure that other development work within the master plan for the management of Lumbini are implemented in a way compatible to the World Heritage Site," read a UNESCO press release issued Tuesday.
According to the UN body, the archaeological endeavour is part of a larger project - Strengthening the Conservation and Management of Lumbini, the Birthplace of Lord Buddha - launched in 2010 to address the issues and challenges facing the World Heritage Site.
The project focuses on five components namely evaluation and interpretation of the Lumbini's archaeological signature, conservation of the Ashoka Pillar, the Marker Stone and the Nativity Sculpture, review of the state of the sacred garden with respect to the Kenzo Tange's Master Plan, establishment of an integrated management process to preserve Lumbini's universal value in the long run, and improvement of knowledge and skills of local experts.
Lumbini Development Project Chief Basanta Bidari was quoted by the daily as saying the project was a wonderful opportunity to develop capacity of local professionals in discovering the details of Buddha's birth by employing advances made in archaeology.
Source: Xinhua
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
Shenali Waduge
LankaWeb.com
January 12, 2011
My first impressions of post-war Jaffna peninsula was certainly not how it was made out to be by both western and local media, missing too was the horrific scenarios supposed to be taking place on a regular basis. Instead, my visualization was of towns abuzz with shoppers, young girls a few even dressed in jeans freely roaming around in bicycles some even on motorcycles, kovils full of worshippers, most of all an aura of relief despite the presence of military personnel whose conduct was applauded by practically every Tamil civilian I spoke to through the journey leading to Jaffna.
It is only by visiting Jaffna, walking amongst its residents, speaking with them, joining residents in prayer will one really find out what the pulse of the people is like. It is totally different to the versions that are being circulated amongst vested groups in the South, by certain media channels paid to ensure that Sri Lanka’s peace is only in name & by those who are all out to create some division or the other. It is not remotely near the horrors that are being portrayed as taking place. To gage the feelings of the people it is essential to think outside of the mental framework with which we function in Colombo. It is only by showing concern & interest in those that one talks to will that feeling be reciprocated. Likewise, I spent a bulk of time visiting kovils, mingling with the ordinary people, going to their homes, sitting down next to them, going to the market places, speaking to people on the roadsides, to find out how those newly resettled are starting a new life and even speaking to those that had once out of fear supported the LTTE and with each conversation it was clearly evident that a handful of sordid souls had ruined the country, played with innocent minds, fed them with untruths & sustained a misery that had lasted almost 30 years..
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
Shenali Waduge
LankaWeb.com
January 12, 2011
My first impressions of post-war Jaffna peninsula was certainly not how it was made out to be by both western and local media, missing too was the horrific scenarios supposed to be taking place on a regular basis. Instead, my visualization was of towns abuzz with shoppers, young girls a few even dressed in jeans freely roaming around in bicycles some even on motorcycles, kovils full of worshippers, most of all an aura of relief despite the presence of military personnel whose conduct was applauded by practically every Tamil civilian I spoke to through the journey leading to Jaffna.
It is only by visiting Jaffna, walking amongst its residents, speaking with them, joining residents in prayer will one really find out what the pulse of the people is like. It is totally different to the versions that are being circulated amongst vested groups in the South, by certain media channels paid to ensure that Sri Lanka’s peace is only in name & by those who are all out to create some division or the other. It is not remotely near the horrors that are being portrayed as taking place. To gage the feelings of the people it is essential to think outside of the mental framework with which we function in Colombo. It is only by showing concern & interest in those that one talks to will that feeling be reciprocated. Likewise, I spent a bulk of time visiting kovils, mingling with the ordinary people, going to their homes, sitting down next to them, going to the market places, speaking to people on the roadsides, to find out how those newly resettled are starting a new life and even speaking to those that had once out of fear supported the LTTE and with each conversation it was clearly evident that a handful of sordid souls had ruined the country, played with innocent minds, fed them with untruths & sustained a misery that had lasted almost 30 years..
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
.....continued 1....
To understand what the people of the North & East especially those that have lived amidst a terrorist group armed & ruthless enough to kill their own, steal their children & turn them into child soldiers it is imperative that we place ourselves in similar circumstance. It is perhaps opportune to think of how much we suffered during the late 1980s & early 1990s when the JVP was causing mayhem throughout the country with just a note of paper! We seem to have forgotten how much we lived in fear. How many of us especially those in JVP strongholds would have had to support the JVP for fear of being killed. The LTTE was far more ruthless than the JVP so we need to understand & empathize with these people.
The journey nearing Jaffna is a sight of destruction, houses that have been destroyed or left neglected…..houses that are unoccupied as its residents would have either moved southwards, or been killed or are now domiciled abroad. A rough estimate would leave over 150,000 such houses. It was evident that much of the destruction took place in the 1980s & 1990s & certainly questions the commands given during those times. Given that the population has declined drastically though the LTTE as well as the present Tamil parliamentarians would not have desired to reveal so, a census on population needs to take place. It does raise the argument that given that 12% Tamil population out of a total 20million population leaves only 2.4m Tamils (out of which 1m are said to be domiciled overseas). Exactly, how many LTTE soldiers actually fought & died & whether they could have been imported from India given that India has been sadistically involved in terror activity in Sri Lanka while pretending to be our friend. A closer view of the journey to Jaffna & Mullaitivu does also make one wonder why such a large presence of Churches prevail all close to the main roads & immediately one can understand that the newly built houses closer to the main roads must belong to LTTE families. Immediately calling to mind is one single question…”what have the NGOs placed in the North done all these years….where are the buildings they were supposed to have built…?” …there are no new school buildings, no hospitals, no community centres….what were they actually doing up North amongst the LTTE all these years? With so many churches set up It is then easy to ascertain how these NGOs with “Christian-based or Catholic-based” against their mission statement would have been doing in an area that was solely under the dictates of the LTTE.
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
.....continued 2....
It is while talking to Tamil residents that one begins to realize the divisions amongst Tamils themselves & now free to talk some of these high caste Tamils openly denounce the LTTE claiming the bulk of them are low caste & one then begins to understand the caste factor where the majority of these LTTE members including the leader were of low caste and also poverty stricken which easily facilitated Christian & Catholic movements through the NGO circuits to brainwash them into converting & this is how these NGOs function in countries stricken with some form of terror. When asked why people never galvanized against the LTTE (as the Sinhalese did against the JVP during their terror campaigns) the answer is visible in their eyes & the fear of what the LTTE would do to them & their families makes one understand how the LTTE would have sodomized these people. Another reason that needs to be mentioned is that while the LTTE may have applied ruthless tactics to create their “supporters” elements down in governance had not helped to actually win the much needed “trust” of the Tamil people. For this the politicians of the past, police establishments, military leadership of the past & some Sinhalese who betrayed the integrity of the nation for commercial advantages need to accept part accountability. It is also at this stage Tamils living quite comfortably in areas outside of the North & East & especially those Tamils living overseas & in Colombo may like to feel more than a pinch of guilt for they knowingly allowed their own people to suffer so that they could apply as refugees & go to greener pastures while others benefited by joining international organizations that were all the while assisting the LTTE to prevail.
Those who have had a chance to visit Jaffna, Mullaitivu & other areas that the LTTE dominated for almost 3 decades would agree that the LTTE stands out amongst all terrorist groups worldwide in the manner it has functioned. Al Qaeda would certainly come nowhere near to what the LTTE think tanks did in terms of the manner they ran a default Government in the territory they dominated by virtue of the guns, armour, locally produced grenades, landmines & fisticuff methods that helped establish their might & the illegal international networks they ran. The teak plantations were enough evidence of how far the LTTE had gone to carefully plant trees that would be commercially viable for them, Prabakaran’s house & swimming pool would have amazed any architect in the manner how 3 floors were built into the ground fully air conditioned & tiled with plumping for the bathrooms, the swimming pool was 22ft deep & 83 ft in length with a fibre hood & flood lit, with mechanism to rotate & chlorinate the water and this was situated some 30 minutes drive deep into the jungles. This was probably built during the time of the Cease Fire Agreement & clearly establishes how the CFA was misused & enabled the transportation of such men & material to the Wanni and also questions why some key Government heads & even foreign dignitaries who would have frequented these premises kept mum about its location & details. Much of the drive to Pudukirrippu passes thousands of vehicles of all types, motorcycles, vans, buses, lorries, trucks, backos, heavy vehicles all now practically rotting for want of owners. Most of these vehicles have LTTE number plates which again depicts the length the terrorist movement went to.
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
.....continued 3....
One of the hottest topics that is often debated is the presence of the military. True, a large number of military personnel are present, at key checkpoints, at close proximity encircling the high security zone areas but from the many residents that were directly asked the question of whether they like the military presence or feel uncomfortable at their presence they all thought the present day military was far superior to those that were stationed in the 1980s & 1990s. This was certainly a shift in thought & something echoed by not just the old or young but people of different walks of life…many were to even say that they feel safe as a result of military presence & felt far more safer amongst them than other Tamil political parties & their stooges who are showing signs of desiring to upset the status quo and these are the random burglaries, the thefts that are taking place & which are being bloated in Colombo. These incidents however, small should not go unpunished & it calls for the Government to immediately ensure that political parties even those in Government realize that they cannot threaten & win votes or political support & this needs to be strongly vociferated to these politicians. If the people have no problems with the presence of the military the same cannot be said of the police. Similar to how we feel about the police the same thoughts are echoed in Jaffna. It is easy to see why…a few observations into shops, cafes & kiosks it is easy to see police personnel inside…& immediately realize why! Journey towards Jaffna & returning to Colombo too…police emerge from the wilderness & slap a story, threaten to book you & people have a choice of returning to obtain one’s license or giving a hand out! IGP seriously needs to look into these malpractices for these are certainly not random incidents & they take place frequently throughout the island.
There is no country without some form of crime taking place, two of the countries that enjoy dictating terms to Sri Lanka may like to be reminded of situation of crime in their own country. There were 14,180 victims and 16,277 perpetrators of murder and non-negligent homicide reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI in 2008. 43% of all arrests were white Americans while 47% of victims were black Americans. one murder every 22 minutes, one rape every 5 minutes, one robbery every 49 seconds, and one burglary every 10 seconds. And the cost of crime continues to mount: $78 billion for the criminal justice system, $64 billion for private protection, $202 billion in loss of life and work, $120 billion in crimes against business, $60 billion in stolen goods and fraud, $40 billion from drug abuse, and $110 billion from drunk driving. When you add up all the costs, crime costs Americans a stunning $675 billion each year. In the UK, there were an estimated 9.6m crimes in 2009/10 (British Crime Survey).
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
.....continued 4....
My next obvious question was what people thought about the President. Of course practically all the people I spoke to honestly admitted that they never thought the LTTE could be defeated and realistically speaking it appears most are still in shock, not so much because they did not want the LTTE to be defeated but because they cannot believe what had happened. To some of us who feel that these people passionately supported the LTTE, it has to be out of fear..for they have not gained anything…their houses remain the same, their living styles haven’t changed…the few allowed to even travel southwards have to either give their deeds or even leave a member of the family in LTTE custody until they return. However, those in the South who have been assisting the LTTE certainly are guilty for they have done so for their own selfish gain. So their answer is still a doubtful one & most seem to be watching the actions of the Government especially the President. One question that the media & foreign politicians & foreign leaders are seen to be presently pressurizing Sri Lanka is about a “political solution”…. Asked the same question, all the people seem clueless about constitutional amendments, clueless about demands made by their own Tamil representatives…and all they wanted was for them to now at least be allowed to live in peace, to get about their work, to rebuild their lives, to educate their children & to make a home of their dwellings that had for decades being denied to them. So it certainly becomes irritating to hear our own politicians randomly express statements on “political solution” to be made “soon” because it just does not make any sense. It is evident that roads leading to Jaffna (especially near Omanthai), the railroad (destroyed by the LTTE) & other key infrastructure needs to be expedited. Giving these contracts to Government stooges has not help & will not help matters. Military personnel are themselves involved directly in some infrastructure projects & the speed with which they work far exceeds those who have been given contracts & questions the underhand dealings that must have taken place. The President & key decision makers need to realize that they cannot loose this golden opportunity that prevails. The people does not need pr consultants or media blitzes just to bloat things that are being done…the ability to do & deliver at a pace that is satisfactory to the people of the North (& not those in the South or those abroad) will sincerely bring the votes that are needed & if politicians cannot understand this they may be in for surprises in future.
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
.....continued 5....
With much talk of reconciliation in the air another obvious question was about how people in the North felt about the Sinhalese & the Muslims. Census taken in 1981 shows that while almost 7000 Sinhalese & almost 13,000 Muslims lived in the North practically all of these numbers had been chased out of their homes by the LTTE. Many would recall how the Sinhala bakeries that functioned during these times would close during the April new year & residents would be denied bread. Many of these Sinhalese & Muslims have now decided to return to their homes & start new business ventures. In Navakuli, some 60 Sinhalese have been given land & homes & it is an encouraging sight & Tamil residents too seem to feel it a good gesture to have Sinhalese & Muslims live amongst them. A few were to even say that if Tamils are allowed to live in the South why shouldn’t Sinhalese & Muslims be allowed to do so in the North. With shops abuzz & businesses doing well especially the eateries & market, these owners are very happy with travelers from south as their incomes are increasing. The banana seller I spoke to at the Jaffna market said he earns about 1 lakh every month. Of course, travelers themselves need to be a little sensitive to the culture & traditions of these people especially since majority of them are totally clueless about what has been happening around the island over the years.
I did wonder whether the owners of the houses that had been destroyed deeds & documentation to prove their ownership & whether they were interested to come & start a living? Most of those now living abroad are unlikely to return unless they opt to start a business venture or as senior citizens they would like to be amongst their own. Stopping most of the resettlement is the massive landmines & other booby traps that are present all over & while those that shout & demand for people to be allowed to return to their dwellings they may like to wonder whether they would like these people to return & end up without arms or limbs?
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
.....continued 6....
My last question was about what people felt about the Tamil Diaspora & the transnational government that has been created and the echoes by these Tamils to take up arms once again & fight for separatism. The best answer I got was from an elderly man who had been one of the civilians held hostage by the LTTE, whose wife had been shot by the LTTE when they made a bid to get-away. With tearful eyes he expressed how the LTTE had forced the people into the final area with no food given to them though these civilians had both gold & money. He had paid Rs.2500 for one kg of rice which they had eaten until the military was able to conclude the humanitarian operation. All he said was let those abroad claim & demand separatism, in the North no single youngster will be allowed to take up arms & fight to separate ever again & he went on to say that he hoped that none of the hardcore LTTE fighters presently in camps or being rehabilitated are allowed to live amongst them & spoil the freedom & peace that prevails…he was so happy that I stopped to speak & his eyes told that there is much hope if only our politicians do not loose this golden opportunity.
Of course, we may not be able to return to the golden years of mutual friendships that existed between Sinhalese, Tamils & Muslims…our grandparents will have interesting stories to tell of the bonds that existed during those times.
The Truth & Lies of Life in Post-War Jaffna
.....continued 7....
We cannot hide from the fact that for different reasons the menace of terrorism has prevailed. Beyond the 1990s, LTTE was never about freedom or liberty of its people…LTTE transcended into a commercial terrorist entity, a unit that comprised not only Tamils supposed to be fighting for a separate state…it had even Sinhalese, Muslims & even foreigners working & being paid handsome remunerations for their role in bringing terror to our island nation. The truth of these elements is what makes the UN shy from ever defining terrorism & it is for these reasons that terror continues to prevail the world over. Why is it that the very countries that are promoting peace actually manufacture arms that serves to bring profits for their national coffer? How would a world be if no country manufactures these deadly arms & ammunition?
There have been some Sri Lankans & most world leaders who find fault with the country for celebrating the defeat of the LTTE…why shouldn’t we? Not a single country in the world can claim to have militarily defeated a terrorist group while simultaneously carrying out a humanitarian rescue operation sacrificing their own military personnel to rescue these innocent Tamil people, no country can remotely know how great that feeling was when the LTTE top brass were annihilated and the remaining cadres readily gave themselves up especially since the LTTE was far superior to practically all the terrorist groups that prevail.
The aura in Jaffna struck a positive note and while it is only fair that the people of the North be looked after & given what they were denied it does also remind the Government that the people in the South, East, West & other provinces are certainly not living in the lap of luxury & it behoves the present Government to sincerely concentrate on development & fast!
ONCE MORE, the Sri Lanka Defence Forces prove to be the main Rapidly Deployable & Effective Resource we have to meet National Emergencies!
TRUSTED, LOVED & HONORED by ALL!
Jayawewa, Sri Lanka Defence Forces!
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Sri Lankan government deploys troops for flood relief operations
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 12, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has deployed its security forces to conduct relief operations in the floods-ravaged North Central and Eastern provinces.
The government said it has deployed more than 28,000 personnel of the three forces and police in all affected districts with boats and helicopters at their disposals.
The Sri Lanka Army has utilized four helicopters to transport cooked meals from Ratmalana Air Port to the flood victims. By Wednesday the troops have delivered over 7,000 kg of dry rations and another 6,000 kg of essential items among the flood-affected in the East.
The Army said its troops are taking care of over 350,000 displaced people in the East, belonging to some 90,144 families with the support of other agencies.
Troops have been involved in clearing debris and fallen trees and rescuing people marooned by the floods.
Sri Lanka Navy has also deployed Naval Boats where the roads are submerged to transport cooked meals to the IDP camps from respective divisional secretariats.
The Air Force continued its operations using its MI-17 helicopters to air lift consignments of dry rations to the flood-hit areas.
The Sir Force said the operations which began yesterday from SLAF China Bay airlifted 5200 kilograms worth of dry rations including dhal, sugar, rice, milk powder to Somawathiya area in the Polonnaruwa District. Another consignment of 2,800 kilograms of wheat flour was airlifted to Somawathiya this morning from Hingurakkgoda.
However, further operations for today have been suspended due to bad weather.
The government said following its appeal for flood relief several international and local non-governmental organizations have come forward with assistance.
EVERY DAY, in EVERY WAY, the world is HUNTING DOWN the LTTE MAFIA!
LTTE Diashoras can RUN but
LTTE Diashoras can't HIDE!
Hooray!
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Swiss Police arrest suspected Tamil Tigers
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 12, Colombo: Swiss police have arrested 10 suspected Tamil Tiger rebels from various locations in Switzerland.
The arrests have been made after the police raided some 23 premises in 10 cantons, reports say.
The suspects are accused of their involvement in a criminal organization and money laundering, Swiss authorities say.
Swiss Federal Criminal Police has carried out a nationally coordinated operation to arrest the members of Tamil Tiger terrorist organization LTTE.
The Swiss attorney-general's office said the suspects have forced other Tamil members to take out large loans and hand over the funds to them to finance their organization. Those who refuse have been threatened with reprisals.
According to the authorities, the suspects have raised several million Swiss francs and transferred the money to LTTE to finance the war, especially, to purchase 'war materials'.
EXCUSE ME, but these are not just "Victims" but COLLABORATORS and CO-CONSPIRATORS in the Crimes of Human Smuggling and Violating the Laws of Multiple Countries!
Instead of applying through LEGAL IMMIGRATION CHANNELS they seek to BLACKMAIL the host countries into accepting them .. by turning up on their soil as a FAIT ACCOMPLI that circumvents the laws of the countries whose compassion they wish to evoke.
It is a NOTHING BUT A VAST, WELL-ESTABLISHED, CON GAME!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop crying crocodile tears over THIEVES FALLING OUT with one another!
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Victims of human smuggling, a bleak future awaits Sri Lankan refugees
OneWorld.net
January 12, 2011
Sri Lanka is one among the many South Asian countries where human smuggling is a big problem. Tens of thousands of refugees and illegal migrants pay huge sums of money to these smugglers who persuade them with false promises of jobs and a better life abroad.
refugees-sri-lanka.jpg
A Sri Lankan refugee family resting at the Mandapam refugee camp, about 620 km (385 miles) from the southern Indian city of Chennai in 2006/ Photo credit: Babu/ Reuters
Hundreds of Sri Lankan refugees in India are risking their lives every year to make dangerous sea voyages to third countries like Australia after being preyed on by people smugglers.
Aid groups and the police have launched campaigns warning refugees of the perils of making such trips following a recent rise in reports of smugglers trying to entice people to migrate illegally.
Sri Lanka's 25-year-old civil conflict, which ended in 2009, saw tens of thousands of Tamil refugees fleeing to neighbouring India.
Most have settled in the southern state of Tamil Nadu where they live in camps. Aid workers say agents working for organised smuggling rackets are taking advantage of the refugees' vulnerability.
"They tell them that life is rosy in countries like Canada and Australia and that they will get good jobs with lucrative incomes," said S.C. Chandrahasan, director of the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation, an aid group working in the camps.
"People then obviously get the wrong impression and don't realise the hardships that they will have to undergo to get to those countries and get lured by the promise of a better life."
Aid groups say they are particularly worried that many are putting their lives at risk to reach their dream destination - packed onto crowded ramshackle fishing boats for weeks in turbulent seas.
Reports are becoming increasingly common of illegal migrants dying at sea after their boats capsize.
Last month, 30 people died when a crowded refugee boat crashed into rocks on Australia's Christmas island. Most of the refugees were from Iraq.
Detention, Asylum or Sent Back
According to aid groups, there are around 73,000 refugees living in 115 camps across Tamil Nadu.
The Indian authorities have been providing them with shelter, food, health and education services as well as financial allowances.
Over the years, children have been born in camps, refugees have married one another and many have gained educational and vocational skills in India.
Officials say while many have assimilated in India or are interested in returning to Sri Lanka now that the war is over, there are still many who believe their future lies in wealthier nations.
"There have been a lot of reports of agents hanging around the camps and approaching refugees saying that if they pay a hefty amount of money, they will prepare fake documents and passports and arrange their transportation," said a police official in Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu.
Victims of human smuggling, a bleak future awaits Sri Lankan refugees
...continued...
He said refugees pay up to 30,000 rupees ($660) to the human smugglers - a large amount for a refugee who does not have an income.
Social activists and officials say life is not easy for those who make it to another country.
Authorities in places like Australia and Canada, where there is a high migrant population, are under increasing political pressure to tighten immigration policies.
Last year, the Australian government's decision to suspend asylum claims from Sri Lankans and Afghans was branded "inhumane" by aid workers who said it was a political decision ahead of elections.
In Canada, lobby groups are urging authorities to overhaul the immigration and refugee system, saying the influx of people threatens to overwhelm social services and drive up employment.
Sri Lankan officials in India say over the years thousands of refugees have tried to seek asylum in Australia and Canada.
"Some are sent back, some are languishing in detention centres and some who fit the asylum criteria have been granted permission to stay," said Sugeeswara Senadhira, minister counsellor at the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi.
"The human smuggling racket is a very big problem as it is highly organised and involves people all over the world from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia amongst other places. But we are working with other countries to crackdown on this."
Source : Reuters AlertNet
MUCH remains to be done in these areas on UPGRADING irrigation structures for FLOOD CONTROL.
As the WORLD POPULATION GROWS by leaps and bounds in the future, FOOD will become more valuable than GOLD .. and we must gear up to protect the means of Our Food Production.
Our ANCESTORS worked miracles in tank development and irrigation in the past; it is OUR TURN NOW!
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Floods destroy Sri Lanka's paddy cultivation
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 12, Colombo: The floods caused by relentless rains for over two weeks in the north central and eastern part of Sri Lanka had destroyed over 404,163 acres of cultivated paddy lands, the government said today.
A major portion of the paddy cultivation is in the dry zones of North Central Province and Eastern Province. Both regions are inundated with rain water as well as water from breached tanks and opened sluice gates of major tanks.
Following the end of war the government launched a major drive to cultivate the 100,000 acres of fallow paddy lands in the North.
The floods have destroyed the paddy cultivation in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara and Kilinochchi districts.
According to the Disaster Management Center (DMC) in Polonnaruwa district 12 sluice gates of Kaudulla tank, 10 gates of Parakrama Samudraya, 8 sluice gates of Minneriya Wewa have been opened.
In Anuradhapura district the 2 sluice gates of Kala Wewa and 16 sluice gates of Rajanganaya tank have been opened to relive the water and the rains have breached the Tikkampatana dam.
In Eastern Province, Irrigation Department has sent a team to fix a leak in the Mavil Aru tank, the major reservoir in the Province. The people in the area have been ordered to evacuate, the officials said.
According to irrigation officials 607 tanks and bunds have been completely damaged and 228 have been partially damaged due to the heavy rains.
In addition, the government said five fertilizer store complexes and ten Agrarian Services Centres have been submerged by flood water disrupting agrarian services.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa who toured the Polonnaruwa district today has issued instructions to renovate the tanks and bunds within a period of one month as soon as the weather condition improves.
Required funds are to be released by the Ministry of Economic Development on the instructions of Minister Basil Rajapaksa. The Ministry has made arrangements to give seed paddy, and fertilizer for the affected farmers once the flood waters recede.
guys,
many strange things are happening around the world all at once.
1. few weeks ago birds fell from the skies in unusually large numbers. (movie CORE??)
2. then very large scale flooding around the world (record breaking)
3. sharp temperature drop around the world (record breaking)
has the earth's core changed its magnetic field a little??? that can potentially throw away sun's gamma rays and others. if it happens beyond usual, temperature may drop.
not creating a conspiracy theory but these strange things all at once got to have a explanation.
Sri Lanka Army to protect four islands in Jaffna peninsula
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka Army spokesman Major General Ubhaya Medawala says that the security of four islands in the Jaffna peninsula has been assigned to the Army.
Earlier, Sri Lanka Navy provided the security for the four islands, Kytes, Punguduthivu, Mandathivu and Karainagar.
Sri Lanka Navy still provides security to the Delft Island, also known as Nedunthivu, said the Army spokesman.
Sri Lanka experiences record low temperatures
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka is experiencing record low temperatures currently, the Meteorology Department says.
According to the Meteorology Department the temperature in Colombo has dropped to 18.8 Celsius (65 Fahrenheit). Reportedly, it is the lowest recorded in 61 years.
Meanwhile, the temperature in Nuwara Eliya has dropped to 7.9 Celsius and in Batticaloa, mercury dipped to 16.9 Celsius, the Meteorology Department reported.
The Meteorology Department says the cold weather is to continue today.
Meteorologists say the La Ni�a weather pattern in the Pacific is causing the disruption in the weather across the globe causing floods in Australia and Sri Lanka.
According to a BBC Meteorologist, La Ni�a causes strong easterly winds that could prevail across to Sri Lanka and interact with the normal north east monsoon to produce heavy rainfall.
In Batticaloa of the Eastern Province the unusual weather pattern has produced a rainfall of 1606.2 mm just in 42 days during the period from 1st December 2010 to 12th January 2011, almost equal to its total annual rainfall. The annual total rainfall of the district was 1650.9 mm.
Similarly Trincomalee has received a rainfall of 1030.6 mm during the same period while its annual rainfall was 1580.1 mm, the Meteorology Department reported.
Sri Lanka floods claim 23 lives, over a million affected
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka's deadly floods have so far killed 23 people and left over a million people affected, the latest report from the government's Disaster Management Center says.
The situation report for Thursday recorded that 1,081,819 people from 287,871 families have been affected by the recent floods, mostly in the North Central and Eastern provinces.
The deluge caused by unusual heavy rains lashing the country since December 26 has displaced 325,348 people into 591 temporary shelters set up by the government in affected districts.
The latest government statistics say 36 people have been injured due to the floods in 13 districts of the country and earth slips in the central hill region.
According to DMC figures, 2,680 houses have been completely destroyed while another 15,274 houses have been partially damaged.
The government has deployed its security forces with helicopters and navy boats to handle the relief operations hampered by inundated roads.
The disaster has destroyed nearly half a million acres of paddy cultivation in the affected areas and the government has warned of food shortages to come as the government expects the rice production in the Maha season to drop.
Meanwhile several aid agencies including Oxfam, Caritas, and United Nations agencies have come forward to provide relief to the flood victims.
Indian Fisherman KILLED!
Clearly, SOMETHING IS AMISS HERE.
If the SL Navy was not at that location, and a firing did take place, WHO DID IT?
Are Sri Lanka's enemies trying to PIT Sri Lanka and India against each other?
WE KNOW WHO DID THAT IN THE PAST & WHO IS TRYING TO DO THAT NOW.
Let the SL Navy adopt some SYSTEMATIC PROCEDURES to develop the necessary EVIDENCE.
1. All ENGAGEMENTS should be VIDEO TAPED IN FULL.
2. Setup a LIAISON with the Indian Coast Guard, and inform them in REALTIME in a TIME STAMPED WAY when Suspicious Activities are DETECTED, and the SL Navy is moving to ENGAGE.
3. Exercise RESTRAINT as INDIA requests, and FIRE ONLY IF SL Navy instructions are NOT HEEDED, and the location is in SL waters.
4. GOSL should consider setting up 24x7 satellite surveillance of these waters and SHARING that information with Indian security forces.
5. HOWEVER, SL Navy must exercise SL Sovereignty in SL Waters, and PROTECT the Nation against intruders .. just as India and all other countries would.
Failure to do so would compromise India's security from terrorists as well.
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India summons Sri Lankan envoy over alleged killing of fisherman
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 13, Colombo: India Thursday has summoned Sri Lanka's envoy to protest the alleged killing of an Indian fisherman by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Indian media reports said that India's External Affairs Ministry summoned Sri Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam to protest the firing on three Indian fishermen at sea near the Tamil Nadu coast that led to the death of one on Wednesday.
India has stressed that Sri Lanka security personnel should desist from using force in such encounters and exercise maximum restraint.
The Sri Lankan Navy had vehemently denied that it fired on Indian fishermen. The Navy spokesman Captain Athula Senarth has told reporters in Colombo that no such incident took place.
After meeting with Indian official in charge of Sri Lanka, Kariyawasam has told the reporters in Chennai that Sri Lanka would investigate the alleged incident.
"The Sri Lankan Navy says they were never present in the area and they never fired any shot. Since we have received a complaint, we are inquiring about it," Kariyawasam was quoted by the IANS.
Indian High Commissioner in Colombo has reportedly discussed the issue with senior government officials and expressed his regret and concern over the killing.
Sri Lanka Defence Ministry and the Navy are reportedly investigating the incident and Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris had a closed door meeting with top officials, including foreign secretary Romesh Jayasinghe on the incident, the IANS report said.
Trans-border fishing by fishermen from both countries has been an issue for a long time for India as well as for Sri Lanka.
The two countries reached an understanding on October 26, 2008 and since then the number of incidents or firing and apprehension on Indian fishermen have significantly dropped.
Sri Lanka denies firing at Indian fishermen
By Sutirtho Patranobis
HindustanTimes.com
January 13, 2011
Sri Lanka on Thursday flatly denied that its navy had fired at on three Indian fishermen at sea near the Tamil Nadu coast, leading to the death of one on Wednesday evening. But the swiftness with which the High Commission of India in Colombo took the matter up with the Lankan ministry of external
affairs forced the authorities in Colombo to refer the matter to defence secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Sri Lankan naval chief's office for further clarity.
External affairs minister GL Peiris went in for a close door meeting with top officials including foreign secretary Romesh Jayasinghe on the incident.
In October, 2008, an Indo-Lanka agreement, followed by a joint statement, had tried to settle the issue.
"As part of these practical arrangements, following the designation by the Government of Sri Lanka of sensitive areas along the Sri Lankan coastline and their intimation to the Government of India, Indian fishing vessels will not venture into these identified sensitive areas. Further, there will be no firing on Indian fishing vessels.It was agreed that Indian fishing vessels would carry valid registration/permit and the fishermen would have on person valid identity cards issued by the Government of Tamil Nadu," the statement said.
More than two years later, the problem quite clearly is far from resolved.
Earlier on Thursday, Laxman Hullugalle, the director general of media centre for national security, and SLN spokesperson, Captain Athula Senarath denied that any such incident had occurred.
"The navy totally denies its involvement (in the incident). We have checked. No such thing happened," Senarath told Hindustan Times.
Senarath added that the navy in fact was frequently helping Indian fishermen in times of trouble.
He said the navy repatriated four Indian fishermen along with their fishing boat near the Indo-Sri Lanka maritime boundary on January 9.
"The Indian fishermen who had been drifting in the Northern seas of Sri Lanka were rescued and provided necessary facilities by SL Navy. They were accompanied to IMBL by SLNS Wickrama II and handed over to Indian authorities on board Indian Coast Guard ship Avvaiyyar, the navy website said.
Similarly, according to the website, Sri Lanka Navy assisted an Indian fishing boat with four fishermen on-board in distress in Sri Lankan waters on December 27.
Sri Lankan delegation calls on Shahbaz
Nation.com.pk
January 13, 2011
LAHORE – A parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka, led by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, met Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif here on Wednesday.
Matters of mutual interest were discussed in the meeting. Provincial Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Member Provincial Assembly Salman Rafique and Chairman Planning and Development Javed Aslam were also present in the meeting.
Talking to the Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation, the CM said Sri Lanka was a friendly country of Pakistan and relations between the two countries were strengthening with the passage of time. He said Sri Lanka had also faced terrorism, but it had tackled this issue successfully. “Pakistan is facing the serious challenge of terrorism. However, the whole nation is united to root out this scourge and the country will soon be made a haven of peace. Elimination of terrorism is essential for national progress and development and the whole Pakistani nation is rewriting history with its sacrifices in the war on terror,” he added, while referring to the steps taken for the progress of the country and the welfare of the masses.
“The Punjab government is implementing a comprehensive programme for the elimination of poverty, ignorance and unemployment. Maximum resources are being spent on the provision of the basic amenities to the people, and the government is attaching top priority to the uplift of education sector and revolutionary measures are being taken for the promotion of education,” he said.
Chamal Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka and Pakistan had deep rooted relations, which would strengthen in future.
The Sri Lankan delegation included Minister Disaster Management Mohamed Fowzie Abdul Hameed, Members Parliament Abdul Hameed Mohamed Azwer, Kamala Beatrice Ranatunga, Anoma Gamage, Vijayakala Maheswaran, Deputy Secretary General Parliament Waruna Bandara Dhammlka, Coordinating Secretary Mrs Lekshika Naumi Rajapaksa, Mrs Roshini Samanthika Karusaratne and others.
MORE EMERGENCY FLOOD PROTECTION SERVICES from the Sri Lanka Defence Forces.
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Troops avert catastrophes
By Supun Dias
DailyMirror.lk
January 13, 2011
Army personnel averted major catastrophes by preventing several tank bunds from breaching -- in Ampara, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura Districts, plus a few more in other areas -- by the use of sandbags during the past two days.
As the water levels in the Kondawattuwana, Ampara and Nawakiri Aru tanks in the Ampara District, the Giritale and Pimburettewa tanks in the Polonnaruwa District and Eruwewa tank in the Anuradhapura District rose to a dangerous levels, troops were deployed to prevent any disaster from occurring by the breaching of bunds.
The army had also rescued more than 450 persons who had been marooned or trapped in Polonnaruwa, Gravel Kanda, Pallakkadu, Thoppigala, Ampara and Vellaveli in the east and elsewhere, said military spokesman Ubaya Medawala.
On the instructions of Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, the General Officers Commanding of the affected areas are implementing various prioritised flood relief measures and monitoring the developments in the worst-hit areas.
“Troops, in coordination with all other government agencies, are busy providing temporary shelters, cooked meals, dry rations, medicines, clothes and other essentials in the East, the North Central Province and elsewhere to affected persons, according to the latest reports,” he said.
The army is at present is taking care of over 350,000 displaced people in the East (comprising some 90,144 families), with the support of other agencies. Troops had also moved fast and cleared fallen trees, boulders, lamp posts and other obstacles that had interfered with vehicle movement in Panichankerni, Vakarai, Kurukkankerni, Himaduwa and some other places in the past 48 hours, and restored normalcy, he said.
Troops had distributed 7000 kg of dry rations among the displaced and worst affected in Vakaneri. Another stock of 6000 kg of essential items had been distributed in the Vellaveli area with the assistance of the Police and government officials.
At present the Army is providing cooked food and medicine to thousands of flood affected people, sheltered in Suduwella, Irakkamam and Nawagiriaru in Ampara and Batticoloa. The Army has also taken steps to deploy mobile medical units in almost all of the affected areas in the East.
The Army has taken steps to house more than 350 people from Dambulla in the Veera Mohan Wijewickrema Vidyalaya and to provide them with meals and other essentials. Troops have also helped hospital authorities in Dambulla to move the patients.
The Army has set up four camps (in Wellaveli, Maduru Oya, Dehiaththakandiya and Valaichchenai) to assist flood victims. 1500 troops have been deployed to the East to assist the ongoing distribution of dry rations and provide medical assistance, said Major General Medawala.
Banglasesh is CRAZY to allow US muckrakers to engage in "war crimes investigations" in Bangladesh!
Talking about asking the FOX TO MIND THE HENHOUSE!
The US .. accused of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan on a DAILY BASIS .. is the LAST COUNTRY to be "assisting" in war crimes investigations in other countries.
The US should stay WELL OUT OF IT .. no good will come out of this for the US!
Let Bangladesh mind its own affairs. Do not attempt to "internationalize" Bangladesh's internal politics just to get a foot in the door.
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US offers to help Bangladesh pursue war crimes trial
By Stephen Rapp
BBC.co.uk
January 13, 2011
The US will help Bangladesh to stage "transparent" trials for crimes committed during its independence war, an American envoy has said.
Last year six people, including five leaders of the Islamic Jamaat-e-Islami party, were charged with war crimes.
Thousands of people are believed to have died in the 1971 war, which culminated in the country's independence from Pakistan.
The father of PM Sheikh Hasina played a key role in winning the war.
The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party say that the husband of their leader, Khaleda Zia, also played a signifiant role.
"The US government will help Bangladesh hold an open and transparent war crimes trial with the rights of defence for the accused," Stephen Rapp, US ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, told a news conference.
He said that American officials would advise how to ensure the right to defence and would also help investigators gather evidence.
The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan in Dhaka says that this is the first time a senior American envoy has visited the country to discuss the war crimes tribunal.
Our correspondent says that the fact that he has been asked to do so shows that the government is willing to listen to suggestions and ideas from international experts in an attempt to give more credibility to its efforts to pursue suspects.
"I hope that within the next week I will send a memorandum to the law minister suggesting ideas that may meet some of the issues that have been raised by organisations like the International Bar Association that may help assure that justice is done and seem to be done in the process here," Mr Rapp said.
He said that it was important that "everything is done in a way that meets international standards according to the traditions and process of this country" and that the "prosecution process was open and transparent".
Area larger than Germany & France combined INUNDATED BY FLOOD WATERS in Queensland, Australia!
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Australia rebuilding: 'Postwar proportions'
By John Pye, AP
January 13, 2011
BRISBANE: Floodwaters washing through Australia's third-largest city crested Thursday just shy of record levels but high enough to submerge entire neighborhoods and cause damage one official likened to the aftermath of war.
One man died in Brisbane after being sucked into a storm drain by the muddy waters, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said. Thousands of homes were swamped, and officials told residents it will be days before many of them can return to their houses. Others were told their homes will never be habitable again.
In one spot of bright news, the swollen Brisbane River's peak was about three feet (one meter) lower than predicted, at a depth slightly below that of 1974 floods that swept the city. The river had already begun to recede by Thursday afternoon, though it was expected to stay high for several days.
Waters in some areas had reached the tops of roofs, shut down roads and power, and devastated entire neighborhoods. Mayor Campbell Newman said 11,900 homes and 2,500 businesses had been completely inundated, with another 14,700 houses and 2,500 businesses at least partially covered in water.
"Queensland is reeling this morning from the worst natural disaster in our history and possibly in the history of our nation," Bligh told reporters. "We've seen three-quarters of our state having experienced the devastation of raging floodwaters and we now face a reconstruction task of postwar proportions."
The flooding, which has killed 25 people since late November, has submerged dozens of towns — some three times — and left an area the size of Germany and France combined under water. Highways and rail lines have been washed away in the disaster, which is shaping up to be Australia's costliest, with early damage estimates around $5 billion.
At least 61 people are missing, and the death toll is expected to rise. Many of those unaccounted for disappeared from around Toowoomba, a city west of Brisbane that saw massive flash floods on Monday sweep away cars, road signs and people. Fourteen died in that flood alone, with police finding the bodies of two of those people on Thursday. Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart warned that number was likely to rise as search and rescue teams accessed more devastated areas Thursday.
"We've got to brace ourselves for more bad news," Stewart said.
Almost 115,000 homes were without power across Queensland by Thursday because electricity was switched off to prevent electrocutions and damage to electrical systems.
In Brisbane, roads were flooded, railway lines were cut and sewage began spilling into the floodwaters. People moved about in kayaks, rowboats and even on surfboards. Boats torn from their moorings floated down an engorged river. Brisbane's office buildings stood empty with the normally bustling central business district transformed into a watery ghost town.
A 300-yard (-meter) stretch of a pedestrian boardwalk weighing 300 tons broke loose and drifted downstream before two tug boats were able to steer it away from bridges.
About 200 police officers were patrolling flooded streets around the clock. Three men were charged with looting after police said they tried to steal dinghies from the swollen river.
Australia rebuilding: 'Postwar proportions'
.....continued.....
Despite the devastation, many remained thankful the river had spared them the worst of its fury.
"There's a fair bit of relief around this morning — we're thanking our stars a bit, that's for sure," said Andrew Turner, whose house in the flooded suburb of Graceville escaped inundation. "We were pretty much braced for the worst and were all but packed up and ready to go."
Lisa Sully, who lives in the nearby suburb of Sherwood, did have some water in her home — but she still felt lucky on Thursday.
"I can handle this," she said. "Mentally, I was prepared for worse."
The death toll has shocked Australians, no strangers to deadly natural disasters such as the wildfires that killed 173 in a single day two years ago.
One tale has particularly transfixed the country: a 13-year-old boy caught in the flood who told strangers to save his 10-year-old brother first and died as a result.
Jordan and Blake Rice were in the car with their mother, Donna, when a wall of water pummeled Toowoomba on Monday. After the torrent of water knocked one rescuer over, another man managed to reach the car, The Australian newspaper reported. At Jordan's insistence, he pulled Blake out first, according to a third brother, Kyle.
"Courage kicked in, and he would rather his little brother would live," the 16-year-old told the newspaper. Jordan and his mother were washed away before the men were able to get back to them.
By Wednesday, Jordan's name was among the top 10 most used terms on Twitter, as a wave of tweets hailed him as a "true hero" of the Queensland floods.
As the immediate crisis began to ease in Brisbane, focus returned to the search for the dozens still missing in the devastated Lockyer Valley, the site of Monday's deadly flash flood.
"This is a valley that has been completely and utterly devastated," Bligh said. "There are full towns that are now unrecognizable."
Stewart said search and rescue teams scouring the region Thursday were facing a tough task.
"The problem we have is that the people have been washed out of their homes and some of the homes are actually destroyed, like bombs have gone off there," Stewart told Nine Network. "It's a war scene in the Lockyer Valley today."
Though the full extent of the damage won't be known until the water is gone, even before Brisbane was threatened, Bligh estimated a cleanup and rebuilding to total around $5 billion.
Add to that, the damage to economy: Queensland's coal industry has virtually shut down, costing millions in deferred exports and sending global prices higher. Vegetables, fruit and sugarcane crops in the rich agricultural region have been wiped out, and prices are due to skyrocket as a result.
Wikileaks Revelations on the Failed Norwegian Peace Process with the LTTE.
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Leaked diplomatic cables reveal a deeper US role in failed Oslo bid
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Island.lk
January 12, 2011
Tigers bought trawlers from India to engage in ‘fishing’ and warned SLN to keep its distance from its Mullaitivu shore positions, Balasingham told Moragoda in London.
Leaked confidential US diplomatic cables reveal that the US were far more involved in the abortive Norwegian-led Sri Lankan peace process than the two other peace co-chairs, Japan and the EU.
Norway and the US had jointly tackled the Sri Lankan crisis, though the general perception was that Japan played a far more important role in restoring peace.
According to a communique dated Aug. 1, 2002 addressed to Washington, the then US Ambassador in Colombo Ashley E. Wills, the US was briefed on the pre-peace talks negotiations between the government and the LTTE.
The first round of formal peace talks was held in Sattahip, Thailand, between 16 and Sep. 18, 2002.
Wills based his missive on his meeting with top Sri Lankan negotiator Minister Milinda Moragoda on July 31, 2002 following the Moragoda-Anton Balasingham powwow at the Norwegian embassy in London on July 27th. Balasingham’s Australian born wife Adele had represented the LTTE, while Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen, Special Envoy Erik Solheim, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jon Westborg, and Norwegian MFA official Lisa Golden were also present. It was the first highest level meet between the two sides before the confab in Thailand.
As the London meet was taking place in the immediate aftermath of the then Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the US and his meet with the then US President George W. Bush, the LTTE had inquired about the visit.
Wills wrote: "Moragoda replied that President Bush had given PM Wickremesinghe his full vote of confidence and had expressed support for a negotiated solution to the conflict. Balasingham commented that this was fine with the LTTE, as the group understood that the US and India had key roles to play in the peace process. Moragoda briefly mentioned US assistance on military matters, commenting that a more secure Sri Lankan military would benefit the peace process."
Moragoda played a key role in acquiring USCGC Courageous (WMEC-622). The United States Coast Guard donated Courageous to Sri Lanka on June 24, 2004, a few months after Karuna quit the LTTE and threw his weight behind the Sri Lankan military. She is currently serving the Sri Lankan Navy as P-621 SLNS Samudura. During the Eelam war IV, SLNS Samudura took part in operations directed against the LTTE ships on the high seas. Of the eight ships, four were hit in 2007 with the help of intelligence provided by the US. The SLN also installed US-built Bush Master 30mm cannon in its Fast Attack Craft (FAC), while thwarting LTTE attempts to procure arms overseas.
Leaked diplomatic cables reveal a deeper US role in failed Oslo bid
....continued....
The London meet, according to Wills’s communique had been called by the LTTE. Citing Moragoda, Ambassador Wills wrote: "Balasingham gave the impression that he wanted to settle differences. Throughout the meeting, he seemed "sincere, amiable, flexible." He was much easier to deal with and less dogmatic than Moragoda had thought he would be. He was even ‘disarming.’ At one point in the discussion, for example, Balasingham jokingly (and accurately) used the term "extortion" in referring to his organisation’s so-called ‘taxation’ policies. It was possible, Moragoda said that Balasingham was being "duplicitous" and "putting on an act" in order to gain some sort of advantage in the talks. If that was the case, Balasingham did his best to hide any such ulterior motives."
Sources say Moragoda’s assessment on Balasingham strategy was spot on.
Balasingham, during the London meet asserted that the proposed talks focused primarily on the setting up of an interim council for the North and East, as opposed to focusing on a final settlement. The former British High Commission employee had emphasised that the LTTE did not want ‘countless lawyers’ being involved in the talks as that would only complicate matters. "Moragoda replied that the GSL wanted all issues to be on the table. He also told Balasingham, however, that it would be possible for certain issues — including the interim council — to be dealt with more quickly than other, so-called "core issues." Balasingham seemed relieved to hear this."
Wills quoted Moragoda as telling him that Norwegian Ambassador Westborg had felt that the best way forward regarding an interim administration may be to revive the "north-east council" structure in keeping with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution consequent to the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan accord.
The LTTE had expressed concern about the operational mode of the Navy. Wills wrote: "Balasingham told Moragoda that the LTTE was concerned that SLN vessels were transiting too close to LTTE shore-based positions off the Mullaitivu region." Warning that LTTE guns had a range of up to 10 miles in that area, Balasingham warned Moragoda that the SLN shouldn’t trigger an incident. He went to say that the LTTE had also recently purchased trawlers in India and was using them to fish. He insisted that the government allow fishing without any restrictions.
SLN sources told The Island that this was nothing but a ruse to smuggle in arms, ammunition and equipment. In fact, the SLN engaged several Indian trawlers operated by the LTTE and sank some of them in confrontations while trying to bring in armaments. Subsequently, the LTTE went to the extent of commandeering Indian trawlers (as in the case of ‘Sri Krishna’, sunk by the Maldivian Coast Guard in May 2007), to transfer armaments from ships to north-east shore.
Wills’ communique has also revealed that SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem’s refusal to cooperate with Karuna had been a thorny issue, which seriously affected the relationship between the LTTE and the SLMC. Wills wrote: "Balasingham complained that SLMC leader Hakeem had been asked by the LTTE to keep in touch with LTTE eastern commander Karuna. Hakeem, however, continued to demand that his only LTTE interlocutor be the group´s leader, V. Prabhakaran. This was a problem and was leading to a breakdown in LTTE-SLMC relations. In fact, the LTTE was increasingly avoiding the SLMC altogether and dealing directly with other Muslim groups."
Wills asserted that Moragoda, for one, appeared confident that the talks had gone well. However, he made clear that he did not want to make too much of the meeting and that he remained cautious, given the difficulty of reading the LTTE’s true intentions.
Norway sees threats ONLY WHEN ITS OWN NECK is under the GUILLOTINE.
In the aftermath of WWII, for example, thousands of Norwegians who collaborated with the Nazis were summarily executed, and hundreds prosecuted and executed by the state.
Different Strokes for Different Folks .. the Norwegian Way.
HYPOCRITES, TERRORIST LOVERS & AGGRESSIVE EVANGELICAL MISSIONARIES that ALL DEVELOPING NATIONS should treat like POISON!
"Moral Superpower" My Bloody Foot!
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Norwegians did not see danger from terrorism US envoy in Oslo says in leaked cable
Island.lk
January 13, 2011
Norway revels in its role as the ‘moral superpower’ and points to the Oslo Peace Accords as a defining national moment’
US Ambassador in Oslo K. Whitney asserted the Norwegians’ indifference to terrorism in a confidential diplomatic cable sent to Washington on Feb. 13, 2009, amidst stepped-up efforts by a section of the international community to throw a lifeline to the sinking Tigers.
The US, Norway, UK and France brought immense pressure to bear on President Mahinda Rajapaksa to suspend the offensive on the Vanni east front early 2009 after Sri Lanka liberated Kilinochchi in the first week of January.
Whitney wrote: "… Norwegians do not generally see any threats. For example, they do not see a danger from terrorism. (This attitude prevails in the MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and other elites, despite FM Stoere’s hotel being attacked by suicide bombers in Kabul.) This societal attitude was demonstrated by Norway´s first terrorist case.
Despite shooting at Oslo’s synagogue, planning to behead the Israeli ambassador and to attack the Israeli and US embassies, the accused was convicted only of grave vandalism (although his strict sentence showed some understanding of the severity of the charges)."
Whitney goes on to say: "Norway has substantial funds to back any mediating role it chooses to play. Rich with energy funds, it has for years been a leading donor to the Palestinian authority, most recently chairing the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee. Historically, it has been willing to commit to the long-term, funding projects to promote peace, in Sri Lanka for example, for over 27 years. Norway´s desire to make a difference combined with the willingness to expend time and money has made it a mediator in conflicts as far as Sri Lanka, Colombia, Haiti, and Sudan. It has elevated peace and reconciliation studies in its universities and reorganised its Foreign Ministry to showcase its expertise in this area. It revels in its self-described role as the "moral superpower" and points to the Oslo Peace Accords as a defining national moment."
Whitney adds: "Norwegian society values dialogue above all. Talk, even without any expectation of results, is seen as valuable. Anyone who draws a line and refuses to talk to an opposing party is seen as a radical unilateralist. Conversely, Norwegians are extremely opposed to the use of military force to achieve goals, no matter how laudable."
Whitney warns Washington that it should be careful in its relations with the Norwegians. "Norway, and particularly their charismatic Foreign Minister, has a strong interest in playing a peacemaker role. With money to spend and open channels to all parties in the conflict, they bring important assets to this role. However, Norway’s attitudes towards Israel and Hamas also constrain Norwegian diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. Norwegian public and elite opposition to most of Israel´s actions and their view that Israel does not value dialogue is widely reported. A level of Norwegian sympathy for some Hamas’ positions, hidden behind its broad policy of dialogue with all, should be kept in mind as we engage with Norway on US Middle East priorities.
Bravo, Mr. President Mahinda Rajapaksa!
Please keep these Norwegian VIPERS OUT OF Sri Lanka!
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‘I don’t need anyone’s lessons on peace’: Solheim not invited to SL
Island.lk
January 13, 2011
Neither he nor anyone else in his government had invited controversial Norwegian politician and former special peace envoy Eric Solheim to visit Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday told the media at Temple Trees. He was answering a question whether he had invited Solheim whom he had been very critical of during the war.
However, the President said, he had no objections to Solheim visiting Sri Lanka. "Let him come here and see the difference for himself," he said.
Asked to comment on reports that Solheim had offered to coach him on peacemaking a few years ago, the President said he did not need anyone’s lessons on peace.
Ananda-USA said...
ONCE MORE, the Sri Lanka Defence Forces prove to be the main Rapidly Deployable & Effective Resource we have to meet National Emergencies!
TRUSTED, LOVED & HONORED by ALL!
Jayawewa, Sri Lanka Defence Forces!
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Sri Lankan government deploys troops for flood relief operations
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This is something that other countries should adopt as well.
The death toll would have been much smaller if they were deployed during Hurricane Kathrina.
Even in Brisbane, I would imagine, there would have been less deaths, if they got the army involved from the onset of floods. The death toll would have been much less, if the army made a cordinated effort in Brisbane. The good thing about Australia is there unbeatable spirit.
Thusitha said ...
[Even in Brisbane, I would imagine, there would have been less deaths, if they got the army involved from the onset of floods. ]
Yes, Thusitha ..
Floods have hit Queensland, and Pakistan, a devastating earthquake hit Haiti .. but deployment of the National Security Forces to repair flood control structures, find and rescue people, distribute food, give medical aid, feed the people, and rehabilitate their lives, and maintain security, was MINIMAL!
Why? It would seem to be a PERFECT FIT for a nation's defence forces.
Even when the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, LOCAL Sri Lankan groups rushed to aid the affected weeks before international aid arrived, much more so than in other countries hit by the same Tsunami. These groups consisted of the SLDF, temples & churches, civic organizations, and businesses and ordinary people of all strata of Sri Lankan society.
Somehow, through decades of Sramadana, from the time when I was a mere lad, the idea of SELF-HELP has taken FIRM ROOT in Sri Lanka.
WE INSTINCTIVELY RUSH TO HELP as a PEOPLE!
This is another MANIFESTATION of Sri Lanka's HIDDEN GOLD!
NONE BETTER than the Sri Lanka Defence Forces.
JAYAWEWA!
NO, Mr. President!
PLEASE DO NOT DEVOLVE POWER ON AN ETHNIC BASIS to Tamils, or ANY OTHER COMMUNITY!
Sharing Power with COMMUNITY GROUPS on the basis of ETHNICITY, or ANY OTHER COMMUNAL ATTRIBUTE will sound the DEATH KNELL for a UNITED Sri Lanka.
It will embed a power structure based on Communal Attributes deep within the Constitutional Framework of Sri Lanka, setting the stage for its EVENTUAL DISINTEGRATION.
INSTEAD, we should STRIVE TO ETHNICALLY INTEGRATE the nation, adopting Government Policies that OUTLAW National & Local Administrative Policies that further increase the SEGREGATION of the population into CONCENTRATED ETHNIC FIEFDOMS and PROMOTE the emergence of an Ethnically Homogeneous Distribution of Populations THROUGHOUT THE LAND.
One Man, One Vote to Elect a representative to Parliament is SUFFICIENT Franchise for ANY CITIZEN. No More, No Less.
If we devolve power to the North & East on an ETHNIC BASIS to Tamils, they will implement local ordinances and practices that will EXCLUDE OTHER COMMUNITIES from those regions, further concentrating the Tamil population of that area, and in the fullness of time will agitate for a SEPARATE STATE.
In eradicating LTTE terrorism, You have CREATED THE OPPORTUNITY for Sri Lanka to PERMANENTLY ASSURE THE SURVIVAL OF THE NATION as ONE NATION, of ONE PEOPLE, sharing ONE DESTINY irrespective of COMMUNAL DIFFERENCES ... FOREVER!
Please GRASP this Opportunity with BOTH HANDS NOW.
It is not the survival of Sri Lanka's LEADERS that is at STAKE here, but the SURVIVAL of Sri Lanka as ONE Nation of ONE People.
Your place in Sri Lankan History should be as the Patriot who PERMANENTLY ENSURED Sri Lanka's National Integrity.
Sri Lanka's annals should NOT record you as one who LISTENED TO Sri Lanka's FOREIGN ENEMIES, and LET GO the opportunity to ASSURE THE INTEGRITY OF THE MOTHERLAND PERMANENTLY.
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Sri Lanka President says ready to share power with Tamils
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 14, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa says with regard to a political solution to the ethnic problem, he is ready to devolve powers and a solution will be reached in consensus with all political parties based on their proposals.
Addressing a meeting with foreign correspondents today at the Temple Trees, the President stressed that power sharing with the Centre is very much on the table but added that there is no room to devolve police powers.
He said he has had discussions with the main Tamil party and he has asked them to form a unity and come up with a political solution for negotiations.
Responding to the questions on the alleged killing of an Indian fisherman by the Sri Lankan Navy the President said that reports from the Navy showed there was no such attack but the discussions are ongoing to prevent any such incidents in the future.
"We have had arrangements earlier but these will have to be revised given the new peaceful situation in Sri Lanka," he said.
Regarding Sri Lanka's relationship with the West, President Rajapaksa said that it remains strong and positive attitudes in some countries towards Sri Lanka have improved. He cited Canada's revised immigration policies and LTTE arrests in countries such as Switzerland and Germany as examples of cooperative relations.
Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Mahinda Samarasinghe, and Prof. G.L. Peiris, and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present at the meeting.
(Photos by Sudath Silva)
My Comment at The New Yorker:
Posted 1/14/2011, 6:42:11pm by AnandaSinha:
Thank you Patrick Brown. The postcards show the destruction and impoverishment inflicted on the Tamil people in the North of Sri Lanka by their self-proclaimed "Tamil Saviours" even as the majority of Sri Lankan Tamils lived in security among the Sinhala people of the South.
They also show how a courageous Sri Lankan Government that finally summoned its strength to rescue a segment of its citizens from the grasp of a monstrous movement that enslaved them, and its attempt to restore to them the rights and privileges enjoyed by other Sri Lankan citizens.
The self-appointed "Tamil Saviours" of the LTTE killed their natural law-abiding leaders, kidnapped their children brainwashing and converting them into child soldiers and walking human bombs, and with their wholesale murders and ethnic cleansing practices they destroyed the friendship Tamils had developed over centuries with other communities in the land making them fearful about their future.
With the LTTE destroyed by leaf, branch, trunk and root .. the Tamil people of the North & East can again look forward to reintegrating into Sri Lankan society. The majority Sinhala People of Sri Lanka welcome them back into our fold as our brothers & sisters, sharing what we have with them and doing everything we can to rehabilitate their lives.
But, let there be no doubt, we Sri Lankans are equally committed to rebuilding our motherland into One Nation of One People sharing One Destiny. Equal Rights for all, with the Equal Responsibility to Love, Protect and Defend this Resplendent Isle we call Mother. No separate Tamils-only Bantustans will be permitted.
We will CONFOUND & DEFEAT all attempts by the Eelamist Diaspora Mafia to resurrect the violence in Sri Lanka with the goal of dividing its people into ethnic enclaves and creating a RACIST, APARTHEID Tamils-Only Eelam in Sri Lanka.
Never Again will that be allowed to happen.
NEVER!
R'paksa asks for fisherman death report
By Sutirtho Patranobis,
HindustanTimes.com
January 14, 2011
The death of an Indian fisherman off the Tamil Nadu coast on Wednesday has triggered ripples in the apparently placid diplomatic relationship between India and Sri Lanka. Even the usually confident President Mahinda Rajapaksa played it safe on Friday. ``According to the navy, there was no such
thing (attack on the Indian fishermen). But I have asked them for a full report,’’ Rajapaksa told foreign correspondents over breakfast on Friday.
Rajapaksa, who once held the fisheries portfolio, said it was a humanitarian issue as thousands of fishermen from both countries ``go behind the fish’’ in the narrow waters separating the two countries. ``Our people have also been killed, shot at. There have been clashes between the fishermen. We need a mechanism (to resolve the issue). We have had arrangements earlier but these will have to be revised given the new peaceful situation in Sri Lanka,’’ he said.
On the summoning of Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in India Prasad Kariyawasam by the Indian government, Rajapaksa said that India has the right to do so and even the Sri Lankan government will take similar action in such situations. `We do not have any problem with that,’’ he said.
A senior Sri Lankan navy (SLN) officer present at the interaction said from the information shared by the Indian High Commission, it was clear that the incident had occurred with India’s maritime boundary. ``Our ships were no where near the international maritime boundary line (IMBL). We have a large network of radars monitoring the northern coastline. At the place (off the Jagannathapura coast) and time of the incident (5pm on Wednesday), none of our ships were anywhere close,’’ director of naval operations, Commodore Neil Rosyro, said.
Rosyro said the navies of both countries meet every three-to-four months and the lines of communication between the two navies were always open.
Diplomatic sources in Colombo, however, said that it was `100 per cent’’ certain that the Indian fishing boat with four fishermen on board came under fire from the SLN. ``There was no SLN ship in sight because the incident occurred in Indian waters. Had it occurred in Lankan waters, the (Indian) boat would have been towed away,’’ a diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
BOLONEY! You have it BACKWARDS!
Neither the Govt of Sri Lanka, nor the majority Sinhalese have an obligation to APPEASE the "Tamil" community.
Rather, it is the Tamil community that permitted a monstrous movement, the Tamil Tigers, to grow among them, enslave them, and murder thousands of people of other communities, and ethnically cleanse them from their villages. In doing so, the Tamil people brought the forces of Law and Order down upon their own heads. Those who play with fire will invariably get burnt.
The burden of "appeasement" and "reconciliation" falls upon the heads of the AGGRESSORS .. not the VICTIMS! As such, it is the Tamils who should APPEASE other Sri Lankan communities.
After World War II, was there ever a call for the Allies to APPEASE the Axis Powers who initiated and waged AGGRESIVE WAR? NO! Were the Axis nations destroyed and require rehabilitation? YES! Out of compassion but not a LEGAL OBLIGATION did the Allies help in the reconstruction? YES! Likewise, Sri Lanka Govt has no LEGAL burden to APPEASE the aggressors, but only a compassionate duty to help its citizens in need, notwithstanding their wayward past.
Ask yourself also, which neighboring country created and supported Tamil Separatist Terrorism in Sri Lanka before they ababdoned the fight and advanced to the rear? That country should issue a humble apology to Sri Lanka and has the burden of "appeasement" and "reconciliation" as well.
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'Appeasing Tamil flood victims best chance for Sri Lanka to improve maligned image'
Colombo, Jan 15 : In the wake of the recent floods in parts of the country, many political observers are of the opinion that the Sri Lankan Government could improve its image damaged by war crimes allegations, by undertaking reconciliation measures for the safety of the Tamil minorities in the country.
The Christian Science Monitor quoted Jennifer Hyndman, a professor at the Center for Refugee Studies at York University in Canada, as saying that although the Sri Lankan Government had won its fight against the the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), it is yet to establish peace in the country. She believes that handling the flood disaster could help repair the decades of mistrust between the minority and the Government.
"This has been a part of the world which has been hit so hard. I think the government has a chance to impress the people affected by this disaster as well as much of the world and prove it is not dispossessing its Tamil people," she added.
'Appeasing Tamil flood victims best chance for Sri Lanka to improve maligned image'
...continued....
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has faced embarrassment in the international arena over the war crimes allegations and the alleged malfunction of his Government over the matter, is reportedly trying to win hearts of the country's Tamil minorities affected by recent flooding, by undertaking reconciliation measures for their safety.
"The relief operations are going ahead and I have told the officials to ensure that there are no delays in distributing aid," the Christian Science Monitor quoted Rajapaksa, as saying on Friday.
As of now, flooding in Sri Lanka has reportedly affected over a million people, many of them minority Tamils whose community recently lost a decades-long separatist fight.
The paper quoted the Ministry of Disaster Management as saying that 27 people have been killed, and nearly 20,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed so far.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan military that has been carrying out rescue operations, has claimed that it has rescued over 450 civilians as of Thursday. It also said that troops are distributing food and building temporary shelters for over 350,000 displaced people.
In May 2009, Sri Lanka on Monday formally announced the end of war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam after chief V Prabhakaran was shot dead while trying to flee in an ambulance from the war zone in the northern part of the country.
what fcuking RACIST nonsense is this?????
foreign aid ONLY FOR TAMILS?????
FCUK IT!!
"[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 January 2011, 14:45 GMT]
The European Union and the United States joined India in pledging emergency assistance following the massive flooding that has submerged large parts of Sri Lanka and displaced over a million people. The hardest hit region is the war-shattered Batticaloa district, officials said.
The EU is providing $2.7m in assistance to be distributed through international aid agencies, AFP reported. India will provide $1m, including 34 tons of emergency supplies airlifted to Colombo Friday. The US is donating $300,000 for areas hardest-hit by the floods, including boats to local authorities in Batticaloa. The United Nations meanwhile, says it would make an emergency appeal in the coming days to seek millions of dollars to meet life-saving needs."
foreign aid agencies = NGOs and UN agencies PROVEN to support tamil racists!! NO WHERE in the world can any MF bypass state authorities like this.
and USA is giving a small $300K aid only to the "hardest hit areas" = batticaloa!!
what the fcuk is this.
flood aid ONLY to tamils.
GOSL MUST disrupt this crap.
GOSL must distribute ALL flood aid by itself and in addition allow LOCAL NGOs distribute flood aid.
sinhala and muslim flood victims are dying with NO foreign aid and these MF nations are now trying to humiliate them and goive aid ONLY to tamils.
this crap MUST be stopped right now.
foreign countries should give aid TO PPL OF ALL RACES, or fcuk off!!
WE PREDICTED that the LTTE & its Tamil Nadu supporters would be found responsible for this attack DESIGNED to damage Sri Lanka-India relations.
...........
Attack on Indian fishing craft by an unidentified gang? : History of similar incidents led to LTTE door
By Shamindra Ferdinando
January 15, 2011
Strongly rejecting Indian accusations of an unprovoked attack on an Indian fishing trawler last Wednesday, Sri Lankan officials said the attack could have been carried out by a still unidentified gang, though Tamil Nadu politicians and a section of the Indian press conveniently blamed the Sri Lanka Navy. They said the Indians had leveled a similar allegation following the massacre of five Indian fishermen in Indian territorial waters off Kanyakumari on March 29, 2007. A thorough inquiry should be conducted by India to identify those responsible for the attack they said, pointing out that an investigation into the Kanyakumari massacre had cleared the SLN and revealed LTTE involvement.
That inquiry also revealed the possible involvement of some Indians colluding with those LTTE operatives responsible for the massacre, they said. It revealed that the LTTE gang had been engaged in transferring arms, ammunition and equipment from an LTTE ship anchored on the high seas. The Kanyakumari massacre took place in the backdrop of the disappearance of a large Indian fishing trawler, Sri Krishna, along with 12 Indian fishermen. Tamil Nadu blamed the SLN for the disappearance.
But the chance detection of an LTTE group in Indian waters on April 11, 2007 revealed the LTTE involvement in the March 2007 incidents.
Based on information elicited from six Sea Tigers apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard, the ‘Q’ branch of the Indian Criminal Investigation Department blamed the LTTE for the Kanyakumari massacre, seizure of the trawler and the abduction of 12 fishermen -10 from Kanyakumari and one each from Tuticorin and Kerala.
Under interrogation, those arrested in April 2007 said that the Indians were held in the LTTE—controlled Vanni. Interestingly, the LTTE group had been in two fishing craft with some of their Indian associates.
In May 2007, the Maldivian Coast Guard intercepted and sank Sri Krishna in Maldivian territorial waters. The then Navy Chief Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda told The Sunday Island at that time, that those who had accused his officers and men of attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen remained silent when the Maldivians struck.
The Maldivian Coast Guard rescued several LTTE cadres along with the abducted Indian captain of Sri Krishna. Karannagoda said that the Maldivians had promptly allowed the SLN Intelligence to question the rescued Tigers who revealed LTTE arms smuggling operations.
The then SLN spokesman Captain D.K.P.Dassanayake told The Sunday Island that had the Indian Coast Guard not made that chance detection, Sri Lanka would have been held responsible for the attacks.
It was Dassanayake, who first told The Sunday Island at that time of the LTTE carrying out the Kanyakumari massacre to shield its arms smuggling operations and commandeering the Sri Krishna to transfer weapons.
After the sinking the trawler, the LTTE, which then controlled a large section of the Mannar coast had moved the 11 remaining crewmen of the Sri Krishna across the sea to Tamil Nadu where they met the Chief Minister.
Soon after the Maldivians had confronted Sri Krishna, the LTTE through the Norwegian embassy in Colombo contacted the Maldivian embassy in a bid to save the boat.
In spite of revelation of the LTTE involvement in March incidents, India overlooked this factor when the issue was raised in the Indian parliament reiterating that the SLN continued to attack Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar.
Attack on Indian fishing craft by an unidentified gang? : History of similar incidents led to LTTE door
....continued.....
Defence Minister A. K. Antony, in a statement tabled in the Rajya Sabha, in reply to a query raised by C. Perumal, accused the SLN of targeting Tamil Nadu fishermen while reporting a slight increase in attacks in the recent past.
India’s Press Information Bureau released Antony’s statement headlined ‘Attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lanka Navy’ which detailed action taken by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard to protect the Tamil Nadu fishermen.
Antony accused the SLN of killing 77 Tamil Nadu fishermen during the period from 1991 to mid April 2007 saying they strongly took up the issue with Sri Lanka and stressed the need to act with restraint.
Sri Lankan sources said that there was a need to conduct a comprehensive inquiry to track down those responsible for the latest incident. They emphasized that SLN patrols would never cross the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary and this was something the Indian Navy and their Coast Guard could easily check.
Even during the war, in spite compelling evidence of a small section of the TN fishing community working with the LTTE either under duress or for financial gain, the SLN acted with maximum restraint, sources said.
In fact, five Tamil Nadu fishermen who had been arrested in Sri Lankan waters while transporting over 60,000 Indian manufactured electrical detonators to the LTTE in January 2006 were taken into custody. Subsequent inquiries revealed that one of the Indians had been arrested by the SLN previously while transporting 500 kgs of gelignite.
Sri Lanka officially brought to India’s notice LTTE attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen after an SLN sea patrol rescued a fisherman held by Sea Tigers in November 2006. The Indian had been deeply agitated after the SLN hit an Indian fishing trawler commandeered by Sea Tigers in Sri Lankan waters.
Although the rescued Indian told the Indian High Commission representatives in Colombo of the abduction of three of his colleagues by Sea Tigers who transferred them to another boat before commandeering the ill-fated trawler, Indian authorities turned a blind eye to what was happening.
The Indian Coast Guard on February 13, 2007 off Kodiakarai, arrested five persons - two Indians and three LTTE cadres as they were heading towards the South Indian coast in what Indian authorities subsequently claimed was an explosives-laden boat. India blew up the vessel claiming that it posed a serious threat to security.
Although the SLN sought access to the suspects as part of a joint effort against Sea Tigers, India due to domestic political reasons ignored that request.
Sources said that the two SAARC neighbours should be working together to thwart attempts by interested parties to cause trouble. They said that the LTTE went to the extent of blasting an Indian tug deployed south of Point Calimere in June 2006. The vessel is believed to have been deployed alongside a dredger assigned for controversial Sethusamudram project. The LTTE is believed to have used a limpet mine to sink the vessel.
The LTTE blasted the tug less than a week before a squad of LTTE frogmen made an abortive bid to raid the Colombo harbour.
Sources said that those who had been sympathetic to the LTTE were still active. During the war, the LTTE once used an explosives-laden Indian trawler to blast an SLN Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC) in Mannar waters. The LTTE had lured the SLN by pretending the boat was in distress and when the IPC moved alongside it triggered a massive explosion, sources said. This was revealed by a sailor, who survived the blast.
In another incident, some influential persons in Tamil Nadu were implicated in an attempt to import spares for Sea Tiger craft to be moved across the waters to north-east Sri Lanka.
Weapons Thefts Continue.
Gathering Weapons for Future Terrorism?
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11 held in armoury bust
January 14, 2011
SundayTimes.lk
At least 11 employees attached to the Kaudulla National Park at Minneriya were taken into custody after the Park’s armoury was raided by unknown persons earlier today, police said.
They said the employees were currently being held on suspicion, adding that the investigations were being carried out with an open mind.
The weapons removed included an automatic assault rifle, one repeater shot gun, several rounds of live ammunition and Rs. 16,000.
The incident forced the Park’s authorities to close it to visitors with immediate effect leaving some 50 tourists stranded outside the gates for nearly four hours.
Officials said that the Park will be closed to visitors until initial investigations are completed.
Sri Lanka President opens Sangupiddy Bridge connecting Jaffna and mainland for public
ColomboPage.com
January 16, 2011
Jan 16, Jaffna: Realizing the dream of traveling to Jaffna through one of the most scenic land routes, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today opened the Sangupiddy Bridge, that connects Jaffna peninsula in Northern Province to the mainland in the shortest distance at Pooneryn.
The 288-meters long bridge with two lanes was constructed under the Uthura Wasanthaya programme at a cost of 1.037 billion rupees. The British government provided the financial assistance for the project.
With the opening of the bridge there will be two land access routes to the Jaffna Peninsula.
The Sangupiddy Bridge that connects the A-32 road from Mannar to Jaffna across the lagoon is the shortest land route to Jaffna from Colombo. The A-32 road is 120 kilometers shorter than the way through the main A-9 Jaffna-Kandy highway. Through the Sangupiddy Bridge the traveling time to Jaffna will be reduced by three hours.
The Tamil Tiger rebels who controlled the area before their defeat blasted the bridge decades ago. Before its destruction, thousands of people used the bridge daily. The government started the reconstruction of the bridge soon after the cessation of hostilities in May 2009.
In parallel to the construction of the Bridge, the Puttalam-Mannar and Pooneryn-Jaffna roads are also being reconstructed under the direct supervision of the President. The local engineers are playing a significant role in the construction.
Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Douglas Devananda, Governor of the North Major General Jagath Chandrasiri, Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasooriya, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake, Inspector General of Police Dr. Mahinda Balasooriya, and senior government officials also were present.
Composer of the Sri Lanka National Anthem Ananda Samarakoon’s birth centenary commemorates
By Janaka Alahapperuma
LankaWeb.com
January 14, 2011
The composer of the Sri Lankan National Anthem, artiste and late musician Ananda Samarakoon’s 100th birth anniversary was commemorated at Temple Trees on 13 January. President Mahinda Rajapaksa graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and said that the best honour can be awarded to the creator of the National anthem is to build up the future generation loyal to the motherland.
Addressing the Ananda Samarakoon’s birth centenary celebrations T.B.Ekanayake, Minister of Cultural Affairs said that the government is fully committed to enhance the cultural and artistic affairs in Sri Lanka. Professor Sunil Ariyaratne delivered the key note speech of the anniversary.
Samarakoon was born Egodahage George Wilfred Alwis Samarakoon to a Christian family in Padukka, Sri Lanka on January 13, 1911. Later he changed his name to Ananda Samarakoon and embraced Buddhism. He had his primary and secondary education at Christian College, Kotte, presently known as Sri Jayawardenapura Maha Vidyalaya, Kotte. He studied at Shanthi Niketan in India. He was very much influenced by Rabindranath Tagore while in India and his fascination and the desire to imitate the great Indian musician would go on to take him in the direction of creating a musical tradition for the Sri Lankan people. Mr. Samarakoon died on 05 April 1962 at the age of 51.
Ananda Samarakoon was very patriotic and a versatile musician/ composer. He is memorable forever in the Sri Lanka’s history and his literary and music creations are of eternal value. He is also considered as the father of artistic Sinhala music and founder of the modern Sri Lankan Geeta Sahitya (Song Literature).
A large number of artistes, distinguished guests and school children participated in the ceremony at Temple Trees. The President is seen here interacting with school children. Secretary to the Cultural Affairs Ministry Wimal Rupasinghe, Professor Carlo Fonseka were also among the invitees at the occasion.
WESTWARD HO!
Tamil Tiger "Fake Refugees" to sail soon to TOOTHLESS Canada!
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Canada warned of more Sri Lankan Tamil migrant ships arriving from Southeast Asia
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 17, Colombo: Intelligence officials have warned Canada's federal government of more Sri Lankan Tamil migrant ships arriving in the country from Southeast Asia, a Canadian news report said.
According to a report in Ottawa Citizen, smugglers are preparing to ship at least 400 more Sri Lankan refugees and potential Tamil Tiger rebels from two unnamed Southeast Asian ports to British Columbia coast.
A federal government source has told the Ottawa Citizen that two separate smuggling syndicates are organizing two boats to ship the Tamil migrants.
"The syndicates, as far as our intelligence tells us, have not gotten ships, they're in the process of trying to find ships, each capable of carrying 200 to 300 passengers. These (two) are the ones that we are aware of. There could be more," the source has said.
According to the government official, the smugglers are assembling the refugee groups in staging areas for a ship to take them. The government authorities expect Tamil Tiger terrorist will be among the migrants.
The authorities expect the ships to depart the South Asian ports in March when the weather improves.
An investigative report by Globe and Mail in August last year revealed that an alleged Tamil Tiger human-smuggling ring is preparing to smuggle another shipload of Tamils who have left Sri Lanka to be sent to Canada.
The Globe and Mail report said the Tamils arrive in Bangkok from Sri Lanka on two-week tourist visas and stay in rented apartments pretending to be tourists until the next ship is ready to sail to Canada.
In August 2010 Thai cargo ship MV Sun Sea carried 492 Tamil migrants some of whom were alleged LTTE members to Vancouver Island in Canada. All the migrants have sought asylum in the country.
Last October Thai immigration officials raided several apartments in Bangkok and arrested 155 Sri Lankan Tamil immigrants residing illegally. The Thai government suspects the illegal Tamil immigrants to be a part of a group seeking to travel to Canada as refugees.
Intelligence information have revealed that a number of LTTE Tamil Tigers were among the Sri Lankan illegal immigrants living in Thailand waiting to seek asylum in a third country, mainly Canada.
According to the Canadian official after the Sun Sea, Thai authorities have figured out the smugglers' operation.
"It wasn't in their best interests to allow this to keep happening because it would cause a huge influx of refugees and potential terrorists and they didn't want a Tamil Tiger base set up in Thailand," the official has told the Ottawa Citizen.
Canada's Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has said that the organizers of the voyage of the MV Sun Sea charged up to $50,000 a passenger for a potential total haul of more than $20 million.
All migrants on the MV Sun Sea have filed refugee claims.
Sri Lankan authorities say the Tamil migrants are economic refugees who are taking advantage of Canada's relaxed immigration laws.
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper has vowed to bring comprehensive legislation designed to deter immigrants arriving in Canada and to impose stiff penalties for the smugglers.
Museum and Library Complex to be built at Nagadeepa Temple
...............
President pays homage to Nagadeepa Temple in Jaffna
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 17, Jaffna: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa this afternoon paid homage to the Nagadeepa Temple in Jaffna peninsula.
Following his participation in the National Thai Pongal festival held at the Doraiappa Stadium in Jaffna earlier in the day President Rajapaksa visited the Nagapeeda Temple and received blessings form the chief incumbent of the Temple venerable Navadagala Padumakiththi Tissa Thera.
The President also laid a foundation stone for the proposed museum and library complex at the Nagadeepa Temple premises. He also took time out to chat with the devotees who visited the Temple.
Naga Deepa Viharadipathi Ven. Navadagala Padumakiththithissa Thera, Naga Viharadipathi Ven. Meegasadure Gnanarathana Thera, and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present.
BRA-MAN of the INFAMOUS MIS-PREDICTION "Kilinochchi will be the Stalingrad of the Sri Lanka Army" pontificates AGAIN on Pakistan-Sri Lanka relations.
Mercifully for this man with the foggy crystal ball, he is merely collating facts here!
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ZARDARI IN SRI LANKA: Counter-Balancing India
By B. Raman
SouthAsiaAnalysis.org
December 06, 2010
President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan visited Sri Lanka from November 27 to 30, 2010, at the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Among those who accompanied him were Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, his Defence Minister, and Saleem Mandviwala, Chairman of the Investment Board of the Government of Pakistan. He was also accompanied by a delegation of Pakistani businessmen.
2. In an article on the visit titled “A new dawn in Pak-Lanka ties”, the “Daily Times” of Lahore said on December 6: “In the past, Pakistan helped the Sri Lankan state for three reasons. First, increasing Pakistan’s ability to participate in South Asian politics and posing itself as a counter-balance to India. Second, increasing its value in the region. Third, fighting Tamil militant forces, which are considered a product of Indian intelligence agencies."
3. Pakistan’s value for Sri Lanka in the past came from its willingness to supply heavy equipment such as multi-barrel artillery guns and shells to the Sri Lankan Army for use against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It also helped the Sri Lankan Air Force in the servicing of its aircraft used against the LTTE. The heavy military equipment supplied by Pakistan and China helped the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in their operations against the LTTE.
4. Now that the LTTE has been defeated and practically destroyed by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, Sri Lanka does not have the same pressing need for military equipment from Pakistan as it had in the past. Despite this, Pakistan is interested in selling to Sri Lanka military equipment manufactured by it with Chinese assistance. This was one of the subjects discussed with Rajapaksa. The Pakistani Defence Minister accompanied Zardari to assist him in these discussions. Qureshi was reported to have told Pakistani journalists accompanying Zardari that Sri Lanka evinced interest in the purchase of the Pakistani al-Khalid Main Battle Tanks, light weapons and ammunition, and the JF-17 Thunder aircraft jointly produced by Pakistan and China.
5. The two leaders are reported to have agreed to enhance intelligence-sharing in matters relating to terrorism. Zardari reportedly offered to train Sri Lankan police and other security officials in counter-terrorism.
ZARDARI IN SRI LANKA: Counter-Balancing India
.....continued.....
6. Sri Lanka has entered the post-insurgency reconstruction period and is in need of assistance for economic re-construction. Pakistan, whose economy is in a bad shape, is not in a position to help Sri Lanka either financially or through other means. One of the purposes of Zardari’s visit was to explore the possibility of Pakistan being associated with some of the reconstruction projects of China in Sri Lanka----one of the examples of such association being China buying from Pakistan its requirement of cement for its projects in Sri Lanka. Qureshi told Pakistani pressmen that China-Sri Lanka relations were gaining strength and this would be good for the benefit of the three countries. The idea of Pakistan and China co-operating in jointly assisting South Asian countries has also been taken up by Islamabad in respect of Afghanistan. Islamabad sees it as a way of counter-balancing Indian influence in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
7. According to Saleem Mandviwala, Pakistan has offered a soft credit of US $ 200 million to Sri Lanka for facilitating its exports and barter trade. After Zardari’s meeting with Rajapaksa on November 28, Pakistani officials told their correspondents that the two Governments had agreed to expand their relationship from defence cooperation to an “overall comprehensive engagement” involving trade, communications and culture. They said that the two Governments had identified cement, sugar, dairy production, chemical plants, textiles, tourism and pharmaceuticals as potential areas of mutually beneficial collaborative projects. During the visit, the two delegations inked three agreements on waiving off visas for officials and diplomats, cooperation in customs matters and strengthening cultural exchanges and a Memorandum of Understanding on agricultural co-operation.
8. A joint statement issued at the end of the visit said that the two countries have agreed to establish a multi-faceted partnership in security, trade, tourism and culture and to promote a dialogue on security and defence issues relevant to their bilateral relationship, through high-level contacts between the defence forces and the training of security forces personnel. They agreed to promote active cooperation in countering the menace of narcotics and illicit trafficking of narcotic substances and to establish mechanisms and modalities for such cooperation.
9. It was announced at the end of the visit that the National Bank of Pakistan will be opening a branch in Colombo and that the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be re-starting its flights to Colombo from March next. The Sri Lankan Airways presently has three flights a week to Karachi. These decisions could have security implications for India. The transit of terrorists trained in Pakistan to South India via Colombo will be further facilitated and Colombo could become an additional centre ----after Kathmandu--- for the dissemination of Indian currency notes counterfeited by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
10. The two countries presently have a Free Trade Agreement covering goods only signed in 2002. Bilateral trade has doubled from $150 million to $300 million per annum during the last three years They are holding talks on extending it to cover services too. Qureshi said that the next stage could be negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Here is GOSL Policy in a NUTSHELL:
1. President Rajapaksa vowed that there will not be any terrorism in the country.
2. President Rajapaksa also said that the era of segregation based on petty politics must be ended and there will be no room for religious, ethnic, or social differences.
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Sri Lankan President assures action against underworld criminal activities
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 17, Jaffna: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today assured the people in the North that the government would not let underworld groups raise their heads in the South or North of the country.
Addressing the Thai Pongal National Ceremony at the Doraiappah Stadium in Jaffna, President Rajapaksa vowed that there will not be any terrorism in the country.
The President's comments come in the wake of reports of concerns being raised over the security situation in the North following an increase in the crime rate in the area.
President Rajapaksa also said that the era of segregation based on petty politics must be ended and there will be no room for religious, ethnic, or social differences.
Speaking of the development projects being carried out in the North, the President noted that most development projects in the area have been initiated with foreign loans and the government is paying back the interest of such loans.
Rajapaksa said that through Uthuru Wasanthaya, he hoped to provide relief to the people in the North and to reconstruct the area. The rehabilitated LTTE cadres will be deployed for the future development of the country, he said.
The President also handed over tractors to the farmers and lap top computers to the school children at the ceremony.
Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda organized the event.
President Rajapaksa during his tour today visited the Naga Viharaya in Jaffna, Nagadeepa Temple, Nallur Kovil and Sri Naga Vibushani Amman Kovil and received Buddhist and Hindu religious blessings.
Naga Deepa Viharadipathi Ven. Navadagala Padumakiththithissa Thera, Naga Viharadipathi Ven. Meegasadure Gnanarathana Thera, Northern Province Governor, Major General (retd.) G.A. Chandrasiri and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present.
The ECONOMIST Deletes My Comment from their website. Apprently it "Violates their Comments Policy"!
If The Economist can't stand the heat, they should get out of the kitchen!
.........
Your comment: [The disaster may also offer the chance to repair damaged relations with
international donors and aid agencies, as well as with domestic NGOs.
.....
Some international agencies, frustrated at government restrictions, have quit
the country.]
Bravo, Sri Lanka! Sri Lanka is not interested in attracting "aid" from
"international NGOs" who have worked to undermine its stability and sovereignty under the guise of providing humanitarian aid. The iNGOs kicked out of Sri Lanka are those who supported the Tamil terrorists, interfered in local politics undermining the indigenous patritic forces of Sri Lanka, and have aggressively pursued evangelical conversions of its people to other religions exploiting the poverty of the poorest segments of its people.
In the future, Sri Lanka will only accept aid from organizations that give aid without attached strings, and are committed to STRICT NON-INTERFERENCE in both local politics and activities that alter the community demographics of
Sri Lanka.
My Comment at The Economist article "Troubled waters in need of bridges"
.......
Ananda-Sinha wrote:
Jan 18th 2011 2:58 GMT
Again Jehan Perera, the favorite mouthpiece of international NGOs plying their nefarious agendas against Sri Lanka, is trotted out here as the impeccable unbiased independent source of information of human rights and governance in Sri Lanka.
Nothing is further from the truth. Jehan Perera is a political gadfly surviving on iNGO handouts, consistently supporting the positions of his sponsors, selling out his Motherland for pieces of tarnished foreign Gold.
When Jehan Perera's name is mentioned, all Patriotic Citizens of Sri Lanka .. yes those vast multitudes of Sri Lankans who handed the present Government of Sri Lanka successive landslide victories .. throw up rivers of vomit.
No Sri Lankan gives two hoots about what Jehan Perera thinks or writes; he is merely a Sri Lankan Quisling.
Sri Lanka's evicted Muslims return to their original places in Jaffna
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 18, Jaffna: Over 5,000 Sri Lankan Muslims evicted by the Tamil Tiger terrorists two decades ago from their homes in Jaffna peninsula have been resettled in their original places, the Defence Ministry reported.
Quoting the Government Agent of Jaffna Mrs. Imelda Sukumar, the report said those displaced have been resettled in their original places in Jaffna, Chavakachcheri, and Welani.
The forcibly evicted Muslims have been living with their relatives or in the displaced camps since 1990s.
According to the Government Agent, an assessment had been carried out to develop infrastructure facilities such as water, health and sanitation before the returnees were resettled in their original places.
Most of the returning Muslims belong to the fishing and agricultural sector and there are some more who are waiting to come back, she has added.
"Out of the families resettled, 622 have already been provided with a resettlement payment of rupees 5,000, 678 families with dry rations, 617 families with return kits funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and 114 families with bags of cement," Mrs. Sukumar was quoted by the Defence Ministry.
The LTTE began its systematic ethnic cleansing of the North in 1985 by forcibly occupying Muslim properties. They ordered the Muslim population in Mannar to leave in October 1989 and a year later LTTE evicted over 75,000 Muslims from Jaffna with hours of notice.
SF itching all over.
Same problem that put him behind bars: UNSAFE PRACTICES!
...............
SF in health complication
By Yohan Perera
DailyMirror.lk
January 18, 2011
Democratic National Alliance leader and Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka was reported to be suffering from an immune system complication which had caused falling of hair and other complications, sources said. It was also reported that he was suffering from severe itching all over his body.DNA MP Tiran Alles told Daily Mirror yesterday that former Army Commander’s immune system had been weakened as a result of the bomb attack he faced a few years ago.
Mr. Alles said the doctors who had treated him earlier had informed that he was given an injection when they treated him for injuries after the bomb attack.
The injection had been brought from Singapore. Mr. Alles said the request made by the DNA to bring that particular injection down once again had been turned down.
However, the DNA MP said some injection was given to him on Sunday but it was not the injection recommended by the doctors.
Commissioner General of Prisons V. R. De Silva said he was given the necessary treatment and the condition was better now.
“He is being treated just like the other prisoners and was shown to the doctors and an injection was administered,” he said.
Tidal energy is the kinetic energy of periodic inflows and outflows of seawater to and from confined bays and estuaries on a broad front due to variations in the gravitational attraction of the Moon. Different strategies are employed to either directly capture the energy using unconfined turbines, or to raise the water to higher level behind barrages and then produce electricity from that static hydraulic head using low-head Kaplan turbines.
The turbines proposed for deployment in this project seems to be of the unconfined type. It looks like a low-speed short-bladed horizontal-axis wind turbine with two propellers mounted back-to-back on a single axis on a vertical mast. The entire device is entirely submerged underwater.
Tidal Energy technology that harvests the energy of water flowing over a broad front is fundamentally different from Ocean Wave Energy technology that harnesses the kinetic energy of wind-driven waves that travel on the surface of the ocean.
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India plans Asian tidal power first
By Richard Black
BBC.co.uk
January 18, 2011
The Atlantis AK1000 turbine will be deployed in the Gulf of Kutch
The Indian state of Gujurat is planning to host Asia's first commercial-scale tidal power station.
The company Atlantis Resources is to install a 50MW tidal farm in the Gulf of Kutch on India's west coast, with construction starting early in 2012. The facility could be expanded to deliver more than 200MW.
The biggest operating tidal station in the world, La Rance in France, generates 240MW, while South Korea is planning several large facilities.
To claim the title of "Asia's first", the Indian project will have to outrun developments at Sihwa Lake, a South Korean tidal barrage under construction on the country's west coast.
Atlantis's recent feasibility study in Gujurat concluded that the state had good potential for tidal exploitation.
"About two and a half years ago we ran a global study of tidal power resources and came up with some hotspots where resource seemed pretty well matched to load," said Atlantis CEO Tim Cornelius.
"One of them was the Gulf of Kutch - and since then we've had wonderful support from the government, culminating in the announcement that the project was going ahead," he told BBC News.
Projections indicate that the cost of the initial 50MW farm - to consist of 50 1MW turbines - will come in at about $150m.
As much of the manufacturing as possible will take place in Gujurat, taking advantage of the skills base in India's booming wind turbine industry.
Tide turning?
The current timescale has the project's final engineering plans completed by the end of this year, with construction commencing early next year and completing by 2013.
Map showing Gulf of Kutch
"Gujarat has significant resource in the waters of its coast, so tidal energy represents a huge opportunity for us," said DJ Pandian, chairman and managing director of Gujarat Power Corporation.
"This project will be India's and indeed Asia's first at commercial scale, and will deliver important economic and environmental benefits for the region, as well as paving the way for similar developments within Gujarat."
Tidal power is a tiny contributor to global electricity generation, even compared with other renewables. But there is a feeling in the industry that a phase of fast expansion is beginning.
In October, a consortium including Atlantis was given the right to develop a tidal farm involving about 400 turbines in the Pentland Firth in Scotland, which as things stand would be the world's biggest - although South Korea's proposed Incheon barrage would come in at over 1GW.
China, and other parts of India, are also seen as productive areas in the near future.
Pentland Firth tidal project set for development
BBC.co,uk
October 27, 2010
The scheme is part of efforts to develop the world's largest wave and tidal generating programme
A huge tidal project is set to be developed in the Pentland Firth after the rights to the site were awarded to a consortium by the Crown Estate.
It has described the Inner Sound, which lies between the Caithness coast and island of Stroma, as one of the Firth's "most energetic" tidal areas.
The scheme could involve up to 400 submerged turbines, generating enough energy to power 400,000 homes.
A 25-year operational lease for the site was awarded to MeyGen.
It is a joint venture between tidal technology provider Atlantis Resources Corporation, International Power and investment bank Morgan Stanley.
The award of the lease comes after two years of feasibility work in the waters of the Pentland Firth.
Subject to planning consent, the consortium plans to install hundreds of turbines in the Inner Sound area.
Construction is expected to take place on a phased basis until 2020.
The project will be one of the biggest in the world, with the potential to generate up to 400MW of power.
The scheme is part of efforts to develop the Pentland Firth and waters surrounding the Orkney Islands in the largest planned wave and tidal generating programme in the world.
Earlier this year, areas in the Pentland Firth and around Orkney were leased to seven companies, which aim to generate enough electricity to supply 750,000 homes by 2020 from a range of wave and tidal devices.
Dan Pearson, chief executive of MeyGen, said: "The MeyGen project will be seen as a flagship marine power project."In cooperation with the local community, the Crown Estate and all levels of government, we are committed to making tidal power a success not only for our shareholders, but for Scotland as well."
John Thurso, Lib Dem MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said: "Caithness and surrounding regions have a real opportunity to lead an international revolution in energy, by building a world-beating marine power industry."
Canada harnesses power of tides
By Elizabeth Blunt
BBC.co.uk
December 13, 2005
Tidal power station, Annapolis Royal, Canada
The world's highest tides are a source of electricity for Canada.
The one thing that every schoolchild learns about the Bay of Fundy is that it has the highest tides in the world.
The North Atlantic waters are funnelled up this deep inlet between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, swirling through the narrowest parts of the bay with impressive speed and power.
So when in the 1980s the Canadian government wanted to explore the feasibility of tidal power, this was a natural site for an experimental station.
The site chosen at Annapolis Royal had already been closed off by a causeway, built to control tidal flow further up the Annapolis River.
The idea was that water flowing through the sluices could also pass through a turbine and generate power on its way down the Bay of Fundy and out into the sea.
Now there is a neat box-like structure in the middle of the causeway, one of only a handful of operational tidal power plants in the world.
Plant engineering
Map of eastern Canada
The Bay of Fundy funnels the power of the Atlantic.
Twice every day, as the tide rises, the sluice gates are opened to let water flow up into the lower part of the Annapolis river, which now serves as the headpond for the power station.
Just before high tide, the gates are closed, leaving only a narrow passage for fish to pass. Now all the operators have to do is wait for the tide to turn and the water level on the seaward side to drop.
When there is enough difference between the water levels on the two sides, they begin to let water flow through the giant turbine, slowly at first to get it turning, and then at full strength.
Once the huge 25-metre diameter wheel is up to its operating speed of 50 revolutions per minute, the station starts to generate. At peak power it supplies a very respectable 20 megawatts to the Canadian grid.
Once the tide has gone out and the water level is equalised, the turbine slows to a stop, before the whole cycle begins again.
Stuart MacDonald of Nova Scotia Power remembers the thrill of seeing the plant in action for the first time. He loves the elegant simplicity of its engineering and its reliability, but accepts that tidal power has its limitations.
Built for purpose
It may be a predictable source of electricity, but only while the tide is going out.
Turbine hall, Annapolis Royal, Canada
Water flows through a giant turbine at Annapolis Royal
And it is not the sort of thing that can be bought off the shelf; machinery has to be purpose-built for the site, which makes it expensive for a power station which is always going to be idle for at least 12 hours a day.
But at least the fuel is free; and although the plant was designed for a 70 year lifespan, Stuart MacDonald believes that with proper maintenance it could last 200 years.
The technology, though, has yet to take off in a significant way.
The biggest tidal station in world is in France, near St Malo, 12 times larger than Annapolis Royal; Russia has a much smaller plant, while China has constructed several small facilities.
With fossil fuels getting scarce and expensive, and concern rising about the damage they are causing to the atmosphere, interest in tidal power is growing; because these plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions.
Other projects are planned, and designers are now working on plans involving individual turbines moored in the middle of the tidal flow, easier to build and less environmentally controversial than the fixed barrages used by the existing stations.
The Colombo Chief Magistrates Court yesterday ordered that the LTTE women’s unit head Subramiam Sivasamy alias Thamailini be further remanded while the TID said they had sought the Attorney General’s opinion on her case. The TID told Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singaaappuli the suspect had enrolled women to the LTTE and she was in IDP camps in the North among civilians subsequent to the humanitarian operations. She was arrested by the forces and handed over to the TID.
The Police moved Court to remand her further as the Attorney General had not given his opinion on the suspect
----------------------------
What is happening here? Are we considering the release of all the terrorist leaders?
PRIME MINISTER APPEARS TO BE TOTALLY CONFUSED, SAYS VEN. OMALPE SOBITHA
January 19, 2011 : The Prime Minister appears to be totally confused. His statement, which said that all religions in the country are equal and no religion will be afforded special attention or special treatment, is illegal and against the Constitution, said the leader of theJathika Hela Urumaya, the venerable Dr. Omalpe Sobitha Thera at a media briefing convened yesterday.
"On the 24th it was reported in the newspapers that the Prime Minister had stated that all religions in the country are equal and no religion will be afforded special attention or special treatment.
"Such a statement is unbecoming of the Prime Minister's post. It is illegal and against the Constitution as well. We made a request from the Prime Minister to rectify this statement. However we are yet to receive a correction in this regard.
----------------------------------
Should we continue to keep a law that seemingly favour Buddhism? I think it is about time we change the consitution. Otherwise it looks like we are doing the wrong thing and give ammunition to others to attack Buddhism. I mean the best thing about Buddhism is that it gives the freedom of choice of a religion to its followers.
Thusitha said ...
[What is happening here? Are we considering the release of all the terrorist leaders?]
I hope not.
I have also been railing here against the GOSL not prosecuting senior LTTE cadre guilty of horrendous crimes, and planning only to "rehabilitate" them for release like ordinary rank-and-file LTTE cadre.
These guys should be made to serve the "nation building" effort at hard labor in prison breaking rocks for at least 10 years!
Thusitha said ...
[Should we continue to keep a law that seemingly favour Buddhism? I think it is about time we change the consitution.]
Superficially, if one listens to the chanted mantra of secularism, placing Buddhism in Sri Lanka on the same level as other religions may seem the ONLY reasonable course to take for Sri Lanka.
However, it is NEITHER the ONLY course, NOR the course taken by the GREAT MAJORITY of nations on this Earth.
This is simply case of who hogs the global media to propagate their view. It is only a case of who you hear from MOST OFTEN.
Therefore, let me ask: Why is it that many leading European Nations that trumpet democracy .. like Britain, France, Spain etc ... have a State Religion?
In jolly old "perfect democracy" of England, for example, the Queen is the Head of State and the Defender of THE Faith .. which is the Anglican Christian Church. Furthermore, no person who is not an Anglican by birth may become the English Monarch. Why should that be so? Does it not violate the very foundation of "democracy" in this nation that gave birth to "parliamentary democracy" as we know it?
The answer is that it does not. The preponderant majority always determined the state religion through their free will determined through a vote .. even in the slave-holding original democracy of ancient Athens, Greece!
Many countries consider themselves the guardians of a particular religion. Britain safeguards the Church of England, Greece safeguards the Greek Orthodox Church, Italy and Spain .. not exclusively but in particular .. safeguard the Catholic Church, Saudi Arabia is the Defender of Sunni Islam, and Iran is the Defender of Shia Islam, while Israel protects and fosters Judaism.
It is largely because of the EXISTENCE of these countries that those religions SURVIVE to this day.
There are fewer countries in the world that are secular: United States, India, Turkey etc. That could change as Hindus and Moslems agitate to change the constitution in the latter two countries .. through "democratic" electoral means.
Like those other countries that assume a central role to safeguarding their religion, Sri Lanka is the PRIMARY country on earth safeguarding Theravada Buddhism. Sponsorship of Buddhism by the Sri Lankan State continued for over 2000 years in Sri Lanka as the Monarch's central duty.
That state sponsorship was guaranteed by the British in the Kandyan Convention of March 4, 1815 when we lost our independence, but the promise was quickly ignored and flouted by the victor.
Independent Sri Lanka revived that lost tradition at independence, and it continues to this day.
As these examples show, democracy is neither violated, nor is inconsistent with, maintaining a traditional state religion. As long all citizens are free to follow a religion of their choice, democracy is preserved.
However, these democratic rights do not, and should not, extend to foreigners who attempt to change the religious demography of a country through aggressive missionary work and conversions of the most vulnerable people of its society.
Canadians getting a WEE BIT SMARTER on Illegal Immigrants!
You can Fool SOME of the People ALL the TIME, and
ALL of the People SOME of the Time,
But, you can't Fool ALL of the People ALL the Time!
Bravo! Canada!
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Canadians' attitude hardening towards illegal migrants - Public Safety Minister
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 20, Vancouver: Canadian people's attitude towards the migrants to the country is hardening and the public are losing faith in the refugee system after the arrival of two shiploads of illegal Sri Lankan Tamil migrants, a Canadian minister has said.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday to discuss Bill C-49, Canada's Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has said that he is concerned by the hardening attitude of Canadians towards the government's refugee process.
"I see a hardening of the attitude of many Canadians in respect to the immigration system," Thursday's Globe and Mail quoted the minister.
The Bill C-49, aimed at preventing human smugglers abusing Canada's Immigration System Act, amends Canada's Criminal Code, which contains no provisions to specifically prohibit trafficking in persons, to make trafficking in persons a criminal offence.
Canada's opposition parties however, are against the bill, which is at second reading, saying that the bill is flawed and unconstitutional.
"It's clear something must be done because after the arrival of migrant vessels like the Ocean Lady and MV Sun Sea, Canadians are losing faith in the refugee system," the Minister has said.
Mr. Toews has said that he was aware of recent and unsourced newspaper reports that more ships could set sail for Canada in the coming months, Globe and Mail reported.
"The polling after the arrival of the MV Sun Sea indicated a serious drop in the support to our immigration and refugee system," he has added.
Last August a modified Thai cargo ship, MV Sun Sea sailed to Canada with 492 Tamil migrants, some of whom are suspected of being members of the banned terrorist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
When the ship docked in Vancouver Islands Toews said the LTTE members who organized the voyage of the MV Sun Sea charged up to $50,000 a passenger for a potential total haul of more than $20 million.
Recent media reports said that intelligence officials have warned Canada's federal government of more Sri Lankan Tamil migrant ships arriving in the country from Southeast Asia.
According to a report in Ottawa Citizen, smugglers are preparing to ship at least 400 more Sri Lankan refugees and potential Tamil Tiger rebels from two unnamed Southeast Asian ports to British Columbia coast.
Sri Lankan authorities say the Tamil migrants are economic refugees who are taking advantage of Canada's relaxed immigration laws.
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper has vowed to bring comprehensive legislation designed to deter immigrants arriving in Canada and to impose stiff penalties for the smugglers.
Birds of a Feather, FAIL Together!
This ANALOGY can be made EXACT by convicting & imprisoning Sivajilingam for TREASON for his activities supporting the LTTE from Tamil Nadu during the Eelam War IV.
GOSL, can we have some ACTION on this matter? PLEASE!
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Sri Lanka Election Commissioner declines recognizing 86 political parties
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka Election Commissioner has rejected recognizing 86 new political parties.
These parties had applied for registration but failed to prove the conditions for registration expected by the Election Department, sources said.
Among the parties that failed to be recognized are the party led by former joint opposition Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka and another party led by former Tamil National Alliance MP M.K. Sivajilingam.
The Election Department had given time to correct the applications until January 17. However, the parties have failed to fulfill the necessary requirements.
Sri Lanka's Mannar basin oil wells to bear fruit
By Bandula Sirimanna
SundayTimes.lk
January 16, 2011
With the completion of acquiring three-dimensional (3D) seismic data on 1,750 square km Mannar basin, and finalizing the launching of oil in July this year, Sri Lanka will be offering new oil exploration blocks in an area off the northern coast.
In an interview with the Business Times, Dr .Neil De Silva, Director-General of the Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat (PRDS) said it was planning to call bids for blocks in 15,000 sq km of the shallow Cauvery Basin, just off the northern area once controlled by the LTTE until their defeat in may 2009. Cauvery Basin oil exploration is in the planning stage of the bidding round to issue exploration license.
He said the gathering of meteorological data and monitoring ocean currents is now underway ahead of a test drilling programme. Dr. De Silva, an expert in petroleum geology and petroleum geo physics acquired experience in the field for over 30 years. He completed his MSc and Phd in Canada and has been involved in onshore oil exploration in Canada and off-shore oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Sri Lankan government has signed a Petroleum Resources Agreement in 2008 with Cairn India to explore and produce hydro - carbon and natural gas in the Mannar Basin in Northern Sri Lanka.
In accordance with the agreement, Cairn Lanka, a subsidiary of Cairn India Ltd has commenced its exploration activities in Block SL2007/01/001 in the Mannar basin which covers 3400 square km, at depths between 200 to1,800 meters. The total estimated cost of oil exploration in the Mannar Basin is $172 million. The project has spent $17.5 million up to September 30, 2010. The estimated cost of drilling five oil exploration wells in the Mannar Basin is $120 million. The Mannar area is estimated to have deposits of one billion barrels of oil.
Outlining the financial benefits for the country, if Sri Lanka's quest for oil becomes a reality, Dr. De Silva noted that the oil production share will be divided between the government of Sri Lanka and Cairn Lanka and it is to be calculated by Investment Multiple (M) which is the ratio of accumulated Net Cash Income to accumulated investment as defined in the Petroleum Resources Agreement. At the inception of the oil production process the Sri Lankan government's share would be 15% and Cairn Lanka 85%, he revealed. The Sri Lankan government will also receive a 10 % royalty, a $50 million production bonus, the profit share based on the investment, a 15 % tax on 'contractor profit' and other taxes.
The exploration license is deemed to be valid for eight years and divided into three stages of three, two and three years. As the years go by Sri Lanka's share will be increased to 17.5%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 85% and Cairn Lanka's share will come down to 82.5%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 15%, respectively. He said that every aspect of the oil exploration deal is fully transparent and all the details have been made available to general public both here and overseas through the PRDS web site.
Explaining the history of the country's oil exploration efforts, Dr. De Silva noted that petroleum exploration in Sri Lanka began approximately 40 years ago in the late 1960s. In 1967-68, French firm Compaigne General de Geophysicque collected approximately 420 km of onshore and 75 km of offshore seismic data on behalf of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC or Ceypetco).
Sri Lanka's Mannar basin oil wells to bear fruit
.....continued 1......
The Soviets, with their increased interest in South Asia in the 1970s, recorded 4837 km of marine seismic data in 1972 to 1975 along with some onshore data to evaluate the Palk Bay area in the Cauvery Basin under an agreement with the Sri Lankan government. In 1974 Soviets 'spudded (gave up)' Pesalai 1 on the Mannar Island and drilled to 'a TD of 2594 metres to pre-Cambrian gneiss basement', according to documents. The well encountered a water-bearing basal Lower Cretaceous sandstone with a small amount of dissolved gas with heavy ends to pentane. Encouraged by this in Pesalai 1, the Soviets drilled two more wells nearby -- Pesalai 2 and Pesalai 3, but both failed to encounter significant reservoir rocks or a trap. This led to the withdrawal of the Soviets from the area.
In 1975 CPC engaged Pexamin Pacific as a consultant to promote exploration in the Sri Lankan portion of the Cauvery Basin. In 1976 Western Geophysical recorded 1947 km of 2D seismic data around the island. Western Geophysical also collected 2829 km of seismic data in the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar in 1976. Subsequently, Pexamin Pacific signed a contract with CPC for an offshore exploration block. Marathon Petroleum farmed into Pexamin's interest in 1976 and drilled two exploratory wells, Palk Bay-1 and Delft-1 in the Cauvery Basin, both targeting 'horst block plays'. Both failed to encounter any hydrocarbons and in 1977, the Marathon -Pexamin group relinquished its interests.
In 1981, Cities Services acquired interests in the Cauvery and the Mannar basins and collected a total of 1556 km of seismic, 1289 km in the Gulf of Mannar and 267 km in Palk Bay. The same year Cities Services drilled Pearl-1, located on the northeast shelf of the Gulf of Mannar. This well was drilled to a total depth of 3050 m with no oil and gas shows. The well bottomed in a volcanic sill and is the only well on the Sri Lankan portion of the Mannar Basin to date. On the positive side, the well penetrated an 850 m thick Late Cretaceous basal sandstone unit thereby establishing the presence of significant reservoir rocks in the Mannar Basin, according to documents.
In 1984 under a tripartite agreement between Phoenix Canada Oil Company, Petro-Canada and CPC, Petro-Canada acquired 980 km of 2D seismic data in the Mannar Basin.This is the first comprehensive seismic programme in the Mannar Basin. However, no further work was done and by 1984 petroleum exploration work in offshore Sri Lanka came to a halt and remained dormant till 2001.
Sri Lanka's Mannar basin oil wells to bear fruit
.....continued 2......
In 2001 under a contract from the Asian Development Bank to evaluate the petroleum potential of Sri Lanka as well as its petroleum administrative and fiscal regime, the University of New South Wales (Newsouth Global Pty Ltd) provided an interpretation report and draft petroleum legislation and a Petroleum Resources Agreement. The latter was coined after the Indian Production sharing Contract (PSC) at that time. Encouraged by the report of the Newsouth Global, TGS NOPEC, a Norwegian seismic contractor with a regional office in Perth, Australia, approached CPC to undertake a speculative seismic program in the Mannar Basin, according to documents.
In 2001 CPC and TGS NOPEC signed an agreement to collect 1100 km of 2D seismic data in the Mannar Basin. The data was acquired in June-July 2001 and a detailed interpretation report was produced by Newsouth Global in 2002 (Newsouth Global 2002) under contract to TGS NOPEC. The report highlighted the petroleum potential of the Mannar Basin and encouraged TGS NOPEC to collect additional 4600 km of seismic in the basin 2005. These two TGS NOPEC data acquisitions provide a modern, high quality 2D seismic data set in the Mannar Basin for exploration companies interested in the area.
In 2007 September the Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat under the Ministry of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development launched the Mannar Basin Licensing Round for three exploration blocks in the Mannar Basin. An extensive marketing campaign was carried out globally with roadshows and data rooms in London, Houston and Kuala Lumpur. On July 7, 2008 the Government of Sri Lanka, through the Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Development signed a Petroleum Resources Agreement with Cairn Lanka (Private) Limited marking the beginning of petroleum exploration of Sri Lanka after a hiatus of 25 years.
Another LTTE Criminal BITES THE DUST!
He should be handed over to Canadian authorities for prosecution, and charges issued against him in Sri Lanka to be used if he ever sets foot in Sri Lanka.
That way, Canada will discipline him, and Sri Lanka will get rid of him permanently.
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Thai officials arrest a leader of Tamil migrant smuggling operation
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 21, Colombo: Thai immigration police officials have arrested a Sri Lankan Tamil suspected of smuggling Tamil migrants to Canada last August on board the MV Sun Sea.
Thai officials have arrested Nadesan Jeeyananthan, 48, in Bangkok last weekend along with seven others, Canada's National Post reported Thursday.
Canadian and Thai officials have described the suspect as a leading Sri Lankan human smuggling kingpin in Thailand although he was not the main organizer of the MV Sun Sea operation.
MV Sun Sea, a Thai cargo ship modified to transport people carried 492 Sri Lankan Tamil migrants to Canada's Vancouver Island last year. Some of the migrants are suspected of being members of the defeated terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Quoting Thai officials National Post said Jeeyananthan was preparing another ship to take 200 Sri Lankan Tamil migrants when the voyage was disrupted by police in February.
Jeeyananthan and the others were arrested in Bangkok's Bang Khen district where Thai police arrested 50 illegal Sri Lankan immigrants in December 2010.
So far the group has been charged only with illegally entering Thailand or overstaying their visas, the National Post reported.
In October 2009, MV Ocean Lady brought 76 illegal Sri Lankan migrants, all males, to British Columbia. MV Sun Sea's human cargo included 380 men, 63 women, and 49 children. All the migrants have sought asylum in the country.
Canada's Public Safety Minister Vic Toews on Wednesday said Canadian people's attitude towards the migrants to the country is hardening and the public are losing faith in the refugee system after the arrival of the two shiploads of illegal Sri Lankan Tamil migrants.
Toews says he was told that the MV Sun Sea voyage was organized by the members of LTTE who have charged up to $50,000 a passenger for a potential total haul of more than $20 million.
Earlier this month intelligence officials reportedly have warned Canada's federal government of more Sri Lankan Tamil migrant ships arriving in the country from Southeast Asia.
Canada's conservative Harper government is seeking the public's support to Bill C-49, an amendment to the Canada's Criminal Code introduced to prevent human smugglers abusing Canada's Immigration System Act.
Is this an Externally Engineered REGIME CHANGE?
If so, who is doing it?
GOSL, PLEASE take note of the Modus Operandi!
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Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
Economist.com
January 20, 2011
The flight of Tunisia’s longtime president leaves the small country he ruled and robbed in upheaval. Its Arab neighbours wonder whether it’s the start of a trend.
“TUNISIA now lives in fear,” Libya’s ruler, Muammar Qaddafi, told his people. “Families could be raided and slaughtered in their bedrooms and the citizens in the street killed as if it was the Bolshevik or the American revolution.”
Others seem less sure what caused Tunisia’s upheaval, where it will go or even what to call it. Some have labelled it the jasmine revolution. Close at hand, however, the continuing unrest in Tunisia, for long the most politically neutered of Arab countries, does not bring to mind the sweet-smelling flowers that men here tuck jauntily behind an ear. What’s happening reeks more of sweat, tear gas and burning rubber, and has brought Tunisians as much anguish as pride or pleasure.
It cannot quite be termed a revolution, at least yet. The main instruments of control for the past 50 years, the police and the ever-ruling RCD party (a French abbreviation of Constitutional Democratic Rally) are battered and wobbly but still standing. They face no strong, cohesive opposition, no charismatic leader waiting in the wings, armed with a mission or an ideology. Yet with 78 civilians dead by official count and with street protests continuing into a sixth week, it is certainly bigger than a revolt.
Everyone knows what started it: the self-immolation on December 17th of a despairing, jobless youth named Muhammad Bouazizi in the main square of Sidi Bouzid, a town in Tunisia’s hardscrabble interior. Yet there is a fierce dispute about what has sustained the revolt, encouraging furious protesters to the streets of prosperous coastal cities, galvanising near-moribund trade unions and opposition groups into action, and bringing about the dramatic scuttle into exile on January 14th of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, president for the past 23 years. And nobody is sure what Tunisia’s troubles will lead to: a transition to multiparty democracy, a military coup or a prolonged period of turmoil.
What is sure is that the Tunisian uprising has not only put an end to one of the more insidiously oppressive and comically rapacious strongman regimes in a region inured to them. It has also put Mr Ben Ali’s fellow rulers-for-life on notice that they, too, may suddenly find themselves without friends or a country. Mr Bouazizi’s public suicide has spread a grisly rash of copycat self-torchings across north Africa, from Mauritania to Egypt. Their acts of self-sacrifice hope to incite a spiral of events similar to Tunisia’s.
Perhaps they will. Given the extreme social stresses shared by many Arab societies, and particularly the anger of soaring numbers of jobless, jeans-clad youths against the ageing cynics in suits and uniforms that have for so long denied them a role or a voice, it is not too far-fetched to conjure a sweeping wave of change, much as in Europe in 1989.
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
.....continued 1.....
Yet Tunisia’s circumstances are in some respects unique. With a population that is ethnically and religiously homogenous, recognised borders that are centuries old, and a tradition of centralised government that predates colonisation by France in 1881, Tunisia has more solid foundations than many Arab states. Despite the country’s paucity of natural resources, its 10.6m people enjoy relatively good standards of health, education and other public services. It has a high level of home ownership and reasonably solid national accounts. Its economy, integrated with the outside world as a magnet for investment in manufacturing, offshore services and tourism, has grown at an annual average of 5% for the past two decades.
That modest record of success, contrasting starkly with the messy dysfunction of Algeria and Libya, the oil-rich countries Tunisia is squeezed between, goes a long way to explaining why Tunisians have put up with their stifling political order. Mr Ben Ali did not invent this system. His predecessor, Habib Bourguiba, a passionately Francophone lawyer who led Tunisia to independence in 1956, created a paternalistic, monopolistic ruling party and a cult of personality during three decades of rule. Like Turkey’s Kemal Ataturk, Mr Bourguiba tried single-handedly to yank his country out of old ways, championing women’s rights and enforcing strict secularism.
When Mr Ben Ali, newly installed as interior minister, ousted the ageing but respected president in a palace coup in 1987, he was greeted as a needed breath of fresh air. Secularists and even liberals at first applauded his hounding of the Ennahda party, a mild Islamist movement, linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, that had flowered in the chaotic waning years of Mr Bourguiba’s rule. On largely spurious charges of terrorism its leaders were either jailed or forced into exile, and the movement essentially eradicated.
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
.....continued 2.....
Sadly, rather than subsequently broadening freedoms, the ex-policeman crushed them, infiltrating watchful RCD party hacks into trade unions, university faculties and other once-independent institutions. Benalisme, as Tunisians sometimes dubbed his style of rule, brought with it increasingly farcical elections, an absurdly adulatory press and dread of the pervasive, petty and vindictive security services. During Algeria’s bloody civil strife in the 1990s, Tunisians joked of a plump, sleek Tunisian dog fleeing across the border and meeting a ragged, starving Algerian one. “What on earth are you doing here?” asked the Algerian dog. “I came here to bark,” was the forlorn reply.
Tunisia came to have more police than France, a country with six times more people. With few real threats to the state to combat, Mr Ben Ali’s bloated security service specialised in such tactics as planting evidence in order to blackmail suspects. Taxi drivers commonly sought protection by joining the RCD or working as police informants. “Going too often to the mosque could mean a summons to State Security,” says one. “They could lift your licence, and put you through hell to get it back.”
Those hungry relatives
Benalisme also brought corruption, particularly at the level of the president’s own family. With time the web of influence extended both to the husbands of Mr Ben Ali’s four adult daughters and to the many relatives of his second wife, Leila Trabelsi, a former hairdresser whom he married in 1992. Between them, the Trabelsis and Mr Ben Ali’s sons-in-law came to control a huge slice of the economy (see diagram). In recent years their tentacles penetrated deep into Tunisia’s financial system, extracting sweetheart loans from once-respectable banks.
For a society that remains mostly poor or tenuously middle class it was not the possession of big assets that rankled so much as the flaunting of baubles, such as the flashy cars and villas in Tunisia’s most exclusive districts. What grated most with Tunisia’s small elite was the upstart first family’s habit of elbowing out competitors and flaunting of power. Giving a cut to one of the favoured circle came to be seen as de rigueur in order to gain a licence or agency quickly. “Of course I brought in a Trabelsi, without his even asking,” a Tunisian economist recalls a business acquaintance declaring defensively. “Its just a tax, so I don’t have to pay other taxes.”
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
.....continued 3.....
Mr Ben Ali himself feigned ignorance of such things despite the rising smell, and the rising cost to the country of such shenanigans. An American diplomatic cable from 2008, revealed in early December by WikiLeaks, described the ruling family as the nexus of corruption and a quasi-mafia. Tunisian investors wary of getting caught in this web preferred to forgo business ventures and instead bought property or stashed funds abroad, continued the cable, so dampening growth and helping to sustain high unemployment.
A report this month by Global Financial Integrity, a watchdog group, corroborates this assessment. “The amount of illegal money lost from Tunisia due to corruption, bribery, kickbacks, trade mispricing and criminal activity between 2000 and 2008 was, on average, over $1 billion a year,” it estimates. That is a substantial sum for a country whose GNP barely reaches $80 billion at purchasing-power parity.
The sprouting of fancy shopping centres, yacht marinas and housing developments along Tunisia’s breezy coast provided a shiny veneer of prosperity. Even bleak provincial towns and the slums around prosperous cities look tidy by the standards of other developing countries. But the exterior sheen conceals a growing sense of anomie, compounded by swelling unemployment and material expectations fed by rising educational standards.
Ezzeddine Larbi, a former World Bank economist who left the country to live abroad, found that unflattering economic statistics were routinely suppressed or massaged. He reckons that unemployment, officially put at 14%, is closer to 20% for university graduates, and 27% overall for the 20-29 age group. Such numbers are not unusual for the region, but other factors exacerbate the problem in Tunisia. Its economic model, based on undercutting European labour costs, means that many of the jobs on offer are unskilled and unrewarding.
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
.....continued 4.....
University graduates do not aspire to be waiters, call-centre operators or garment stitchers. At the same time, Tunisia’s tidiness and success at building a middle class mean that a black economy cannot absorb legions of street vendors and house servants, as in Egypt and Morocco.
This partly explains why Mr Bouazizi poured petrol on himself. A university graduate, he had tried to scrape a living selling vegetables from a stall which was confiscated by the police. When a few young men rioted in protest at his action, poorly trained policemen responded violently. Protests spread to nearby towns, and several youths were killed by police gunfire, further raising public anger.
Mr Ben Ali was not insensitive to the brewing trouble. He visited Mr Bouazizi in the hospital where he lay dying, offered compensation to his family and sacked the provincial governor as well as a government minister. The unrest might have petered out but for an unexplained escalation. On January 8th the toll of deaths from police gunfire suddenly surged, from fewer than ten to more than 30.
Many assumed an order had been given to stamp out the unrest with terror. The fury spread to Tunisia’s coastal cities, growing as gory imagery relayed by cell phones and the internet clashed with the sanitised blandness of state television. Actors that had previously stayed on the sidelines, such as student groups, the remaining, puny opposition parties and the once-powerful trade-unions organisation, joined the fray. But the focus had changed: people were calling for Mr Ben Ali’s head.
In a rambling television address, the president blamed foreign agitators for the troubles. Sacking his feared interior minister, he promised a huge jobs programme, and inquiries into corruption and excessive police force. But this was too little, too late—and it also showed weakness. Rioters were now fighting the police in pitched battles, torching police stations and sacking banks and shops, particularly those thought to belong to RCD members.
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
.....continued 5.....
In some cases the police themselves were accused of looting, either as part of a plan to tarnish the protesters and frighten the middle class, or simply to profit from the collapse of order. So tarnished was the reputation of the police that Mr Ben Ali belatedly asked Tunisia’s army to intervene. Some units did enter the capital, but refused to use force against protesters, who greeted them with cheers.
Still, few Tunisians expected the president to go, even when as many as 40,000 people gathered on January 14th at the headquarters of the Interior Ministry on Tunis’s stately Avenue Bourguiba, braving torrents of tear gas and live fire. That evening, with a curfew in place and army tanks sealing Tunis’s main airport, Mr Ben Ali and his immediate family slipped out of the country on an aircraft that eventually, having been rebuffed by France, took them to Saudi Arabia. “What an irony that a guy who banned veils should end up with the Wahhabis,” was the Twitter comment of one Tunisian writer.
The following day witnessed a near-complete breakdown of order, with the once ubiquitous police vanishing from streets across the country. Near the port of La Goulette on Tunis’s outskirts, youths raided a lot filled with cars imported by Mr Ben Ali’s son-in-law, Sakhr Materi. Surrounding streets were soon filled with flaming, overturned Porsches, Volkswagens and Kias. In the coastal resort of Hammamet, looters trashed Mr Materi’s villa and slaughtered his pet tiger.
More disturbingly, reports emerged of attacks by suspected saboteurs and snipers, with gun battles erupting in the capital. Many Tunisians assumed the culprits to be members of shadowy, rearguard units loyal to the ousted president. Amid a swirl of rumour, some detect a plan to foment chaos and so pave the way for Mr Ben Ali’s return as the restorer of order, perhaps backed by his friend Colonel Qaddafi. Frightened by such talk, groups of civilians across the capital have set up voluntary guard units, manning checkpoints and searching cars for weapons. Special army and police units are also said to have arrested suspected saboteurs.
As a result, by January 19th a measure of calm had returned to Tunis, with many shops and businesses reopening, and no sound of gunfire during the (now shorter) nightly curfew. Elsewhere, there were no reports of violent unrest or looting, except for vandalism against some local RCD offices, indicating that the party has emerged as a new focus of pressure.
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
.....continued 6.....
The political situation remains foggy. After Mr Ben Ali’s departure, his prime minister since 1999, Mohammed Ghannouchi, a veteran RCD leader, announced he would form a government of national unity, with the speaker of parliament, Foued Mebazaa, temporarily filling the presidency. Seeking to assuage public anger, Mr Ghannouchi announced the lifting of all censorship, the institution of three independent commissions to investigate corruption, human-rights abuses and political reform, the release of all political prisoners and preparations to hold free elections within six months.
The new cabinet he announced included several opposition figures, but kept the main ministries for RCD members. Before the new cabinet could meet, four of its ministers had resigned in protest at lingering RCD influence. It is not yet clear whether palliatory measures by the party, which has expelled Mr Ben Ali and senior cronies, and accepted the resignation of Mr Ghannouchi and Mr Mebazaa, were enough to lure the ministers back.
The Tunisian public appears divided in response. Many among the educated middle class would prefer to give the new government a chance, fearing a slide towards military rule, or worse. But smaller demonstrations continue across the country calling for the sacking of all RCD ministers and the inclusion of exiled opposition leaders. In any event, patching up the political system will not be easy. With a constitution tailored to bolster Mr Ben Ali, a sitting parliament packed by the RCD, and institutions such as the police and courts deeply compromised, the mechanism for the kinds of sweeping change demanded by many Tunisians is not there.
Opposition forces, fractured by years of repression and manipulation, are not much help, and lack figures with popular authority. The potential role of Islamists, so far markedly muted, remains an unknown. For the time being the shadowy supporters of the banned Ennahda party are backing the provisional government, for fear of a military takeover that could see their hoped-for revival further postponed. Their leader, 69-year-old Rashid Ghannouchi, remains in exile in London, awaiting an amnesty since he formally faces a sentence of life in prison.
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
.....continued 7.....
Repercussions in the wider Arab world hinge on the outcome in Tunisia. Signs of unrest have already emerged in Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Libya and Sudan. “The Tunisian model is very similar to its Egyptian counterpart, and the extremely happy response to events there on Egyptian streets shows that Egypt might witness solutions like the Tunisian one soon,” noted Ayman Nour, an Egyptian politician who was thrown in jail after challenging Hosni Mubarak in an election in 2005.
Governments have also taken note, intervening recently to keep down the rising cost of basic staples in several countries, and showing unwonted compassion for the unemployed. But some, such as Colonel Qaddafi, have drawn opposite conclusions, and may prove more determined to face down pressures than Mr Ben Ali was.
Many of the region’s countries look, on the surface, to be far more fragile than Tunisia, with equal volumes of anger and far deeper social woes. But different factors serve to bolster even unpopular governments. In Syria the ever-present danger of war with Israel mutes dissent. The Egyptian state, despite its appalling record in running other things, wields a large force of riot police that is well equipped, highly trained and very experienced, and so less likely to provoke outrage by excessive violence. Egypt also has a relatively free press. This not only gives healthy air to protest, but acts as the sort of early-warning system that Mr Ben Ali, due to his own repressive tactics, sorely lacked.
There is another way in which Tunisia’s experience could prove subtly inspiring. “The one constant in revolutions is the primordial role played by the army,” said Jean Tulard, a French historian of revolutions, in an interview in Le Monde. So far Tunisia’s army, kept small to forestall coup attempts, has won kudos for holding the fort, and not playing politics. Yet it is the army which is believed to have persuaded Mr Ben Ali to leave. Perhaps a few generals elsewhere in the Arab world are thinking that they, too, might better serve their countries by doing something similar.
Is India, particularly Tamil Nadu, moving to Colonize Sri Lanka, both Economically & Demographically?
Is this a STEALTH ATTACK upon Sri Lanka?
Talai-Mannar ferry service was restarted first, and now a Chennai to Colombo ferry service is scheduled to be added.
Kankasanturai port is being developed by India, in addition to being granted control of Trincomalee port facilities.
Multiple Indian Embassies now exist in Jaffna, Hambantota and Colombo, and elsewhere "facilitating" traffic between India and Sri Lanka.
To what Overall Purpose and at what cost to National Security?
The GOSL would find it very difficult to monitor and control illegal immigration and visa overstaying by Indian nationals in Sri Lanka with this level of unrestricted/uncontrolled movement of people and goods between India and Sri Lanka.
How can security identity checks be enforced, and goods shipments be examined for illegal contraband and weapons for terrorism?
A single point of arrival and departure through BIA would have been sufficient.
Even the demographics of Sri Lanlka could be changed irretrievably by unrestricted influx of Indian Tamils into Sri Lanka.
Maintaining the numerical majority of the Sinhala population is CENTRAL TO THEIR SURVIVAL in Sri Lanka, and all of these degrading of immigration/emigration and goods import/export control mechanisms jeopardizes the LONGTERM SECURITY of Sri Lanka.
GOSL, are you paying ATTENTION to this?
No amount of TRADE &FINANCIAL BENEFITS can offset the ECONOMIC DAMAGE due to loss of NATIONAL SECURITY .. as we learned in the recent PAST.
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Plea to inaugurate Colombo shipping service
Madurai, Jan. 19
The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the Union Minister for Shipping, Mr G.K.Vasan, to expedite the introduction of Tuticorin-Colomo passenger shipping service as early as possible.
In a memorandum submitted to the Minister at New Delhi recently, a delegation from the Chamber consisting of President Mr N. Jegatheesan and senior President, Mr S. Rethinavelu, accompanied by former Member of Parliament, Mr A.G.S.Rambabu, pointed out that the number businessmen, tourists and workmen from the southern districts to Sri Lanka was gradually on the increase. People have to travel to Chennai or Tiruchi for boarding flights to Colombo.
It urged the Minister to introduce the service positively from April.
Bravo, South Korea ... that is the way to do it!
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South Korea rescues Samho Jewelry crew from pirates
BBC.co.uk
January 21, 2011
South Korean warship the Choi Young The Choi Young was dispatched to track down the ship and rescue the crew
South Korean navy commandos have stormed a cargo ship which had been seized by pirates in the Arabian Sea.
All 21 crew members of the South Korean-owned Samho Jewelry were rescued, said Lt Gen Lee Sung-ho of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The navy said eight of the pirates had been killed and five captured.
South Korea is part of a multinational anti-piracy patrol in the area - it had dispatched a warship after the vessel was seized on Saturday.
The unprecedented rescue mission took place about 1,300km (800 miles) off the coast of Somalia and was described by Lt Gen Lee as "a perfect military operation".
The 11,500-tonne Samho Jewelry had been carrying chemicals from the United Arab Emirates towards Sri Lanka when it was hijacked in the waters between Oman and India.
Earlier in the week, President Lee Myung-Bak told the navy to take "all possible measures" to free the eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 Burmese on board.
The Choi Young destroyer had been pursuing the ship for nearly a week, and the navy said the pirates appeared to have been weakened by the chase.
Lt Gen Lee said there were also concerns that they were expecting a mother ship to arrive soon to give them support.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
We will not tolerate any behaviour that threatens the lives and safety of our people in the future”
End Quote Lee Myung-Bak South Korean President
"Since we thought we could be in an extremely difficult situation if the pirates joined forces, we chose today to carry out the operation," he said.
Lt Gen Lee said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff had taken advice from the Fifth Fleet - the US Navy division based in Bahrain - before the mission, and that the raid was carried out with support from a US destroyer.
'Never negotiate'
The Choi Young moved in when some of the pirates left the Samho Jewelry, apparently to attack a Mongolian ship nearby.
Commandos boarded the ship while a smaller boat and a helicopter were sent to rescue to Mongolian vessel.
"Three of our soldiers suffered light scratches on their bodies as they were fired upon by pirates on Tuesday," said Col Lee Bung-Woo, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Continue reading the main story
South Korean navy commandos on the deck of the Samho Jewelry (21 Jan 2011)
* In pictures: South Korea navy rescue
"Our Lynx helicopter immediately returned fire and several pirates fell into the waters. We believe they are dead."
Officials said eight of the 13 pirates on board were killed, although their bodies have not been found. Five were captured alive.
South Korea rescues Samho Jewelry crew from pirates
......continued.....
The captain of the ship suffered a bullet wound to the stomach but his condition was not thought to be life-threatening - he was praised for his actions in assisting the rescue.
"Pirates sought to take the vessel to the Somalian coast fast but the skipper helped us earn time by manoevering the vessel in a serpentine manner," said Lt Gen Lee.
"This operation demonstrated our government's strong will to never negotiate with pirates," he said.
In a televised statement after the mission, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said the military had "carried out the operation perfectly under difficult circumstances".
"I appreciate it and send a message of encouragement," he said.
"We will not tolerate any behaviour that threatens the lives and safety of our people in the future."
Family members of the crew said the news of the rescue was "breathtaking".
"I feel so relieved," said the son of crew member Kim Doo-Chan. "I'm ecstatic."
The Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia, is one of the world's busiest shipping routes and has become a hotspot for pirate attacks.
Last year, Somali pirates received a record ransom of $9.5m (£5.8m) after seizing another ship owned by Samho Shipping.
The Samho Dream supertanker had been hijacked in the Indian Ocean in April.
Were you on board the vessel? What can the international community do to stop piracy? Send us your comments using the form below.
Just as they supported the LTTE terrorists in Sri Lanka, iNGOs are helping Maoist terrorists in India.
Now, it is India's turn to confront these iNGOs!
...............
Red Cross and MSF accused of helping India Maoists
By Suvojit Bagchi
BBC Bengali Service, Delhi
The Maoist rebels are active across a large swathe of India
Authorities in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh say two international aid agencies are helping Maoist insurgents in the area.
A senior police official said Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were "facilitating" treatment of rebels.
The groups have denied the allegations.
Large parts of Chhattisgarh are rebel strongholds, as its dense forests offer protection from government troops.
The rebels are believed to be active in more than two-thirds of the country. They say they are fighting for the rights of the rural poor.
Chhattisgarh police official SRP Kolluri said two rebels arrested with medicines worth $6,000 (£3,770) from a local pharmacy had said they were being treated by "people from MSF and ICRC".
MSF has been working in Chhattisgarh since 2006.
MSF's India head Martin Sloot said the organisation offers medical support to people who have limited access to healthcare, with support from the Chhattisgarh government.
"But we do not support the Maoists," he said.
"MSF does not take sides. MSF is a neutral, independent medical organisation, we are not supporting any of the actors involved in the conflict.
"Our only concern is with providing medical care to people with no or limited access to health care, regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation."
ICRC's communications officer, Surinder Oberoi, said the allegation was "baseless".
In 2006, authorities of Dantewada district - a rebel stronghold - made similar allegations against MSF but the organisation was allowed to work in the area.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist insurgency as India's biggest internal security challenge.
A government offensive against the rebels - widely referred to as Operation Green Hunt - began last October.
It involves 50,000 troops and is taking place across five states - West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
As an island nation increasingly dependent on ocean resources, it is about time we developed our own indigenous capabilities for performing marine research.
Jayawewa!
.................
Sri Lanka to acquire aquatic research vessel
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 21, Colombo: Sri Lankan government is to purchase a multi-functional research vessel to carry out aquatic research at sea.
The Cabinet of Ministers on Thursday (20) granted approval for a proposal submitted by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Rajitha Senarathna to procure a Survey and Research Vessel for National Aquatic Research and Development Agency (NARA).
The ship is to be purchased from Taiwan at a cost of Rs 313.84 million as per the recommendation of the Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee.
The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) is the apex body that carries out and coordinates research, development, and management activities on Sri Lanka's aquatic resources.
According to the government, the Agency conducts research work pertaining to Hydrography, Oceanography, and Marine Biology on the entire water column and the sea bed which falls within the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka.
NARA also operates a round-the-clock Ocean Observation Centre (OOC) monitoring ocean conditions around Sri Lanka in near real time basis.
The government says deployment of a Research Vessel for NARA would enhance its research and survey activities in the related fields.
GOSL, note the EMPHASIS of the Indian Ambasaddor on the "Special Relationship" between Jaffna and India!
Why is that more special than the relationship with Sri Lanka as a whole?
Mischief in the making, me thinks!
................
International trade fair opens in Sri Lanka's Northern city of Jaffna
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jan 21, Jaffna: The second annual Jaffna International Trade Fair opened Friday with the participation of India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Ashok K. Kantha.
The International Trade fair themed "Open for Business" will be held until Sunday, January 23 at Durayappah Stadium in the capital of Northern Province, Jaffna.
The three-day event is organized by Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services (Pvt) Ltd. in association with the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Jaffna supported by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.
High Commissioner Kantha inaugurated the event with the participation of Governor of Northern Province Major General G.A Chandrasiri, President, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) Tissa Jayaweera, and officials from Northern Province.
India is the partner country for the second consecutive year in the JIFT with more than 45 Indian companies participating under banner of National Small Industrial Corporation (NSIC) and State of Kerala.
The first-ever Jaffna International Trade Fair 2010 (JITF) titled 'Your Gateway to Yarlpanam' was held in April this year.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) have also sent business delegations, the Indian High Commission said.
The Indian companies are showcasing various machinery, equipments, and products for agro-based industries, food processing industries and equipments for SME sectors.
Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner has said that India and Sri Lanka share special and close partnership.
"There is a special place in this relationship for age-old and time-tested bonds between the Jaffna peninsula of Sri Lanka and India," the envoy has noted adding that as the "people of Jaffna seek to resurrect their lives after years of armed conflict, the Government and the people of India remain committed to facilitate development in the region."
"As an indication of the high priority attached to the region, India is the partner country for the second consecutive year," the High Commissioner has said adding that the interest in Jaffna has been growing in the Indian business community and this is evident from participation of large number of companies from India.
The Indian companies will be participating in the trade and investment seminar being organized in parallel to the JIFT and have one to one meeting with potential Sri Lankan businessmen, the High Commission said.
The High Commission hoped that Indian businesses participating would forge meaningful business ties with local partners and contribute to larger Indian effort to assist in a return to normalcy in the area.
With the conclusion of decades-long war and the opening of the A-9 mail highway, Jaffna has become a golden opportunity for businesses to invest, and establish new trade links.
Well done Canada.
<a href="http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/Organizations+that+allegedly+raised+money+Tamil+Tigers+ordered+forfeit/4147524/story.html>Organizations that allegedly raised money for Tamil Tigers ordered to forfeit belongings</a>
TORONTO — A pair of Canadian non-profit organizations the RCMP says raised millions of dollars for Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers rebels have been ordered to forfeit all their belongings to the federal government.
The Federal Court ruled the property of the World Tamil Movement of Ontario and the World Tamil Movement of Quebec was owned or controlled by a terrorist organization and therefore had to be forfeited.
The decision marks the official end of the WTM, which was formed in 1986 and became closely aligned with the fight for Tamil independence in Sri Lanka. It also marks the conclusion of a nine-year RCMP investigation that did not result in criminal charges.
“We still view this as a very positive ending in the sense that we did disrupt activities of terrorist financing in Canada, so that’s important to us,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud said on Friday.
A pair of Canadian non-profit organizations the RCMP says raised millions of dollars for Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers rebels have been ordered to forfeit all their belongings to the federal government.
The Federal Court ruled the property of the World Tamil Movement of Ontario and the World Tamil Movement of Quebec was owned or controlled by a terrorist organization and therefore had to be forfeited.
The decision marks the official end of the WTM, which was formed in 1986 and became closely aligned with the fight for Tamil independence in Sri Lanka. It also marks the conclusion of a nine-year RCMP investigation that did not result in criminal charges.
“We still view this as a very positive ending in the sense that we did disrupt activities of terrorist financing in Canada, so that’s important to us,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud said on Friday.
---------------------------------
The thing is for me the Canadian government is trying to hoodwink others to believe that they are serious about Terrorism. Don't think so, this would not have happened if VP was alive and well.
Ananda-USA said...
Superficially, if one listens to the chanted mantra of secularism, placing Buddhism in Sri Lanka on the same level as other religions may seem the ONLY reasonable course to take for Sri Lanka.
However, it is NEITHER the ONLY course, NOR the course taken by the GREAT MAJORITY of nations on this Earth.
This is simply case of who hogs the global media to propagate their view. It is only a case of who you hear from MOST OFTEN.
-----------------------------
You are right, it is very similar to Maha Wamsha bashing.
But why try to give these people ammunition. Can't we just take it out from the constituion and then still keep on supporting Buddhism? I don't believe leaders of SL support Buddhism because it is in the constituion, but rather based on their own beliefs.
Ananda-USA said...
Is this an Externally Engineered REGIME CHANGE?
If so, who is doing it?
GOSL, PLEASE take note of the Modus Operandi!
.................
Tunisia: Ali Baba gone, but what about the 40 thieves?
-------------------------------
It is engineered, but don't believe it was engineered by the west, since the western governments are the ones that supported these dictators. It is very likely an uninted result of Wiki Leaks. But speed of success of this revolution would also alarm the west as their supporters in the arabic world such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt might be the next.
With Twitter, FB running the show, it is no longer possible to manupulate the media according to the wishes of the western world.
The internet and its by products such as Facebook, Twitter, Wiki leaks and many more to come would be the one that would end up creating an equal society for every one in the world to live in.
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