By Gen. Ashok K Mehta
IndiaTimes.com
August 11, 2011
Not only did the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) comprehensively defeat the LTTE insurgency - the first such victory in the 21 century, but it also returned the country to a high growth rate path of 8%. That's the judgment Central Bank of Ceylon governor Ajith Cabraal made during the international conference last month at Colombo.
He considers the Sri Lankan military very productive, winning the war on the cheap: for $5.5 billion between 2006 and 2009, which is 4% of the GDP. By contrast, the US has spent nearly $1 trillion on its unfinished wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That government message is not going out loudly enough.
Instead, it has to justify victory and confront western allegations of human rights violations amounting to war crimes. The LTTE knew that killing the economy would result in Sri Lanka becoming a failed state. It chose economic targets in Colombo - the Central Bank, international airport and hotels - launching suicide attacks that also destroyed tourism.
Although the annual economic loss during the war was around 1-2% of the GDP, the economy grew for the most part, at 6% as the insurgency was confined to the North-East. Previous governments did not attempt defeating the LTTE militarily for fear of costs, high political uncertainty, loss of investor confidence and lack of political will. No one knew how India would react but most of all, few believed it was possible to subdue the LTTE.
So when the campaign was launched with hopeful titles like Eastern Awakening and Northern Spring, military commanders pursued a measured strategy of attrition and recapture of territory, certainly not the rout of LTTE. This is akin to India's capture in 1971 of Dacca, which was never envisaged in the original plans, regardless of claims made later.
The SLA deservedly congratulated itself on doing the unthinkable - conquering an invincible LTTE, thanks to its leader Prabhakaran's strategic follies including fighting positional battles instead of employing unconventional tactics, its forte. What surprised Sri Lanka was India's strategic cooperation in the destruction of the LTTE.
Recently one Sri Lankan minister said that Sri Lanka did not think India will allow the war to continue after the fall of Kilinochchi. Western pressures were used to end the war. In 2009, the EU withdrew the GSP plus concession on textiles which resulted in a recurring loss of nearly $200 million and the IMF delayed giving the loan.
What surprised Prabhakaran was a 'transformed' SLA led from the front by unrelenting commanders, backed by resolute political leadership and the adulation of the majority Sinhalese community prepared for any sacrifice to end the LTTE reign of terror.
Mr Cabraal said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had ordered full financial support for the war, which was reflected in successive defence budgets managed by the President's younger brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a former army officer. He pioneered fast-track weapons acquisition ensuring troops had the wherewithal to fight. Pakistan and China, India's twin adversaries, were the main suppliers of military hardware as India provided only defensive weapons.
Two years after the war, the investment on defence has paid off. The economic indicators are striking. There is a brain gain instead of the usual brain drain. Inflation is down to single figure, unemployment below 5%, fiscal deficit down from 6.8% to 5%, malnutrition down from 35% to 13.5% and poverty down to 7.6% in 2009-10 from 15.2% in 2006-07 - the fastest reduction in the world.
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
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46 comments:
The economic resurgence of Sri Lanka, that Gen. Ashok Mehta honestly recounts, is a boon to its long suffering citizens, but is a fact that arouses immense animosity, frustration and chagrin in the breasts of jealous Western Powers, mired neck-deep in "unwinnable" foreign wars, and in the Global Eelamist Tamil Terrorist network frantically plotting to destroy Sri Lanka.
May Sri Lanka cause FURTHER CONFUSION to its enemies, and go from STRENGTH to STRENGTH!
Now that TNA's 10-day ULTIMATUM has been IMMEDIATELY ...rejected by the GOSL, it should crawl into a hole and swallow left-over Cyanide Capsules provided them by the late unlamented Velupillai Prabhakaran who they worshipped as the SunGod!
There is NO REASON to WAIT ANYMORE for "responses" .. take those capsules NOW!
The response has already been given by the GOSL in rejecting TNA's "ULTIMATUM".
Are the Tiger Nominated Agents of the TNA having second thoughts now that their ULTIMATUM Hand Grenade has blown up in their faces?
THESE RACIST TERRORISTS NEVER LEARN to stop throwing BOMBS at this Government!
This GOSL does not respond to BLACKMAIL come HELL or HIGH WATER!
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TNA awaits Govt. response come H
By Sandun A. Jayasekera
August 11, 2011
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said yesterday it would participate in the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) deliberations to present the TNA’s point of view if the government responded positively to its ‘discussion paper’.
Jaffna district parliamentarian and TNA spokesman Suresh Premchandra told Daily Mirror the TNA handed over a discussion paper at last week’s talks with the government.
“We are awaiting a report on the composition and the PSC’s Terms of Reference. We are expecting for a positive response to the three demands we submitted at the August 4 talks. The TNA will take part in the PSC deliberations based on the government’s response to our demands and the discussion paper. We are ready to cooperate with the government if and when the government looks at our problems too in a more positive and cooperative manner,” Mr. Premachandran said. “But it is unfortunate that so far there has been no satisfactory response to our demands with the government failing to discuss power devolution. We want the talks to be something meaningful,” he said.
He lamented the conflicting and confusing views expressed on the North-East situation and the Government-TNA talks by government leaders like Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
With regard to the three conditions submitted by the TNA, Mr. Premachandra said it was not an ultimatum.
The TNA had requested the government to state its stance on the structure of governance, the subjects and functions allocated to the central government and the provincial councils and issues pertaining to fiscal and financial devolution within 10 days.
India should eradicate caste divisions and caste-based discrimination, but QUOTAS based on communal attributes IS NOT THE WAY.
Govt. assistance should be given based on POVERTY & NEED, not on the basis of communal attributes such as CASTE, RACE, RELIGION, LANGUAGE or SEX.
Dividing people by community will only exacerbate CIVIL DISCORD in India.
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India states ban film on low-caste quotas in education
BBC.com
August 12, 2011
Three Indian states have banned a new film on the controversial issue of education quotas for low-caste people.
Aarakshan (Reservation), directed by well-known Bollywood filmmaker Prakash Jha and starring acting legend Amitabh Bachchan, was released on Friday.
The northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh in the south, banned the film due to fears it may cause law and order problems.
Critics say the film uses objectionable terms to describe low-caste Hindus.
Mr Jha, who is known for making films on controversial social issues, denies the charge.
The ban in Uttar Pradesh will last two months, officials have said.
Authorities in Punjab said they would decide whether to show the film after a government panel reviewed it.
Posters of the film have been vandalised by protesters, who allege that the film makes derogatory references to low-caste Dalits (formerly untouchables).
Some Dalit groups have also objected to the casting of actor Saif Ali Khan, a Muslim royal, as a low-caste Hindu.
'Hard-hitting reality'
The film, however, has been passed by India's Censor Board and its director and actors have been defending the movie.
Mr Bachchan used his blog to question the ban on the film.
"Without any knowledge of what the film contains, without any desire to determine the trust and the most basic principles of law of democracy, it has merely strengthened my and many others' fear of the weakness it conveys of our belief in governance and its ethics," he wrote.
Mr Jha said last week: "In India there are people who benefit from this policy [of quotas] and there are those who have missed an opportunity because of the policy. Reservation and the quota system is a hard-hitting reality.
"It is almost an India-versus-India situation and by showing this in my movie, I am trying to bridge the gap."
Under the quota system, seats in colleges and government jobs are reserved for socially disadvantaged groups.
Backers of the affirmative action insist it helps open doors into highly-rated educational institutions to people who have long been denied access.
The system provides equal opportunities to the poorest and most marginalised in India, they say.
But critics of the system say reservation promotes mediocrity and divides people on the basis of caste or region.
The Maldives - An Atlantis for our age?
TimesOfMalta.com
August 12, 2011
The Maldives is considered a paradise destination by Europeans. Why, then, did its President announce national plans, in 2008, to purchase land in India, Sri Lanka and Australia? Land that would give his nation the option of mass migration?
He provided the answer himself. “We do not want to leave the Maldives but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades.”
The Maldives is not the only small island state to be concerned about rising sea levels. It is a member of the Alliance of Small Island States that was formed to address global warming. Its members, having low-lying coasts and being small island countries (not part of a much larger state), have good reason to be concerned by climate change.
The rising sea levels would not merely erode valuable land. They could lead to the disappearance of the country itself.
Even within this group of states, however, the Maldives has a special place.
It is the lowest-lying country in the world. The maximum natural ground level is only 2.3 metres while the average is only 1.5 metres above sea level. The 2004 tsunami destroyed 14 out of the 199 inhabited islands and displaced about 15,000 people (out of a population of about 313,000).
The dangers of climate change are therefore not abstract to Maldivians. Whether through a series of huge catastrophes or through gradual consistent rises in the sea level the country can really become an Atlantis for our age. The country’s own government made the same point flamboyantly when, on October 17, 2009, it held the world’s first-ever underwater Cabinet meeting! That attempt to gain the world’s attention has also been supplemented by more orthodox proposals on the human dimension of climate change.
The human dimension needs underlining. The extreme vulnerability of the Maldives brings it out clearly. It shows why the EU needs to remain engaged with projects in that country and others like it. Climate change does not need tackling only at a technocratic level. It raises issues of social justice and democracy as well.
Back in February, I was a member of the European Parliament’s South Asia delegation that visited the Maldives to inspect the EU-funded educational and health projects. The images of paradise hit one immediately. The corals were multi-coloured, purple, orange and grey. The tropical fish took one’s breath away. Blue-striped fish with orange tails, yellow fish with black tails and translucent strange creatures with turquoise eyes swam in and out with the flow of the water, as though in a giant aquarium. The main island is surrounded by powder-white sand, where small stingrays and black-tipped baby sharks swim along the sandy bottom.
The mention of those dangerous fish reminds one that it is not quite paradise. However, the major problems facing the Maldives have to do with people.
The atolls are scattered over 1,000 kilometres. This feature is what gives each atoll a sense of untouched paradise and makes tourism, besides fisheries, the major source of income. However, it is a logistical nightmare for a government trying to organise proper education, health care and administration. Each island has its local council.
A democratic central government needs to be committed to both connectivity and decentralisation. Although the present government styles itself as centre-right, its commitment to social justice and welfare seemed worthy of a centre-left part
The Maldives - An Atlantis for our age?
.......continued....
It is also the country’s first democratic government, following a 30-year dictatorship. During this period, the country was a haven of luxury tourism while the population itself was seen as made up of the paupers of the Indian Ocean. The development problems have not been solved yet.
In 2009, GDP contracted by three per cent. The GDP per capita was $4,200. The Corruption Perception Index ranked the country at 130 (out of 180). The Human Development Index for 2010 placed the country at 107 (out of 169). On the brighter side, the Press Freedom Index gave a rank of 52 (out of 175).
The point of running through these statistics is to show the additional challenge raised by climate change.
Imagine the country requires substantial demographic movements, either from some islands to the major ones or from the Maldives to other countries.
The success of the migrations will depend on the people’s ability to fit in democratically and economically. Otherwise, problems will pile up and become insurmountable. Maldivians would find themselves flooded by the sea and struggling not to sink in the ensuing political, economic and social problems. Atlantis is only romantic if you are not its citizen.
Malta is not as vulnerable as the Maldives. However, as a small island state, it is vulnerable enough to have something to learn from the Maldives and something to gain by offering its solidarity.
‘C4 undermining SL’s peace-building’ - BJP National Convenor
By Rodney MARTINESZ
DailyNews.lk
August 12, 2011
National Convenor (External Affairs Cell) of India’s main Opposition Bharathiya Janatha Party Sheshadri Chari yesterday slammed Britain’s Channel 4 for what he said was an attempt to poison the conducive environment that is now being built between the government and the Tamil population for peace and reconciliation.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily News, Chari said the “Channel 4 documentary which in any case does not appear to be made on any verifiable proof was derogatory in nature and only helps in vitiating the atmosphere (of peace building).”
Sheshadri Chari
Chari who had visited the North and spoken to the Tamil civilians said the Sri Lankan government was doing excellent work in the North by strengthening the peace process and undertaking economic development.
“For instance the three language formula is also an excellent initiative at creating social harmony asserting that there is “an urge for peace, progress and prosperity in the North”.
“The Tamil population is fearless today. In my interaction with some of them during my visit I found that they are enjoying freedom from the tyranny of the LTTE”.
Issues like Channel 4 is bound to poison this atmosphere the ground reality is so very different” he said.
He also noted that Sri Lanka was probably the only country in the last half a century which decisively won a war against terrorism. “I can’t recall any other country which has won a war against terrorism. Maoist terrorism, the IRA, Al- Qaeda still exist. They have not been totally annihilated as your country has done(with the LTTE)”.
He slammed the Tamil diaspora (he objected to describing them as such. To him they were “economic emigrants”) for feeding distorted information to the West. These elements left Sri Lanka for greener pastures and have no right to dabble in the internal policy decisions of the Sri Lankan government, he stressed.
“Some of these Western governments have their own compulsions and these individuals who are involved in NGOs are taking undue advantage of the liberal policies of some of these countries to foist their hidden agendas”.
To a question that most political watchers here felt that the BJP was supportive of the LTTE during the final stages of Eelam war which also coincided with the Indian Lok Sabha election, Chari said that the BJP never supported the LTTE. “The Party’s very stance from the beginning was that we accept the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and there could be no compromise on this”.
“We are not aware of what the feeling was here. As for the BJP even at the time it was in government(1998- 2004) it did not support the LTTE at all. How, he asked, could they support an outfit who was responsible for killing of an Indian Prime minister.
‘C4 undermining SL’s peace-building’ - BJP National Convenor
.......continued.......
It is ridiculous to state that the BJP could have supported the LTTE, he said, adding he could claim with assurance that nowhere in India is there any support for the LTTE.
Asked about the situation in Tamil Nadu which had been a hub of LTTE activity in recent times and of the campaigns by elements as Vaiko, Chari who himself hails from Tamil Nadu said these were the actions of mavericks and those guided by financial rewards. “Once the funds dwindle all protests and activity fizzles out” he said adding that the BJP as a party has taken a constant stand that the LTTE is a terrorist organisation and it no longer exists.
Asked if the BJP at any time contemplates teaming up with Jayalalitha who is accusing Sri Lanka of human rights violation of the Tamils, given that coalition politics has now become the norm in India when it comes to forming governments, Chari said,” it is too early to comment on his party’s future political strategies( the next Lok Sabha elections are in 2014) but as far as human rights allegations are concerned he would like to ask a simple question: “Can a terrorist who indulges in inhuman activities be really called a human being?
He went on to ask if a terrorist has the same rights as a normal peace loving citizen and if so did the US government, for instance, extend all the courtesies of human rights to Osama Bin Laden? “All this talk about human rights violations are unacceptable?” he said.
US Double Standards ASSAILED!
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US that accuses Sri Lanka of war crimes exposed by WikiLeaks - Sri Lankan Minister
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 12, Colombo: While the United States renewed its call again on Thursday for an international investigation into Sri Lanka's war, a Sri Lankan government minister said the United States that accuses Sri Lanka of committing war crimes and calling for an international investigation has been exposed by WikiLeaks with its accounts of Iraq taken from US cables proving that thousands of civilians were killed during operations in Iraq.
General Secretary of Sri Lanka's Sinhala nationalist party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and Power and Energy Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka has said that all foreign expert panels and committees have proven that Sri Lanka had not exceeded the accepted international parameters in warfare.
According to United States military documents leaked by the WikiLeaks, the Iraq War Logs have recorded 92,003 civilian deaths during the Iraq War from January 2004 to December 2009 while several other organizations list over 100,000 civilian deaths.
Minister Ranawaka, addressing a media briefing said Sri Lanka had helped the US by defeating the LTTE since the organization maintained strong links with the terrorist outfits that now pose a threat to the US.
Responding to the US call on Tuesday for an independent international investigation in to the allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka during the last phase of the war, the Minister said the
The US threat of economic sanctions would be a futile attempt as the US itself is gradually plunging into a major economic mess with debts running to trillions of dollars.
The US renewed its call for an independent investigation again yesterday.
"We would like the Sri Lankan Government to take its responsibility and establish the kind of accountable system that its people can have confidence it. But if that does not happen and does not happen expeditiously, then we reserve the right to discuss international mechanisms," the State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said at the Daily Press Briefing on Thursday.
The Minister has observed that the West is facing major difficulties today due to uprisings by far right groups since the attacks in Norway.
He urged the US not to disrupt the peaceful environment the people live in following the defeat of the LTTE.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's major opposition said the US should not interfere in Sri Lanka's internal affairs.
UNP parliamentarian Wijedasa Rajapaksa has said that Sri Lanka is just emerging from a long war and the people have suffered immensely.
"US is having double standards and interfering in Sri Lanka's sovereignty. There is no need for the US to stir up ill-feelings among the people," the parliamentarian has said.
Indeed, Sovereignty is MEANINGLESS if OWNERSHIP of the NATIONAL ECONOMY is LOST to Foreigners!
Sri Lanka should be CAUTIOUS in advocating UNCONTROLLED Foreign Investments.
The Native Hawaiians lost Control of Hawaii the SAME WAY.
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Dangers of India’s business in Sri Lanka
By Shenali Waduge
LankaWeb.com
August 08, 2011
With the dawning of peace upon a nation that withstood 3 decades of terror, Sri Lanka is looking towards development & aiming at economic revival. While lobbying foreign investors to invest in Sri Lanka, it is no surprise to see India engage its neighbor – this time from the economic front.
Indians are no strangers to Sri Lanka & with peace Indian companies are keener than ever to put their foot into Sri Lanka through various development projects in the goods & service sectors as well as through Indian labor into Sri Lanka. Most of these projects have had land identified & Government approvals already obtained much of the time without taking into consideration the opinions of country-proud businessmen or professionals.
Should we then be surprised that over 50% of Indian investments in SAARC countries are located in Sri Lanka. Of these joint ventures 54% are with Sri Lankans & located in Sri Lanka. Principle sectors attracting Indian investment in Sri Lanka are steel, rubber, cement, power & energy, oil exploration, production, telecom, real estate, tourism, computer software, IT training & other professional services. The better question is to wonder what sectors Indians have not ventured into in Sri Lanka!
India is undoubtedly Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner & India desires to maintain that status quo & would not like it being enjoyed by any other nation. This is evident in India’s competition with China. While Sri Lanka understands the power of both these nations, it must be reiterated that Sri Lanka does not want to nor desires to compete with either except to continue the friendly ties that ought to exist with mutual respect. India also is Sri Lanka’s largest source of imports & Sri Lanka’s fourth largest export destination. In 2008, foreign direct investment to Sri Lanka was $889m & $126m came from India.
Indian companies had been operating in Sri Lanka post-war but the present numbers have certainly doubled. Previously Indian companies operating in Sri Lanka included John Keells Institute of Information Technology, CEAT-Kelani Associated Holdings, Mackwood Infotec, GTB Colombo, Ceylon Ambuja Cement, Taj Lanka Hotels, Bensiri Rubber Products. Asian Paints & Ceylon Glass Company.
Post-war means a boom for the construction industry & Indians desire to secure a large chunk of investments being given to foreigners.
Lets take a look at some of these projects taking shape in Sri Lanka.
Larsen & Toubro is constructing a commercial complex which is to cost US50m.
Lalith Gangadhar Constructions is constructing residential villas outside Colombo. Power Grid Corporate India, National Thermal Power Corporation, Lanka India Oil Corporation (Lanka IOC), Cairn Lanka, Lanka Ashok Leyland & Mphasis have all drawn out plans with Sri Lanka. Similarly, Cairn India has begun a seismic survey in Mannar Basin. Mphasis the Indian IT services company has set up a facility in Sri Lanka that aspires to hire 2000 professionals.
Dangers of India’s business in Sri Lanka
.......continued 1.......
Compared to 1990 when only 12 Indian projects with a total investment of LKR 177 million, today there are over 100 Indian companies doing business legally in Sri Lanka, this number is likely to increase in view of the other activities Indians with Sri Lankans are involved in illegally. Indians have so far invested $400million in Sri Lanka & the additional investments are said to be around $300million. The energy projects are amounting to USD1billion & the project will involve the installation of power transmission lines between India & Sri Lanka to pave the way for eventual trading of electricity between the two countries & linking power grid in Tamil Nadu to the transmission system in Sri Lanka. NTPC, India’s biggest power company is in the process of signing a jv with the Ceylon Electricity Board to set up a 1000 mw coal-based power unit with an investment of US500million in East Trincomalee. Some investments are however somewhat questionable & certainly advises signatories to be cautious about what they are signing & the need to look at long term repercussions first before committing a whole country & its people just for political mileage. Sri Lanka should be in no hurry to develop if it is going to be at the cost of loosing our sovereign status!
Already India has a presence in Sri Lanka in terms of lubes, bunker & fuel retailing & India is attempting to make further inroads. The tie up with Lanka Ashok Leyland is likely to lead to the sale of 1300 vehicles sooner than later. No sooner India realized the Government was opening highways, India was quick to capture the market by making available commercial vehicles to transport construction equipment. With the end of the war, India has also pledged to build 50,000 houses for IDPs in the North of Sri Lanka & RPP Intra Projects has been awarded USD11.3m pilot project to build the first 1000 houses.
Every step Sri Lanka is taking, India is quick to ensure its companies are present vis a vis investment.
In the arena of agriculture too Indians have made in roads. Sri Lanka does not domestically produce enough raw materials for the production of 3 lakh tonnes of vanaspati. Palmoil is imported from Malaysia or Indonesia duty free (FTA under rules of origin & value addition) & since India announced zero duty on crude oil imports, Indian businessmen have lobbied the Indian Government to allow import of refined palmolein from Sri Lanka at zero-duty. Ultimately Indian businessmen in Sri Lanka will purchase refined palmolein from Malaysia & bring it to India at zero duty & no one will know the oil came from Sri Lanka!
India is assisting with reconstruction by extending grants to build railway projects. Various business associations are also frequently visiting including those from different Chambers in India. An MOU was signed after a visit by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry of Sri Lanka with the Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE). Businessmen from Kerala were invited to invest in agro processing units, educational institutions & even setting up of universities.
Another area that Sri Lanka enjoys potential profit is in the Tourist industry & Sri Lanka is targeting 2.5m tourists by 2016.
Indian investments are eyeing all areas in Sri Lanka. Even Sri Lanka’s footwear industry is to be assisted by India since the bulk of raw materials are imported from Chennai. This means Sri Lanka is likely to grant further tax concessions in exchange for skills building & training for the local footwear & leather industry. Demand for designer footwear in Sri Lanka is an area that Indian sellers are planning to exploit.
Dangers of India’s business in Sri Lanka
.......continued 2.......
Indian banks have also opened in Jaffna in early January this year while in May India & Sri Lanka signed a MOU on Bilateral Air Services between the countries revising the original agreement signed in 1948. The agreement will entail more flights in & out of each country destination. Already Sri Lankan Airlines operates 98 weekly flights to various destinations in India while Sri Lanka’s budget carrier Mihin Air operates season flights to Varanasi & Gaya.
Sri Lanka’s Ministry for Industry & Commerce claims Sri Lanka has crossed the US8billion export earnings mark in 2010 & that they foresee it reaching US9billion by 2011. The example was to encourage further Indian investment & the offer of space in industrial zones while also negotiating with other ministries to allocate lands for cultivating fruits & vegetables in the country.
India’s coconut exports have also seen a 30% surge following the ban on shipments from Sri Lanka. Indian coconuts are making their way to Middle East wherein Sri Lanka was the previous main exporter of fresh coconuts. Coconuts are grown in more than 86 countries worldwide producing 54billion nuts annually. India’s annual production is 13billion nuts & cultivated in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & Andra Pradesh. India has taken Sri Lanka’s place in the market.
Caution again is requested of the Government in the light of imports coming from India. 29 companies in India had been supplying substandard drugs to Sri Lanka for the past 6 years. The question is why are these companies not being blacklisted? What good is foregoing the cash bond in the terms of supply contract for Sri Lankans whose health is likely to be affected by taking these substandard drugs? Who is going to be accountable?
It is not only economically that India is present in Sri Lanka. Politically too, India now has 2 Indian consulates in Jaffna & Hambantota. We are also reminded of how Indian diplomats tried to coerce a Jaffna magistrate to freeing Indian fishermen. The seriousness of the issue is that Indian fishermen are increasingly intruding into Sri Lankan waters & this is impacting the livelihoods of 22,000 families in Jaffna who are dependent on fishing. Most of these fishing incidents have taken place close to the Tamil Nadu assembly elections & naturally makes any wonder what type of timing & what type of response was really aimed at by purposely creating the issue?
There are numerous cultural tie-ups also taking shape. The India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association was recently commemorated.
In December 2010 Sri Lanka began to receive the first ever chicken & egg commercial consignment imported frrom India to meet shortages in Sri Lanka’s domestic market. As such 500 tonnes of chicken & 50million eggs from one supplier was sent during the christmas season.
The Bank of Ceylon is also planning to have Indian businessmen invest in organic agriculture in the North & East as well as to provide financial services to 60,000 Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu. The exercise means that BOC will open 4 branches in India & invest US$25million as per Indian banking regulation to set up the four branches. The branche also plans to assist Indian businessment to start dairy projects & cultivation of fruits & vegetables using organic fertilizer with modern agro techniques.
Thus the calls for a joint economic zone to agreeing to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) should spell caution for Sri Lanka & India’s insistence should also spell the need to take inputs from professionals & businessmen before taking a decision purely to support political goodwill. Most agreements in reality benefit only India as Sri Lanka’s investment in India remains relatively very small.
Dangers of India’s business in Sri Lanka
.......continued 3.......
CEPA – a threat to Sri Lanka
We all know that CEPA or the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was a sequel to the Free Trade Agreement. The FTA operational since 2000 did not reap the benefits to Sri Lanka. This is evident in the statistics. Whereas Indian exports to Sri Lanka grew from USD1billion to USD2.9billion, Sri Lanka’s exports to India saw a small leverage from USD100m to USD500m. Much of Sri Lanka’s exports to India was vanaspati oil, marble & copper handled by Indian businessmen from Sri Lanka thus the FTA had only given Sri Lanka USD150m increase whereas India’s increase when into billions. The FTA had conceded 1351 duty-free items for Sri Lanka yet only 68 has an export value for the country. In contrast Sri Lanka has given India 319 duty free concessions which have favorable export interest to India. Therefore Indian businessmen are having it easy with Sri Lanka which is evident in over 50% Indian joint ventures in the SAARC region set up in Sri Lanka. It simply cautions Sri Lanka to be alert. A good example is the IOC which initially invested Rs700m from a local bank & then went for a public share issue & later diluted 30% of shares & keeps the remaining 70% within Indian control. For IOCs investment it controls 30% OF local petroleum distribution, has over 100 petrol stations & has been given land worth Rs.1billion in Colombo & has 40 Indian manufacturers operating in Sri Lanka. Their profits crossed Rs.7billion in 2007 alone. How has this benefitted Sri Lanka?
So while Sri Lanka has been accepting Indians & Indian ventures with open arms Sri Lankan investors in India have not been afforded similar receptions.
In 2004, Ceylon Biscuits Limited bought over the 3rd largest biscuit factor in India but an Indian court order in 2008 declared the sale “null & void”. Similarly when the Export Development Board ventured to open a Sri Lankan showroom in Chennai in 2004 wherein 17 local businesses participated the Indian authorities imposed a ban on retail sales prohibiting the sale of products & authority to only exhibit.
In defense the cases that India will cite would be the treatment given to Sri Lankan apparel trade & tea. By allowing Brandix & MAS Holdings Group to operate in India, India has been able to capture overseas markets traditionally held by Sri Lanka. India is not at fault for this & behoves the Sri Lankan Government to question why it could not have provided similar support. Also, of the total garment quota of 8m conceded by India to Sri Lanka, 6m have to be produced with Indian fabric while only 2m are subject to NTBs which equates in reality to only 1% of garment quota being utilized. Similarly tea quota is 15m kg which is also subject to NTBs & entry points are restricted to Cochin & Calcutta. This again equates to only 2.7% quota going to India.
Dangers of India’s business in Sri Lanka
.......continued 4.......
How can CEPA be of any benefit to Sri Lanka when thus far all agreements ventured into between the two countries has merely benefited India while a few insignificant benefits have been afforded to Sri Lanka just for whitewashing purposes? CEPA covers both goods & services & also the free movement of people & this spells clear dangers for Sri Lanka – its people & its businesses & even the country’s integrity going forward. Moreover, CEPA is proposing to offer Indian film industry the right to own cinema halls & reserve cinema time to air Indian films which would again dilute Sri Lanka’s culture further. Indian labor would swamp Sri Lanka & be engaged in all sectors even presently without any agreement there are many Indians who are even overstaying their visas but nothing is being done about it. It is said that over 35000 Indians are currently in Sri Lanka with valid visas…& it behoves to ask how many Indians are in Sri Lanka without valid visas. In time to come Indians will be having a stake in every sphere of life. Has this being thought of by our policy makers & is Sri Lanka prepared to handle the disadvantages that are likely to take place as a result.
India & China will remain tomorrow’s powerhouses. Sri Lanka is important to both in terms of its geographical location. Sri Lanka has its own aspiration of developing overcoming the travails that existed during 3 decades of conflict. Do we envisage a country with high GDP as a result of vices being legalized or do we desire to keep our cultural identity & remain a country belonging to the ethnic races that make up Sri Lanka? That the country is experiencing enormous shifts economically is evident but it behoves any Government to first consider where these investments are likely to lead before signing on any dotted lines, commitments for which we may be sorry later & we would not be able to reverse.
Doing business with India is one thing, but the most important aspect of this bilateral involvement is India’s political maneuverings which have in the past & likely in the future to deny the respect it should give to a sovereign nation. India cannot deny its involvement to destabilize Sri Lanka. That single policy remains a reminder to Sri Lanka that India can never be trusted. A combined trade investment as is envisaged by officials may be good but we must all the while remember that India has the ability to economically & with people to engulf us if we are not careful enough to allow only a limited & controlled Indian presence in Sri Lanka. Allowing India to have a say & stake in every aspect of Sri Lankan life would spell the non-requirement for Sri Lankan leaderships – even politically in time to come.
All stakeholders of Sri Lanka need to be aware of this.
The TNA mutts PRETEND NOT TO UNDERSTAND that Parliamentary seats ARE ALLOCATED to yield EQUAL REPRESENTATION on the basis of regional population of citizens, irrespective of COMMUNAL considerations.
Seats ARE NOT ALLOCATED on the basis of EQUAL ethnic representation, or how many seats any particular region or community had in the past.
This had always been the practice in Sri Lanka, and in Every Parliamentary Democracy in the world: regions losing population are combined, and those gaining population are split to yield a seat for roughly the same number of people.
In Sri Lanka, it NEVER MATTERED whether voters were Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, or whatever community they belonged to.
TNA's problem is OBVIOUS.
The Tamil population in Sri Lanka has drastically decreased (by about 1.5 million) through legal and illegal emigration of Tamil people promoted and engineered by the LTTE.
As we all know, massive smuggling of Tamils as FAKE REFUGEES to developed countries by the LTTE network happened in the PAST, and is happening even NOW. To keep the refugee doors open, they continue to DEMONIZE Sri Lanka on international fora making FALSE ALLEGATIONS of discrimination and war crimes, completely ignoring the murder, mayhem, terrorism and genocide they supported and collaborated in, in Sri Lanka.
As a result of this mass migration of Tamils from Sri Lanka to other countries, EQUAL REPRESENTATION for equal numbers of people has yielded fewer parliamentary seats for the Tamil dominant areas .... as it should.
But, the TNA is now demanding GREATER THAN EQUAL REPRESENTATION for Tamils. That is RACIST DEMAND!
If the TNA is displeased by the reduction in Tamil population, and its descent from the 2nd largest community in Sri Lanka to the 3rd largest community, the TNA should complain to the late unlamented SunGod ... Vellupillai Prabhakaran .. who I doubt will be able to help as he boils in oil in HELL.
When the TNA demands more seats that it is not entitled to on the basis of regional population numbers ... it is acting TRUE TO FORM ... as the UNREPENTANT SELFISH RACISTS they always have been.
This should teach the Tiger Nominated Agents of the TNA that RACISM will get them fast NOWHERE!
As they contemplate their SELF-CREATED IRREVERSIBLE DILEMMA, these self-proclaimed Highly Intelligent Separatist Terrorists of Sri Lanka should recognize that they have OUTSMARTED themselves ... their RACIST SEPARATIST BOMB has just blown up in THEIR OWN UGLY FACES ... and perhaps that they are NOT SO SMART after all!!
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TNA opposes reduction of Jaffna seats, Govt. defends EC
By Saman Indrajith
Island.lk
August 10, 2011
The TNA yesterday vehemently opposed the government’s decision to reduce the number of parliamentary seats in the Jaffna district.
TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Samapanthan, making a special statement in Parliament, said that the reduction of representation in the Jaffna electoral district would in reality mean the reduction of effective Tamil representation in Parliament and the denial of equal treatment and political justice to the Tamil people.
TNA opposes reduction of Jaffna seats, Govt. defends EC
........continued......
The total number of members of Parliament elected to the territory, covered by the present Jaffna electoral district in 1977, under the First Past the Post System, was eleven (11), he said. The total number of members of Parliament elected to the Jaffna electoral district under the proportional representation system at the last general election was nine (9). It would appear that this number is to further decline and become six (6), he said.
"This reduction is attributed to the decline in the total number of voters currently registered within the Jaffna electoral district. It cannot be denied that this decline has not been caused voluntarily. It has been due to various circumstances that were the result of the war that prevailed for around three decades and the violent and abnormal situation that prevailed within the Jaffna electoral district throughout that period. As a consequence of the war, Jaffna Peninsula, the main population base of the Jaffna electoral district, was de-populated almost entirely, around 1995 and 1996, from which it has not yet fully recovered," he said.
"A situation of normalcy is yet to return to the Jaffna electoral district that would enable the displaced people to return to their original places of residence with confidence in regard to their safety and security. The people are also being compulsorily kept out of their places of habitat and residence by the continued existence of high security zones/restricted areas," he said.
Sampanthan called upon the Government to take steps to preserve the status quo ante and to prevent a grave injustice.
Responding to the TNA’s allegations, Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne said that the Elections Commissioner effects changes to electoral districts and numbers on the basis of duties entrusted to him by the provisions in the Constitutional. There had been many previous examples for such changes introduced to the electoral maps in accordance with the provisions outlined by the clauses of the Constitution.
The prime minister tabled a report containing all the details of changes introduced by elections commissioners during the past and requested the TNA members to refer that report.
The SL Navy believes the attack on the Kinniya Navy Camp is a plot by DRUG TRAFFICKERS to get the Navy to pullout from the area.
Maybe, but who are these "traffickers"?
What is their long-term motivation? Is it only PROFIT, or are they LTTE cadre trying to REVIVE THE WEAPONS & CADRE SMUGGLING NETWORK they had before the LTTE was defeated?
It seems to me that all of the recent activities, occurring after TNA's ULTIMATUM was REJECTED, including
1. the "Grease Devil" attacks in the HILL Country, the Northern Province, and the Eastern Province,
2. the attack on Police stations and Navy camps,
3. the proposed "invasion" of Karchatheevu Island by Indian Tamil groups,
4. Heoghtened demonstration by Eelamists in Tamil Nadu,
5. The FLASE "War Crimes" charges against the GOSL orchestrated by the Eelamist Tamil Diaspora
.... ARE CONNECTED.
These are COORDINATED Eelamist activities, to create civil discord and violence, isolate and destabilize Sri Lanka, to increase the Political & International PRESSURE to achieve their SEPARATIST goals.
As in 1983, their aim is to PRECIPITATE VIOLENCE and get the security forces and the GOSL on the DEFENSIVE ... ONCE AGAIN.
Then, using these RESULTS of their agitation, they will DEMONIZE Sri Lanka and level "Humanitarian Crimes" INTERNATIONALLY, in chorus with Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu, and the Western powers arrayed against Sri Lanka.
Let us note that US Defence Secretary Hillary Clinton was "discussing" Sri Lanka with Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu quite recently. What was Hillary Clinton doing discussing Sri Lanka with RACIST DEMAGOGUES in Tamil Nadu? I think we know. That too may be a part of this overall coordinated plot to destabilize Sri Lanka.
Instead of REDUCING Security Forces presence in these areas, it should be INCREASED and these events, that highlight the CONTINUING SECURITY THREATS to the Nation should be taken as the JUSTIFICATION to MAINTAIN Security Forces PERMANENTLY in these areas.
Three things should be done:
1. Prosecute and PUNISH ALL people who BREAK THE LAW, including the villagers who attacked the Navy camp, the so called "Grease devils", and the people who undertook vigilante action to attack the "Grease devils".
2. Increase the security force presence in these areas through building more permanent Police, Army and Navy camps. These events have now provided the required JUSTIFICATION.
3. Implement a policy of Ethnic Integration, geared to creating a uniform mix of people of all races throughout the nation, as the ONLY PERMANENT SOLUTION and BARRIER to the SEPARATIST agenda. There is NO HIGHER NATIONAL PRIORITY than this.
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Sri Lanka Navy on alert following attack on Kinniya naval camp
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 15, Colombo: Sri Lanka Navy was on alert today after one of its camps in the Eastern Province came under attack on Sunday night by the residents of the area who were chasing "Grease Devils".
The Navy believes the attack by the residents on the Kinniya navy camp in Trincomalee district is a conspiracy by drug racketeers in the coastal area to close the base and remove the Navy from there to carry out drug smuggling operations uninterruptedly.
A spokesman for the Navy said that many racketeers were arrested in the last few days following the operations from the naval base in Kinniya and these racketeers are stirring up the public to remove the naval detachment as it is an obstacle to their operations.
A large group of residents last night pelted stones at the Navy camp claiming that two "Grease Devil" drove into the base and were seeking refuge there.
The Navy said it had to fire at the crowd to disperse the mob. Several villagers and navy personnel were injured in the clash and admitted to the hospital.
Sri Lanka Navy on alert following attack on Kinniya naval camp
......continued.....
The mob also attacked the police, which arrived at the scene to control the situation, and burned a police jeep.
Tension prevailed today also after people stormed the Government Agent's office demanding the release of 25 suspects arrested by the police during the skirmish. The police have released the 25 people taken into custody last night.
The Navy spokesman has said the individuals engaged in the illegal activities were leading the assault on the camp.
A group of senior defence officials including the Eastern Commander Major General Boniface Perera visited Kinniya to monitor the situation.
Sri Lanka has been gripped with the fear of "Grease Devils" for the past few days. Prowlers, only clad in underwear and with grease applied on them to avoid being caught, have been terrorizing women in several rural areas of the country.
Bravo, India!
FINALLY, India has taken a positive step towards Indian Tamil AGITATORS hell-bent on creating a rift between Sri Lanka and India.
Now, PROSECUTE THEM TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW!
BRAVO!
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India arrests pro-Tamil fishermen group setting out to hoist Indian flag in Sri Lanka's Kachchatheevu Island
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 15, Rameswaram: Indian police have arrested more than 40 members of a pro-Tamil group in Tamil Nadu on Monday when they tried to sail to Sri Lanka's Kachchatheevu Island to hoist the Indian flag there.
Kachchatheevu, an uninhabited island with only a Catholic shrine, was ceded to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 under an Indian Supreme Court directive.
Tamil Nadu Police had arrested 43 workers of the Hindu Makkal Katchi, including its state unit President Annadurai, when they were on their way to the fishing jetty in Rameswaram, heading to the disputed island, a PTI report said.
The group was reportedly demanding that fishermen should be allowed to fish in and around the island.
Indian police had banned fishing for the day to prevent any embarrassing incidents and maintained strict vigil.
According to a local media report in Sri Lanka, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition political party in India has said that the party was making preparations to go by force to Kachchatheevu by boat and raise the Indian flag, but no date has been set for the move yet.
However, the Sri Lankan Navy has said that it will block any attempt by the Indian demonstrators to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) into Sri Lankan waters and reach the disputed island.
The transfer of Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka has been under dispute as Indian fishermen claim they have the rights to fish around the island.
In June this year the new Chief Minister Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu government filed a petition in the Indian Supreme Court seeking the declaration of the 1974 agreement between India and Sri Lanka on ceding Kachchatheevu to the latter as unconstitutional.
Both Indian and Sri Lankan governments say the transfer cannot be reversed.
India's 65th Independence Day celebrated in Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 15, Colombo: The High Commission of India and the Indian expatriate community in Sri Lanka celebrated the 65th Independence Day of India on Monday, August 15that India House in Colombo, a press statement of Indian High Commission in Colombo said.
High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha hoisted the National Flag of India, which was followed by rendering of the National Anthem by the lady officials of the High Commission and the Indian community.
The High Commissioner inspected the Guard of Honour presented by the BSF contingent and read out excerpts from the Address to the Nation on the eve of Independence Day by the President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil.
On the occasion, High Commissioner also conveyed his greetings to the citizens of Sri Lanka and noted that India and Sri Lanka, knit together by the ties of history, geography and culture, were destined to play key roles in the rising Asia and the partnership must therefore progress in the spirit of being the closest of neighbours and friends whose destinies were interlinked.
A brief cultural programme followed which included patriotic songs and colourful and patriotic dance performances by the students of the Indian Cultural Centre. Subsequently, High Commissioner and other officials of the High Commission paid their respects to the memory of fallen soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in a solemn ceremony at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo.
High Commissioner highlighted the exchange of high level visits in the recent past and emphasized the successful implementation of engagement of bilateral agenda in all fields. Last year, India was Sri Lanka�s largest trading partner and also emerged as the number one source country in terms of foreign tourist arrivals and Foreign Direct Investment.
High Commissioner also highlighted that earlier this month, negotiations were completed on agreements to set up a 500 MW power project at Sampur in Trincomalee by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and all the agreements have been initialed and will be signed shortly.
High Commissioner also expressed happiness at the resumption of ferry service between India and Sri Lanka after about 30 years with the commencement of ferry service between Tuticorin and Colombo in June this year.
High Commissioner also highlighted the progress in the construction of 50,000 houses under a grant provided by India and also the work in progress for the wreck-removal and salvage at the Kankasanthurai Harbour which will help in restoring traditional commercial linkages. High Commissioner also highlighted the rapid progress in reconstruction of railway lines in Northern Sri Lanka, under a Government of India Line of Credit of US$ 800 million and another railway project in Southern part under another concessional credit line of US$ 167.4 million. He also highlighted that construction of a 150-bed multi-specialty hospital at Dickoya in the Central Province under a grant from the Government of India has started and that all the projects funded by the Government of India are being implemented in a smooth and timely manner.
Sri Lanka Navy denies allegations of preventing Indian Fishermen from fishing off Kachchatheevu
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 15, Colombo: Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) today vehemently denied an Indian media report that said it prevented the Indian fishermen from fishing near Kachchatheevu and took away their catch.
Indian news agency Press Trust of India reported Sunday that Sri Lankan Navy personnel prevented about 2,000 fishermen who ventured out to sea in 511 boats from fishing near Kachchatheevu and took away their catch.
"Being a responsible Naval force, Sri Lanka Navy adheres to international maritime laws and carries out surveillance and patrolling accordingly in the defence of Sri Lankan waters," the Navy said Monday.
The SLN expressed its "deep concerns over the malicious allegations raised time to time accusing it of harassing Indian fishermen."
It said that none of these allegations have been able to prove the Navy's involvement and they are fabricated accusations merely to strain the friendly relationship between the neighbours.
The SLN pointed out that on numerous occasions it has come to the aid of distressed Indian fishermen and providing sustenance and assistance with their vessels despite the expenses incurred by the Navy.
Sri Lanka Navy has helped Indian boats in distress in the Sri Lankan waters, on more than 10 occasions saving lives of many fishermen, in 2011 alone, the SLN said.
It added that grateful Indian fishermen have expressed their gratitude for the navy's prompt assistance.
"Sri Lanka Navy, being a responsible naval force honouring the international maritime laws, provides humanitarian assistance to local and foreign fishermen in distress," the SLN statement said pledging to continue the practice in future and "make available its expertise in rescuing and providing protection to sea farers when they are in difficulty in Sri Lankan waters."
Unfortunately, journalist Sudha Ramachandran is also DISSEMINATING the FALSE PROPAGANDA and FALSE War CRIMES "evidence" of the Tamil Eelamist Diaspora denied a RACIST APARTHIED SEPARATIST STATE in Sri Lanka!
This is what we EXPECT from BIASED SELF-SERVING Tamils posing as "impartial" journalists, not-too-subtly trying to drive a wedge between Sri Lanka and India!
...............
India leery of neighbor's new squeeze
By Sudha Ramachandran
AsiaTimes.com
August 16, 2011
BANGALORE - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa would have returned from China a relieved man. The Chinese promised Sri Lanka more investment in infrastructure projects and to enhance two-way trade and strengthen cultural and personnel exchanges.
More important for Rajapaksa was Beijing's assurance of "fullest support in all necessary situations to Sri Lanka in international forums".
It means that the Sri Lankan president can count on the Chinese to come to his rescue should allegations of war crimes against his regime come up for consideration in international bodies like the United Nations Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). He can expect Beijing to use its clout to dilute
resolutions unfavorable to Colombo or veto any possible UN security council resolution referring Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court.
The Sri Lankan civil war came to an end in May 2009, when the Sri Lankan armed forces inflicted a comprehensive defeat on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Although both sides committed atrocities throughout the 25-year-long war, the period from January 2009 till the war's culmination was particularly brutal.
While allegations of war crimes by the Rajapaksa regime were leveled by the Tamil Diaspora and international human rights groups within weeks of the war's end, it was the findings of a report by a panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that has provided renewed momentum to the international campaign for trial of key persons in Sri Lanka's political and defense decision-making structures on war crimes charges.
The UN panel said it found "credible allegations, which if proven indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law was committed both by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity".
Since the publication of the UN panel report, several other reports and documentaries, such as "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields" by Channel Four of the UK, have revealed in graphic detail the execution of LTTE's political leaders and their families when they surrendered to the Sri Lankan armed forces and the horrific rape, torture and killing of Tamil civilians. These have evoked widespread outrage and clamor for a credible international probe into the final stages of the war, for a trial of the Rajapaksa regime over war crimes and for the imposition of economic sanctions on Sri Lanka.
Responding to calls for an inquiry into allegations of war crimes, the Sri Lankan government set up a Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in May 2010. The UN panel rejected its credibility saying it "fails to satisfy key international standards of independence and impartiality."
The United States has stepped up pressure on Sri Lanka in recent months. If Colombo failed to put in place a credible internal inquiry into allegations of war crimes expeditiously, "Then we reserve the right to discuss international mechanisms," US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland warned last week.
It does seem that Sri Lanka will figure on the agenda of the upcoming session of the UNHRC.
India leery of neighbor's new squeeze
......continued 1....
Washington is reported to have issued Colombo a demarche to place the findings of the LLRC before the UNHRC. Sri Lankan newspaper the Sunday Times, reported concern in the Sri Lankan government that such a step would open the door to discussions on the UN panel report's allegation of war crimes, the Channel Four documentary and so on.
However, Sri Lankan diplomats are said to have warned their Ministry of External Affairs that there is the possibility of "a more damaging" resolution being tabled by a US ally if Colombo fails to place the LLRC findings before the UNHRC. According to the Sunday Times, "There are fears there could be calls for an ‘international investigation', sanctions and travel bans on those identified in the UN Panel report."
It is in the context of these developments that Rajapaksa's recent visit to China, his second in a year, should be seen.
In May 2009, deft Sri Lankan diplomacy resulted in the UNHRC dropping a Swiss-EU draft resolution calling for an investigation into possible war crimes and adopting instead another resolution that praised Sri Lanka for its victory over the LTTE. China, Russia, India and Pakistan were among the countries that supported Colombo then.
It is not clear this time around just how much support Sri Lanka will be able to rally as evidence of war crimes has mounted since the 2009 vote and is far too damning.
It is uncertain what position India will take. Delhi has run out of patience trying to get the Sri Lankan President to implement the 13th amendment to the Constitution in the North and East. Besides, horrific details laid bare in the Channel Four documentary of the violence perpetrated in the final stages of the war has stirred unrest in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and calls for a tough Indian response, including economic sanctions on Sri Lanka.
That India's stance could be hardening vis-a-vis Colombo was evident early this month when its External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told parliament that he had stressed to his Sri Lankan counterpart the need for "investigations into allegations of human rights violations".
Yet there is concern in India over how a tough new approach will play out in terms of regional strategic equations.
Sri Lanka's rapidly expanding cooperation with China is of mounting concern to India. Beijing is Sri Lanka's largest aid donor and investor. It is involved in infrastructure building on the island in a big way. Among the projects it is executing in Sri Lanka is a giant port project in Hambantota. It is also constructing an airport in Hambantota, a coal-fired power plant at Norochcholai, an oil bunkering facility and a performing arts center in Colombo.
There are parallels between India's troubles in Myanmar today and those that are emerging in Sri Lanka.
It was China's generous extension of military and economic assistance and the protection it gave Myanmar's junta as a veto-wielding member of the UN security council that drew Myanmar firmly into Beijing's orbit. That evoked acute anxiety in India as China's heightened influence and presence in neighboring Myanmar made India's eastern flank vulnerable.
Some Indian analysts have warned that Myanmar's dependence on China could result in it conceding to Chinese demand for naval bases in Myanmar, providing Beijing with presence in the Indian Ocean.
With its location on India's doorstep, Sri Lanka holds similar attractions for India as Myanmar does for China.
Should Sri Lanka's international isolation increase, its dependence on China will grow especially since Beijing, unlike Delhi, holds a security council veto. Will the Chinese demand a naval presence in Hambantota as quid pro quo for bailing out Rajapaksa in international forums?
India leery of neighbor's new squeeze
.......continued 2.....
Much of the international community turned a blind eye when Sri Lanka brazenly violated its obligations under the Geneva conventions and other international laws post-2006. Some countries like India issued statements calling for restraint but did not do enough to stop Colombo's aerial bombing of Tamil civilians. Many, including the US and the European Union, had banned the LTTE and quietly watched its elimination.
India is in a dilemma over an international probe of allegations of Sri Lanka's war crimes. Like China, it is opposed to international interference in domestic issues and sees this as a violation of sovereignty. It is deeply aware of the West's selective use of the war crimes weapon.
This is a weapon that the West uses only against unfriendly regimes. India is conscious too that it is because Sri Lanka's growing proximity to China is problematic for the West that it is now expressing anguish over war crimes.
If Delhi joins the West in putting pressure on Rajapaksa in order to rein him in from his excessive pro-Chinese tilt, it could just end up pushing a defiant and isolated Colombo into a closer embrace of China.
Between 1988 and 1993, India joined the West in its vociferous criticism of the Myanmar junta. In December 1992, it even sponsored a UN resolution calling on the military to respect the will of the people expressed in the 1990 election and to take all necessary steps towards the restoration of democracy. Two decades on, Delhi is still unable to break China's stranglehold over its neighbor.
Indian policymakers see that as a mistake and will be keen to avoid repeating it in Sri Lanka. They would not want another neighbor to slip into the Chinese sphere of influence.
Pakistan Independence Day celebrated in Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 14, Colombo: The High Commission of Pakistan and the Pakistani community in Sri Lanka celebrated the 65th Independence Day of Pakistan with traditional fervor and resolve to make Pakistan a strong, dynamic progressive tolerant and democratic Islamic welfare state, a press release issued by the Pakistani High Commission in Colombo said.
The High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, Ms. Seema Ilahi Baloch hoisted the national flag of Pakistan in an auspicious ceremony held at Pakistan High Commission here this morning to mark the occasion. Later, the messages of the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan were read out to the participants.
The High Commissioner of Pakistan in her message on the occasion said Pakistan�s relations with Sri Lanka have remained cordial and cooperative throughout.
"Links between our two peoples and cultures date back to the time when the Indus Valley Civilization, the Gandhara civilizations and the Buddhist culture had prospered in what is now Pakistan. Both countries have made persevering efforts to build on these solid foundations and further strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation.� It said.
Ms. Baloch expressed optimism that the future is promising for the two nations.
"As Pakistan grapples successfully with some significant challenges, its direction and course ahead is solidly defined as a progressive, moderate, tolerant and prosperous society. Following consistent economic performance over the last five years, despite the odds, there is hope for the future," the statement said.
Members of various diplomatic Missions, prominent Sri Lankan personalities and Pakistani community in Sri Lanka from various walks of life including a large section of media attended the ceremony.
We need Strong Anti-Corruption Laws with PUNITIVE TEETH & ENFORCEMENT in Sri Lanka too.
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Corruption is ‘a cancer’ in India: president (AFP)
KhaleejTimes.com
August 14, 2011
NEW DELHI - India’s president said on Sunday that corruption was “a cancer” affecting all aspects of life in the country, as the government prepares to pass contentious new anti-graft laws.
Corruption has become a key political issue in rapidly-developing India after a series of scandals that sparked widespread public anger over alleged financial malpractice among senior officials.
Pratibha Patil used her speech on the eve of Independence Day to admit that graft bedevilled the everyday lives of many Indians and she called for action to tackle the problem.
“Corruption is a cancer affecting our nation’s political, economic, cultural and social life. It is necessary to eliminate it,” she said in a speech broadcast on television and radio.
“There cannot be just one panacea or remedy to deal with it, but a system of transparency and accountability should be put in place at various levels, and then effectively enforced,” she said.
The president holds little executive power in India, but her words come as politicians wrangle over an anti-graft bill that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is trying to push through parliament.
Critics say the much-hyped “Lokpal Bill” is weak and ineffectual, and complain that sitting prime ministers and senior judges would be exempt from scrutiny by a new ombudsman.
A series of corruption scandals have left Singh’s Congress party-led government — which nominated Patil for the presidency — floundering for months, with the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) working hard to use the issue to revive its own fortunes.
Allegations of high-level corruption have focused on preparations for last year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and on the government’s sale of lucrative second-generation (2G) mobile phone licences in 2008.
Suresh Kalmadi, the Congress politician in charge of organising the Games, is in custody on graft charges, while two ministers have resigned over the 2G licences allegedly being sold at bargain prices to select telecom firms.
Civil society efforts to strengthen the anti-graft bill have been spearheaded by veteran activist Anna Hazare, who won concessions from the government in April with a 98-hour hunger strike that gained national support.
Hazare, 78, is due to start another fast in Delhi on Tuesday to demand a tougher version of the bill.
But the government has attacked his plans, saying that elected politicians should decide which laws parliament passes rather than hunger strikers.
“Nothing is more undemocratic than the stance taken by Anna Hazare and his team,” Kapil Sibal, the telecom minister who oversaw the bill’s drafting, said on Sunday, adding that Hazare’s demands were unacceptable.
Current anti-graft laws require the government’s approval before any sitting bureaucrat or minister can be prosecuted. The proposed new bill is expected to remove this requirement.
Ranil Wickremasinghe ... well recognized by ALL Sri Lankans as the Leading Anti-National Politician of Sri Lanka ... is ESSENTIAL for Continued Electoral Victories by the UPFA!
So we APPEAL to the UNP: Please DON'T REPLACE him; KEEP HIM as your Leader! He is the best political weapon the UPFA has!
However, I admit that I am puzzled!
WHY is Ranil DISCRIMINATING AGAINST the Maharaja Group? Didn't they offer enough money for the two National List MP positions?
He has been bought by EVERY OTHER ANTI-NATIONAL GROUP inside and outside Sri Lanka (especially by Western Powers victimizing SL) in the past, so why this uncharacteristic BASHFULLNESS now?
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Sri Lanka Opposition Leader accuses Maharaja of mud slinging
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 16, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe who is also the leader of the United National Party (UNP) today publicly accused the media company Maharaja of slinging mud at him since he denied granting their demands.
The UNP leader said that the media company had asked for two national list slots for their representatives at the past general election.
The leader of the UNP said that he denied granting the request since UNP was a people's party. He emphasized that no one could buy it.
Meanwhile, responding to a query about the agitation organized by the UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa to oust him, Wickremasinghe told press that such protests would be against the party constitution and the violators would be thoroughly dealt.
Members of the party opposing Wickremasinghe's leadership say his stubborn stand is dragging the party down and there are no prospects of standing up to the Mahinda Rajapaksa government under his leadership.
The main opposition party has not been successful in winning any elections, presidential, parliamentary provincial or local government, for the last ten years.
The IDEA of granting a FREE PENSION to people over 80 years old in Sri Lanka is PRAISWORTHY as an act of COMPASSION, but depending on how it is implemented, may become UNAFFORDABLE in the FUTURE as Sri Lanka's demographics change towards the norm for developed countries. In particular, benifits granted WITHOUT CONTRIBUTIONS is a very DANGEROUS MOVE.
Let Sri Lanka LEARN from the INABILITY of MOST WESTERN NATIONS to continue their Social Security and Healthcare Benefits to retirees.
In the US, those programs were intended to be a RETURN of payroll contributions made by those citizens while they were working. However, the trust funds were not keep separate, but were RAIDED & SPENT by the US Govt for other Govt purposes.
Consequently, these benefits are now rely on current tax revenue; not from income on the invested contributions. In time, ss the demographics changed, more and more retirees were supported by fewer and fewer current workers with their contributions, until it became a VAST PONZI SCHEME supported by current contributions and infusions of other tax revenue.
Today, over 40% of US Govt revenue is consumed by these "entitlement" programs leaving insufficient income to accomodate all other operations of the US Govt.
There are similar govt-benefits related problems in most other Western developed nations, such as the UK.
Sri Lanka should LEARN from the DILEMMAS faced by these countries. Sri Lanka should not create such a program without a dedicated fund with its own income stream, and holding it separate and inviolate from all other government spending.
Once CREATED, it is IMPOSSIBLE to reduce, or eliminate, the benefits, even for a national budget emergency, without spawning a VIOLENT REVOLUTION in the country. Such an attempt would be PRESCRIPTION for DISASTER that no Govt would dare contemplate, until the nation as a whole goes BANKRUPT!
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Sri Lanka's senior citizens over 80 to get a pension
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 16, Colombo: Sri Lanka Minister of Social Services Felix Perera says that the government has decided to grant a pension to all the elderly people over 80 years old.
The pension will benefit the elderly people who are helpless in many instances due to insecurity and illnesses.
The cabinet has already granted approval to the proposal, the Minister says.
The government will not levy any contribution to this pension scheme, the Minister further stated.
The GOSL should ensure that internal railway lines between container ports in Sri Lanka (Hambantota, Colombo, Trincomalee, and KanKasanturai, will have sufficient capacity to tranship containers between them, for optimum flexibility in scheduling shipping.
Furthermore, any future railway line between Sri Lanka and India should also provide for container shipments, as this may grow involume as India's economy grows, and generate substantial income to Sri Lanka.
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Chinese company signs US$500 million deal to build container port in Sri Lankan capital
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 16, Colombo: Sri Lanka announced Tuesday that it entered into a US$ 500 million deal with one of the largest port operators in the Asian region, the Hong Kong-based China Merchants Holdings International (CMHI) to build and operate a container port in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo.
The Company has signed a deal to invest more than US$500 million to build and operate a container port in Colombo, the External Affairs Ministry said.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has signed the deal during a state visit to China last week, Reuters reported.
The blue-chip conglomerate has a 55% share in the project. Aitken Spence will hold a 30% stake in the project, while the Sri Lankan port authority will hold the remaining 15% stake.
Under the first phase, a new terminal being built is scheduled to begin operations in early 2013, the company said in a statement.
The terminal is also being built by the same Chinese contractor that built the Hambanthota port complex - China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and Sino Hydro Corporation.
The Chinese company and Sri Lankan conglomerate Aitken Spence entered into a non-binding agreement with the Sri Lanka Port Authority to design, construct, develop, manage, operate, and transfer the South Container Terminal at the Port of Colombo, with a designed capacity of 2.4 million TEUs.
My Comment at TheHinduBusinessLine.com:
One IDIOT writes that the number of Tamils in the North before and after the war was 456,000 and 300,000 respectively. The 300,000 is a hard number, because that many people were counted in the rehabilitation camps, but how did he get the 456,000 number?
Was he an LTTE official doing an accurate census in the North, because the Sri Lanka Govt had no access to that LTTE-dominated area for over two decades to do any kind of census. Furthermore, many Tamils escaped from LTTE areas to live among the Sinhala people in the South, flee to India or flee abroad to Western countries. Ever hear that Colombo and many of its suburbs now have large numbers of Tamils? That is evidence of the exodus of the Tamil slaves from the SunGod's clutches in the last two decades.
LTTE geniuses engineered the exodus of 1.5 million Tamils from Sri Lanka to create a captive terrorist taxbase abroad, and today, Tamils are a very small minority in SL. THERE WAS NO GENOCIDE OF TAMILS! Get REAL and blame the SunGod!
Mr. Ramesh exposes his bias by saying "If the idea is to bring the Sri Lankans to justice and to ensure that they do not harm the remaining Tamils,".
If there are any Sri Lankans left to bring to justice, they are the LTTE murderers who escaped justice; no others.
This kind of pontifical double talk by Indians who spawned the Eelamist murder and mayhem in Sri Lanka just SMACKS OF BARE FACED HYPOCRISY!
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Engage more with Sri Lanka
By M. Ramesh
Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa's remarks that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's call for economic sanctions against Sri Lanka were politically motivated, has once again brought the question of sanctions back into public consciousness — unfortunately. Tamil Nadu's politicians, — the likes of Vaiko, who, though shrewd, are not famous for their economic reasoning — would probably pick up the thread from her, in order to keep the call alive.
While it is evident that the Government of India will not rush into acquiescence with Tamil Nadu's political waffle, it is useful for people to realise how feckless economic sanctions are, even if the ends that their protagonists seek to achieve are just.
If the idea is to bring the Sri Lankans to justice and to ensure that they do not harm the remaining Tamils, economic sanctions will only be a step in the opposite direction. Assuming that sanctions do hurt, who do you think will bear the brunt of it — Sinhalese or Tamils? The latter, obviously.
But the assumption that sanctions will be effective is founded more on hope than reason. You only have to look at the southern border of Sri Lanka to see why.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
After being rejected not once, but twice, by India, the offer for the construction of the port of Hambantota was made to the Chinese. The project is seen by all strategic analysts as a symbol of the new-found China-Sri Lanka strategic alliance. With a full arsenal of strategic weapons — from freebies to funding — the Chinese are pressing ahead into Sri Lanka. (Remember how the third Rajapaksa, Basil, was given a gift of 30 motorcycles last year by the Chinese? “The bikes are just part of a huge infusion of donations, grants, investments and loans, as China's presence in Sri Lanka explodes,” The Economist magazine wrote then.) At this time, if a sanction-happy India vacates the Sri Lankan economic space, it will be happily occupied by the Chinese. The Sri Lankans know this only too well.
Somi Hazari, a Chennai-based trader, recalls how a couple of years ago, when India refused an offer for supplying cement, Pakistan happily came to Sri Lanka's aid, and made good money on it.
Engage more with Sri Lanka
.........continued 1............
TRADE AGREEMENTS
Imposing sanctions is like pulling the trigger with the muzzle turned towards the shooter. The Free Trade Agreement between India and Sri Lanka has turned out to be singularly in favour of India. We, who complain against the Chinese for running a huge trade surplus with India, have no compunctions in doing the same to Sri Lanka. India exports to Sri Lanka five times as much as it imports, as the figures for 2010 illustrate: India's exports – $ 2.46 billion; imports – $ 470 million. Automobiles and parts alone accounted for $ 411 million, and were three times as much as the previous year ($ 168 million). Exports of goods transport vehicles rose from $ 23 million in 2009 to $ 103 million in 2010. Sanctions are not in India's interests.
The counter to this is obvious: this is not the time to look at trade and economics; the need of the hour is to bring to book the culprits who attempted to destroy a race. My response to that is simply this: the best gift to the memory of the departed Tamils in the island is to make sure that their kin not only live in dignity, but also prosper. If the Sinhalese had really wished to wipe out the Tamils, the best punishment would be to defeat them in that objective. The way to do that is to engage with Sri Lanka more, not less. The more you engage with the country, the more it is in your control — and the opposite is just as true.
This Quintesssential Patriot NEVER FORGETS that his PRIMARY MISSION is to PROTECT Sri Lanka!
Jayawewa!
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Sri Lanka Defense Secretary to address symposium on post-war threats to country
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 18, Colombo: A symposium, organized by Strategic Initiative for the Protection of Sri Lanka (SIPOS) together with Federation of National Organizations, is to be held at 'Mihilaka Medura' at BMICH today at 3:30 p.m. onwards with the participation of Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as the Chief Guest.
At the symposium titled 'Battles won and wars that must still be fought' SIPOS enters the public domain on multiple fronts with the publication of the organization's three maiden publications.
The three publications cover key aspects of the struggle to eliminate terrorism in Sri Lanka under the themes 'The LTTE: The most disciplined fighting force the world has ever known', 'Unpardonable crimes against humanity', and ' Out of the Cage: the greatest hostage rescue operation ever'.
SIPOS is a collective of patriotic organizations and persons committed to protect Sri Lanka from all threats.
The Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prof Asoka Bandarage at Georgetown University, Senior Lawyer Gomin Dayasri, Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera and journalist Malinda Seneviratne are scheduled to address the symposium.
The official website of SIPOS, http://www.outofwar.com will be ceremonially launched by former Chief Justice and Justice of the Supreme Court, Raja Wanasundara.
Good Idea: Position Sri Lanka as the GATEWAY to South Asia.
ALL tourists who visit South Asia should include Sri Lanka in their itinerary as the HOME BASE!
Superb historical attractions, eco-tourist safaris, ayurvedic herbal treatment centers, golden beaches and sports (water and air) galore, broad range of accomodations, easy access by air, sea, and land (railway across Palk Strait), streamlined customs and immigration clearance, that is the way to go!
Jayawewa!
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Plans to develop Sri Lanka as a tourist gateway to South Asia
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 18, Colombo: Sri Lanka, resplendent with natural beauty, will become a quality tourist and travel destination and a gateway to the South Asian Region under a plan proposed by the Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa.
A proposal put forward by the Minister to set up a Tourism Authority and to prepare a Bill for the purpose to be presented in Parliament, has received the Cabinet approval at the Cabinet meeting held Wednesday.
The proposal aims at developing the country as a tourist gateway to South Asia.
The plan encourages individuals or groups in the private sector to participate in the promotion of tourism industry and training activities connected with the industry.
The government plans to improve services and facilities provided for tourists and promote Sri Lanka as a venue for international, regional and domestic conventions, meetings and exhibitions and sporting events.
The tourism industry has expanded significantly following the end of the three-decade long civil war in May 2009.
Sri Lanka's tourism industry has recorded US$ 370.1 million in revenues in the first half of 2011, a 50.9 percent increase over last year, and become one of the fastest growing industries in the country.
The government predicts arrivals to grow by 20 percent and hit a new record of over 780,000 this year. Sri Lanka expects to raise the number of arrivals to 2.5 million by 2016.
Patriots!
Visit http://outofwar.com/ and support the Motherland!
Ratna Deepa, Janma Bhumi,
Lanka Deepa, Vijaya Bhumi,
Mey Apey Udara Wu
Mathru Bhumi-yayi!
Mathru Bhumi-yayi!
Opening ceremony of Sri Lanka's first express way in mid-September
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 19, Colombo: Deputy Minister of Ports and Highways of Sri Lanka Nirmala Kothalawala says President Mahinda Rajapaksa will declare open the country's first toll highway, Southern Expressway in the second week of September.
He said that preparations are being made to unveil a commemorative inscription at Karandeniya in Galle district.
The opening ceremony is to be held in the rest area established at Nayapamula off Baddegama in Galle district.
Construction on the highway began in 2006 at a cost of $800 million. The Asian Development Bank, Exim Bank of China and the Japan International Cooperation Agency provide financial assistance for the express highway project.
The last phase of 30.25 kilometers from Pinnaduwa in Galle to Godagama in Matara is now being constructed.
Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora continue to raise funds and buy arms for LTTE operations!
If not in Sri Lanka, where will these arms be used? In Tamil Nadu, India?
And so, Tamil Terrorism returns HOME to ROOST in India!
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Overseas members of Sri Lanka's terrorist group LTTE continued to procure weapons in 2010- US report
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 19, Colombo: The overseas members of Sri Lanka's terrorist organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued to procure weapons while the LTTE diaspora continued to support the organization financially, a report released by the United States Department of State on Thursday (18) said.
In the 'Country Reports on Terrorism 2010' an annual congressionally mandated report released by the State Department says While there were no terrorist incidents within Sri Lanka in 2010, there were continuing concerns that the LTTE's international network of financial support might still be functioning.
The report, which provides an assessment of trends and events in international terrorism revealed within the last year, continues to list the LTTE as a U.S. government designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
It says that despite its military defeat in Sri Lanka at the hands of government forces in May 2009, the LTTE's international network of financial support persists.
The report reveals that the LTTE network continued to collect contributions from the Tamil diaspora in North America, Europe, and Australia and locally-based LTTE sympathizers reportedly have coerced some of these contributions. Further the outfit has also used Tamil charitable organizations as fronts for its fundraising to procure weapons, communications, funding, and other needed supplies.
Following Sri Lanka's victory over the LTTE, the report says some of the LTTE members have fled the country and have since attempted to reorganize in India.
According to the report, a failed attack against a railway in Tamil Nadu has been carried out by suspected LTTE members. Separately, in March the German police have arrested six Tamil migrants living in Germany for using blackmail and extortion to raise funds for the LTTE.
The Sri Lankan government, responding to the threat from overseas LTTE organization, has launched legislative efforts focused on limiting financial support for the remnants of LTTE.
The Sri Lankan government has made a large allocation to the defense budget in 2010 to monitor Tamil diaspora activity in coordination with foreign governments while the United States has provided training for relevant Sri Lankan government agencies and the banking sector to curtail the provision of funds to the LTTE network.
According to the terrorism report, Sri Lanka has provided a high-level written commitment to work with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an organization that combats international money laundering and terrorist financing, to implement corrective measures to adequately criminalize money laundering and terrorist financing and to establish and implement adequate procedures to identify and freeze terrorist assets.
Overseas members of Sri Lanka's terrorist group LTTE continued to procure weapons in 2010- US report
..........continued .....
The government was also drafting amendments to the 2005-2006 laws on money laundering and terrorist financing, in accordance with FATF recommendations at the end of 2010.
The Sri Lankan government has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2010 with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Bangladesh to share financial information to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of persons suspected of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Sri Lanka has already signed MOUs with the Philippines, Nepal, Cambodia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, South Korea, and Indonesia, according to the State Department Country Terrorism report.
The Sri Lankan government meanwhile is taking steps to prevent reemergence of terrorism and counter radicalization and violent extremism.
"In order to address lingering resentment in areas that were formerly held by LTTE combatants, the Sri Lankan government was working to restore civil administration, resettle Internally Displaced Persons, provide immediate infrastructure development, encourage private sector participation, and promote the development of industries," the report said.
This is UNDUE INTERFERENCE in Sri LANKA'S internal politics by INDIA.
Sri Lanka should RETURN THE FAVOR by hosting discussions with Kashmiri Moslem, Assamese, Nagaland, Sikh, and other, secessionist political groups of India ... to assist in finding POLITICAL SOLUTIONS for India's internal conflicts.
Let us see whether the message "Do unto others as you would have pthers do unto you" would then strike home deep into the hearts and minds of Indian leaders.
Our message to India is: BUTT OUT OF Sri Lanka's internal politics without CONTINUALLY STIRRING THE COMMUNAL POT in Sri Lanka!
INDIA has DONE ENOUGH DAMAGE to Sri Lanka ALREADY by fomenting separatism and terrorism in Sri Lanka over the last 30 years!
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Representatives of eight Sri Lankan Tamil political parties summoned to India
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 20, Colombo: Political sources say India has summoned the representatives of eight Tamil political parties of Sri Lanka with the aim of reaching a common platform regarding a political solution to the sri Lankan Tamil issue.
The representatives of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Factions of Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Factions of People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO), Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) and Tamil Congress have been summoned to India.
They are to participate in a seminar organized by the Indian Congress Party MP Sudarshan Nachchiappan on a political solution in Sri Lanka.
Senior officials of Indian government and the political leaders of India are expected to take part in the seminar scheduled for August 23 and 24.
Gomin faults government for failing to expose UK double standards : Ex-UK Intelligence Chief heads probe on secret US prisoner transfers
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Island.lk
August 20, 2011
Senior lawyer Gomin Dayasri accuses the government of failing to exploit international developments in the human rights field to expose Western double standards and the on-going attempts to isolate Sri Lanka on the basis of the controversial ‘Darusman report’ and a video titled Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields produced by the pro-LTTE Channel Four.
Had there been a cohesive strategy on the part of the government, the country could have launched an effective counter-attack on those wanting to haul Sri Lankan political and military leaders before an international war crimes tribunal, Dayasri said.
Dayasri was speaking at a symposium on post-war challenges organised by the Federation of National Organisation at the BMICH on Thursday (Aug. 18).
Dayasiri said it was inexcusable that Sri Lankan High Commission in London had failed to pursue the on-going probe into Britain’s involvement in CIA prisoner transfers.
Among the invitees at the symposium and the launch of were Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa, former Supreme Court judge Raja Wanasundera and Convenor of the Federation of National Organisations Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera.
British Prime Minister David Cameron had, Dayasri pointed out, appointed ex-Intelligence Services Commissioner (ISC) Sir Peter Gibson to head a three-member team to investigate UK complicity in the abuse of detainees by US following the 9/11 attacks. "Isnit ridiculous that the man who supervised UK intelligence operations at the highest level during secret prisoner transfers has been assigned to investigate the same?" Dayasiri said likening Gibson’s appointment to directing Maj. Gen. Kapila Hendawithana, Chief of National Intelligence (CNI), to look into war crimes allegations against the Sri Lankan military.
Dayasri pointed out that it had taken the British government a decade to appoint a public inquiry into CIA prisoner transfer practices as part of a probe into claims that terrorism suspects were tortured after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, but the UK was warning Sri Lanka of international action on the basis of the controversial ‘Darusman report’ and ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields,’ unless genuine investigations were launched before Dec 31, 2011.
Dayasri said that UK NGO Reprieve had raised a number of concerns about Gibson’s suitability for the job in an 11-page letter to Gibson, copied to UK PM David Cameron.
Gomin faults government for failing to expose UK double standards : Ex-UK Intelligence Chief heads probe on secret US prisoner transfers
....continued.....
That charity said that former foreign secretary, David Miliband, had revealed that Gibson secretly investigated allegations of misconduct at the previous government's request. His findings remain secret but the charity fears they might prejudice the current inquiry.
Reprieve has asked Gibson whether he considers his opinion – expressed in three consecutive reports between 2006 and 2008 – that security services personnel were "trustworthy, conscientious and dependable" reflects a bias.
Commenting on accountability issues raised by UNSG Ban Ki-moon’s three –member Panel comprising Marzuki Darusman, Yasmin Sooka and Steven Ratner, Dayasri said that those targeting Sri Lanka had conveniently forgotten that President Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had witnessed the execution of several captives including bin Laden by USN SEALS. Although some HR organisations raised the issue, the US didn’t even bother to respond, Dayasiri said, expressing concern the Sri Lankan government hadn’t exploited such situations to expose western prejudice.
He alleged that UNSG had picked former Indonesian Attorney General Darusman knowing his hostility against Sri Lanka. That was the criterion for Darusman’s selection as the head of the Panel, the lawyer said, recalling how the Indonesian had denounced a presidential commission inquiring into 16 incidents during eelam war IV. The UN Chief could have picked anyone else other than Darusman, one of the so-called international eminent persons named as observers with the power to oversee the presidential commission, he said.
By this act Buddhists of Sri Lanka pay homage to their Hindu ancestors!
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Buddhists build two kovils in North
By Sandasen MARASINGHE
DailyNews.lk
August 19, 2011
Buddhists in Kandy constructed two kovils for Hindu devotees in two villages in the Vanni, strengthening the friendly ties between the two communities thus boosting the peaceful environment in the aftermath of the humanitarian operation.
Two Muththumari Amman Kovils were newly constructed in the villages of Madukulam and Sinnathampane in Vavuniya which was a need of the devotees to conduct their religious observances.
An officer of the Vanni Security Forces Headquarters said the constructions were funded by businessmen under the instructions of the chief organizer of the Mahanuwara Thisarana Sarana Bauddha Sangamaya and Chief Buddhist Prelate of Africa Ven. Yatirawana Vimala Thera.
He said that the people in these two villages never had Kovils.
He added that those newly resettled people have beginning to develop economically and the construction of the Kovils will support them to develop spiritually as well. He also stated that the two Kovils were constructed at a cost of Rs 1.2 million.
The Army provided the labour for the construction work under the supervision of the Vanni Security Forces Commander Major General A K S Perera. The Kovils were declared opened by Division Commander of 61 Division Brigadier A Kariyakarawana. African national Dr Husman Daundras also was present at the occasion.
What, ROUTINE MURDERS of innocent civilians in Kashmir?
Where are the WAR CRIMES CHARGES against Indian Leaders?
Or, is India a FAVORITE PET of the West now ... and can do NO WRONG?
How come India's internal investigations are accepted at face value, but Sri Lanka's LLRC is rejected?
Should Sri Lanka call for a POLITICAL SOLUTION in Kashmir devolving power to Separatist Muslims?
Different STROKES for different FOLKS .. it seems!
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Over 2,000 found buried in Kashmir's unmarked graves
AsianAge.com
August 21, 2011
More than 2,000 corpses have been found buried in several unmarked graves in Kashmir, believed to be victims of the divided region's separatist revolt, a government human rights commission said in a report.
The graves were found in dozens of villages near the Line of Control, the military line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
"At 38 places visited in north Kashmir, there were 2,156 unidentified dead bodies buried in unmarked graves," the inquiry report by the Indian government's Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (J&KSHRC) said.
The report, released on Saturday, comes after a three-year inquiry by an 11-member team led by a senior police official.
Nearly 50,000 people have been killed in mainly Muslim Kashmir since a revolt against New Delhi's rule began in 1989. On Saturday, Indian soldier shot dead 12 separatist militants trying to cross from Pakistan into the disputed region.
Indian security forces in Kashmir have been accused of murdering innocent civilians in staged gun battles and passing them off as separatist militants to earn rewards and promotions.
Indian authorities have consistently denied systematic human rights violations in Kashmir and say they probe all such reports and punish the guilty.
The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), which estimates around 10,000 people went missing during nearly two decades of separatist revolt, says many missing people may have ended up in these unmarked graves.
"We appeal to International human rights groups and Indian authorities to identify the people buried," said Parveena Ahanger, founder and chairperson of the APDP.
International human rights groups have also repeatedly asked the Indian authorities to investigate the unmarked graves.
NO AMOUNT OF REPORTS the GOSL gives the US will change either Hillary Clinton's PERSONAL ANIMOSITY, or the BIASED HYPOCRITICAL AGENDA of the current US Administration against Sri Lanka.
Only a REGIME CHANGE in Washington through the ballot box in 2012 can do that.
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Sri Lanka Defence Ministry report on war handed over to US State Department
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States Jaliya Wickremasuriya says the US State Department has been given a copy of the report prepared by the Defence Ministry on the military operation to defeat the Tamil Tiger terrorist group LTTE.
Wickremasuriya has said the report has been handed over to all the divisions in the US State Department.
Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa released the report titled 'Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 - May 2009' earlier this month.
According to Wickremasuriya, the report has also been handed over to the US Library of Congress, universities and defence establishments in the US.
The "Grease Devil" campaign is a coordinated effort by manyANTI-NATIONAL elements.
It is designed to demonize the Security Forces, and pit different communities against each other.
It has the potential of creating civil discord and destabilizing Sri Lankan society, while making Sri Lanka the laughing stock of the world as a superstitious, backward nation.
The GOSL should take this very seriously, and act with the UTMOST SEVERITY against ALL perpetrators.
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'Grease Devil' fear psychosis spreading to Sri Lanka capital
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Aug 21, Colombo: Sri Lanka's false Grease Devil fear psychosis that has been wreaking havoc in the rural areas has now spread to the capital Colombo and the North as well.
A heated situation erupted in Colombo Hultsdorf area where the Supreme Court and other courts are located as rumors spread of suspicious elements.
Later, officials from several police stations were called to calm the situation.
Police media spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said that the spread of rumors and the fear psychosis that has no roots caused the situation.
Yesterday, two civil-clothed police officers of a police station in Vavuniya area were also beaten by villagers after rumors of two Grease Devils had entered the village.
The seriously injured policemen are being treated at the Vavuniya Hospital now and police had arrested 9 villagers in connection with the incident. Several villagers also were injured and hospitalized later as a result of the clash.
The villagers in Kalpitiya area had attacked a police officer who was on duty at a GCE Advanced Level examination center and damaged the Kalpitiya Hospital property when the officer was treated at the hospital. Following the unruly attack on the hospital, the doctors have stopped working at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Colombo Magistrate Court ordered to remand a three-wheeler driver for spreading false rumors on Grease Devil phenomenon in Modera area.
The suspect has claimed that the government is behind the Grease Devil attacks.
Earlier the Grease Devil incidents were mostly concentrated in the East. Several incidents of villagers attacking innocent people and law enforcement officers including army soldiers have been reported in several districts of the country.
Rumors have erupted saying that the government is behind the attacks to keep the Emergency Regulations in force in the country.
Law enforcement authorities meanwhile blame remnants of terrorists and pro-LTTE elements for causing mayhem to disrupt government's development programs in the war-battered region.
Rajapaksa wants pro-Lanka campaign to counter negative reports
Colombo, Aug 21 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa feels an effective pro-Sri Lanka campaign through a strong communication network is needed for his government to counter the adverse publicity generated overseas due to allegations of human rights violations.
The country has garnered much negative attention over accusations of rights abuses, which the government terms as Western-backed propaganda.
However, Rajapaksa is mindful of the adverse publicity this has generated internationally.
Addressing a group Sri Lankan expats from the European Union and Australia, the president said there was little point in trying to counter the "false propaganda" against the country in international fora.
Instead there must be an effective pro-Sri Lanka campaign led by the expat community, the president said, according to presidential officials.
Rajapaksa''s comments come in the backdrop of Sri Lanka becoming the focus of attention of rights watch groups over the alleged rights abuses during the last phase of the military battle with the LTTE.
Sri Lanka says the recent campaign by British TV station channel 4, showing alleged war crimes, was instigated by the pro-LTTE diaspora.
The channel 4 documentary showed visuals of government troops executing LTTE members but the government said it was a doctored footage, and the real video actually showed soldiers being killed by the LTTE.
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