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Washington, DC
February 26, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ranking Member Eni Faleomavaega of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific announced that at today’s hearing entitled “The Rebalance to Asia: Why South Asia Matters (Part I)”, he called upon the United States to re-chart its strategy in Sri Lanka. Faleomavaega’s full statement was made part of the historical record and the text pertinent to Sri Lanka is included below. The Honorable Robert O. Blake, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and Mr. Joseph Y. Yun, Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, testified before the Subcommittee on behalf of the Obama Administration.
“As I have said for many, many years, the United States has neglected Asia and the Pacific at the expense of Europe and the Middle East and consequently we have placed our strategic, economic and political interests in jeopardy,” Faleomavaega said.
“Today, we are playing catch-up in a region that accounts for more than 60% of the world’s population. In 2011, the Asia-Pacific region surpassed Europe to become the top exporter of merchandise. In 2010, 20 of the world’s top container ports were in the Asia-Pacific region, including the top five.”
“The U.S. has a vital interest in making sure there is a free flow of global trade and commerce through the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean. The Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Thousands of vessels pass through the strait per year, carrying about one-quarter of the world’s traded goods, including oil. About a quarter of all oil carried by sea passes through the strait.”
“For the first time since 1979, Iran Naval forces just crossed the Strait of Malacca and will dock in China, India or Sri Lanka,” the Congressman continued. “Regarding Sri Lanka, I agree with the Kerry-Lugar Congressional report which declares the need to ‘re-chart’ U.S. strategy in Sri Lanka beyond humanitarian and political concerns. The U.S. simply cannot afford to lose Sri Lanka due to its strategic importance.”
“Last week,” Faleomavaega said, “I visited Sri Lanka and met with President Rajapaksa for more than 2 hours. I also met with the Governor of the Northern Province and personally visited Jaffna because I wanted to see for myself post-conflict developments since 2009 when Sri Lanka became the first country to eradicate terrorism on its own soil by defeating the Tamil Tigers which remains listed as a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States, India, Canada and member nations of the European Union, and dubbed by the FBI as one of the most ruthless in the world.”
“After a 30-year terrorist conflict, the challenges the Sri Lankan government faces are enormous but the strides the government has made to rebuild in a way that establishes lasting peace and equality for all citizens should be firmly acknowledged. The United States should join Australia in praising the work the Sri Lankan government has done in the North and East of the island in such a short period since the war, as Australian Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop and the parliamentary delegation that she led recently stated upon their visit.”
“Regrettably, in the UN resolution it intends to submit again to the UN Human Rights Council, the U.S. fails to mention one positive development in Sri Lanka. Such failure suggests that the United States is not being even-handed when it comes to dealing with sensitive human rights issues across the globe and I am deeply concerned that our inconsistent policies will lead to a loss of credibility for the United States which will negatively impact our relations in the Asia Pacific region for years to come.”
“So I call upon the U.S. to find a better way forward rather than using UN resolutions to de-stabilize developing nations like Sri Lanka while ignoring human rights abuses in nations like Indonesia where our geopolitical interests supersede our human rights agenda. The U.S.-led UN resolution also should be withdrawn for focusing only on the last few months of the war and failing to acknowledge that for almost 30 years the Tamil Tigers hacked to death innocent men, women and children – Sinhalese and Tamils alike – and carried out over 378 suicide attacks – more than any other such organization in the world.”
“We also do not need to criticize Sri Lanka for borrowing money from China to build its port,” Faleomavaega said. “If the U.S. or India had stepped up to assist, Sri Lanka would have accepted the assistance. As President Rajapakse said during a July 2009 interview with TIME Magazine when asked about China’s strategic interest in the port, ‘I asked for it. China didn’t propose it. It was not a Chinese proposal. The proposal was from us; they gave the money. If India said, ‘Yes, we’ll give you a port’, I will gladly accept it. If America says, ‘We will give you a fully equipped airport’ – yes, why not? Unfortunately, they are not offering to us.’”
“After visiting Sri Lanka and also meeting with Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri, the Leader of the TNA, R. Sambandan, and in conversations with random citizens whose thoughts about the country I also sought, I have hope for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, like the U.S. is committed to sustainable peace and promoting and protecting human rights.”
“As a matter of record, parallel with demining efforts in the North, the Sri Lanka government has re-settled over 290,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The Sri Lanka army has de-mined about 99% of the areas identified for de-mining and from 2002 to 2012 has cleared nearly 2,000 km of land. Since 2002, the Sri Lanka government has also recovered nearly 100,000 anti-personnel landmines and UXOs.”
“I might note that the United States, some 40 years after the Vietnam War, still has not cleaned up the UXO mess it left behind in Southeast Asia, particularly in Laos, a country which was not at war with the U.S. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has expended considerable resources to address related issues.”
“With regards to reconstruction, over 78,000 new houses in the North and East have been built, and more are underway. The Sri Lankan government is also promoting investment to generate employment in the region. Military presence is being reduced and ex-combatants are being rehabilitated and resettled.”
“While there is still much work left to do, I believe the people of Sri Lanka deserve our support as they work to rebuild after having lived through almost three decades of terrorist attacks. This is why I acknowledge the progress of the government and why I am committed to doing all I can to promote lasting peace and equality for all citizens – especially the Sinhalese and Tamils who have suffered long enough,” Faleomavaega concluded.
32 comments:
Bravo, Hon. Faleomaevaga!
Finally, an influential Member of US Congress tells it as it is taking to task the current ASININE US POLICY on Sri Lanka!
The Current US Policy is geared to destabilizing, undermining and bringing down a democratically-elected hugely-popular government of Sri Lanka that is fundamentally Pro-American.
While the US Champions Democracy, it cannot and will not tolerate democracy it cannot bend to its own FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED grand designs that change with the wind in Washington, DC.
As President Rajapaksa said, if the US wants to influence Sri Lanka as much as China does, let the US AVOID dragging Sri Lanka into International Courts, while its own feet are mired in human rights abuses all over the world, and let the US vastly increase its aid to Sri Lanka to match what China gives. Sri Lanka needs aid for development after a 30-year war and must accept all aid that is offered from whatever source.
The US gives $25 million/year and expects the same co0nsideration as China that gives $2,500 million/year to Sri Lanka. What the US does give, is all for nonsensical projects to "promote democracy" aka funding dissidents in Sri Lanka, to acquire political leverage on the cheap.
Where are the American University, the American Hospital, the American Freeway, the American Airport, the American Harbour, the American IT Center, the American Wind Farm, the American Nuclear Energy Plant, the American Automotive Assembly Plant? Where are they? Where is the BEEF in the DEMOCRACY sandwich?
Sri Lanka is the Oldest functioning Democracy in Asia ... and the US, the self proclaimed Champion of Democracy ... is hell bent on destroying it, to bring to nought the benefits of peace and prosperity Sri Lanka achieves through military defeat of the most murderous terrorist outfit in the whole world.
Perhaps the US is CHAGRINED and JEALOUS that once Sri Lanka set aside the fetters of 30-years of flawed Western advice for appeasement and decided to fight the terrorists to the finish, Sri Lanka accomplished what the US has failed to do in Vietnam, inj Iraq and in Afghanistan. 30 years of pandering to Western platitudes brought no relief and only allowed terrorists bring Sri Lanka to her knees.
Shame upon the US for its MONUMENTAL STUPIDITY in driving away brave little Sri Lanka into the arms of competing global powers, instead of championing its cause and holding Sri Lanka as a model for terrorism ridden nations to emulate.
Sri Lanka, as the OLDEST DEMOCRACY in South Asia, is a NATURAL ALLY of the US, because of the convictions and temperament of its people. It does not need to be force-fed lessons in democracy by the United States?
Destabilization of Sri Lanka will only result in weaning Sri Lanka away from the enduring Democracy it has practiced for 65 since independence in 1948, for when national survival is at stake, Sri Lanka will choose Survival over Democracy.
Having suffered over 150,000 dead to terrorist attacks, and its national integrity threatened by mealy mouthed self serving western Neocolonialists who counseled appeasing murderous terrorists, shedding crocodile tears but not helping Sri Lanka to survive in any meaningful way, Sri Lanka is in no mood to return to those bad days of the recent past.
Sri Lanka says: BUTT OUT of our Internal National Affairs; we do not heed your flawed advice again when our security is at stake, after you had ignored our pain and turned a deaf ear to our pleas for help.
To US Leaders I say: Listen to the words of Hon. Eni Faleomavaega, for he speaks the TRUTH in the National Interest of the United States.
Let us not turn Sri Lanka ALSO away from our democratic family fold.
Sri Lanka to take census on casualties inflicted by LTTE and Marxists
Mar 09, Colombo: Sri Lanka will conduct a census on people died and injured during the civil war with the Tamil Tiger terrorist movement Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Marxist insurrection in the 80's.
The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs in collaboration with the Census and Statistics Department will carry out the census.
The census will cover the period of the terrorist war since 1983 including the unrest prevailed in the country in 1983 and the insurrection of the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in the years of 1988 and 89.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Public administration told the state-run radio SLBC that there is no data relating to the people dead and injured due to the atrocities committed by the two groups during these periods. The Ministry plans to complete the census before the end of this year.
Typical Indian Hypocrisy:
Where India's Integrity is at stake ... "No Autonomy for Anyone"!
Where Sri Lanka's integrity is at stake ... "Autonomy for Tamils"!
What is India's is sacrosanct; What is Sri Lanka's is negotiable.
A time will come when India's own flawed hypocritical, unprincipled policies will be used to dismember India.
IT IS HIGH TIME to get INDIA off Sri Lanka's back. These guys are POISONOUS!
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BJP’s 2 yardsticks for conflicts: Army withdrawal desired in Sri Lanka, not Kashmir
Autonomy a dirty word here, welcome outside the country
KT NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, March 8: Bhartiya Janta Party has exposed its dubious stand on militarized conflicts with party leader Yashwant Sinha spelling out a 7 point recipe to end Tamil crises in Sri Lanka, which is in striking contrast to the BJP stand on the issue of Kashmir.
Yashwant Sinha’s road map, spelt out during a debate in the Lok Sabha yesterday on the Sri Lankan crisis, however, almost resembles what Kashmir’s two mainstream parties NC and PDP demand for ending crises in Jammu and Kashmir. The same BJP opposes these proposals tooth and nail for Kashmir, while demanding them for Tamil dominated Northern Sri Lanka.
While the BJP opposes any demand for repeal of AFSPA or any attempt to reduce the footprint of the armed forces in Kashmir, Sinha has advocated complete withdrawal of Army from Northern Sri Lanka and handing over of law and order duties to the local police.
BJP calls for taking a stern stand on Kashmir without any concession to Kashmiris and has strongly voiced its opposition to the amnesty policy for surrendered militants. But Yashwant’s recipe for Sri Lanka includes suggestion for a Reconciliation Committee.
BJP has opposed tooth and nail any proposal for autonomy in the case of Kashmir and while in power at the centre even rejected the Farooq Abdullah government on autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir.
The party has also voiced its reservations to any talk of restoration of pre-1952 status and instead calls for abrogation of Article 370 and complete integration of the state to the Union of India. However, the 7-point proposal for Sri Lanka springs a surprise with a suggestion for additional provisions in the existing laws to ensure full devolution of powers to Northern Sri Lanka.
Sinha has also advocated an independent and impartial enquiry comprising people from outside Sri Lanka to probe human rights abuses but the BJP is in complete denial of human rights abuse when it comes to Kashmir and opposes any talk of probing these cases as an “anti-national” act. In striking contrast, Sinha advocates a commitment from Sri Lankan government for punishing the guilty.
While BJP is one the strongest critics of any third party intervention in the Kashmir conflict, Sinha seeks a greater role for India in the Sri Lankan conflict resolution, calling for not just a vote at the UN Human Rights Council but also for a greater role in drafting the resolution itself. Interestingly, at the same time, he talks about warning other neighbourhood countries from interfering in the island country.
During his intervention in Lok Sabha, Yashwant Sinha’s seven-point road map included the following broad points:
1. Withdrawal of Army from Northern Sri Lanka and handing over law and order duties to local police.
2. Implementation of Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee.
3. Implementation of not only 13th Amendment, but additional provisions to ensure full devolution of powers to Northern Sri Lanka.
4. Institution of an independent and impartial enquiry comprising people from outside Sri Lanka to probe human rights abuses.
5. Clear commitment that guilty shall be punished.
6. India should not merely vote at the UN Human Rights Council, but take a lead in drafting resolution against Sri Lanka.
7. Let India convey other nations in neighbourhood not to interfere in affairs of Sri Lanka and Indo-Sri Lanka relations.
What does the US expect? Does it expect Sri Lanka to agree to UNDERMINE & DESTABILIZE its hard-won peace and security just so the US can score points with Indian Tamils, or help keep China out of the Indian Ocean?
Sri Lanka has a popular GOVERNMENT
DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED by the VAST MAJORITY of its citizens. The security of its citizens and the integrity of the country cannot is NON-NEGOTIABLE.
The PURE HYPOCRISY of the U.S. ... waging Drone Wars violating National Sovereignty of other Nations, kidnapping foreign citizens, incarcerating and torturing them at will, threatening other countries and launching wars that ultimately UNDERMINE US Interests when they FAIL CATASTROPHICALLY .... is there for all the World to see.
Sri Lanka does NONE OF THOSE THINGS. As the OLDEST ASIAN DEMOCRACY, Sri Lanka only asks the right to govern itself without foreign interference. Sri Lanka is a better FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY delivering MORE EQUITY to its people than all of those other countries in which the US attempts overtly/covertly to implant its own brand of puppet democracy.
Instead of UNDERMINING Sri Lanka and attempting to convert it into a PUPPET STATE, the US should JOIN Sri Lanka in COMMON CAUSE as a FELLOW DEMOCRACY that is DEMOCRATIC by the CONVICTIONS of its OWN PEOPLE, not by COMPULSIONS exercised by FOREIGN PUPPET MASTERS.
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U.S. disappointed over Sri Lanka's rejection of all UPR recommendations from States
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 16, Colombo: While Sri Lanka claimed victory over the unanimous decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to adopt Sri Lanka's periodic review, the United States expressed its disappointment over the country's rejection of all UPR recommendations from States that called upon it to implement the LLRC recommendations.
U.S. disappointed over Sri Lanka's rejection of all UPR recommendations from States
....Continued 1......
Delivering a statement, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe said the U.S. is disappointed that Sri Lankan government rejected all UPR recommendations from States that called upon it to implement the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations and called on the government to expeditiously implement both the UPR and LLRC recommendations.
The U.S. however, welcomed the government's statement of its intention to accept recommendations to combat gender-based violence, to carry out an independent and credible investigation into the allegations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to strengthen the independence of institutions, including the Human Rights Commission, Police Commission, and Election Commission.
Donahoe noted that during the review, a number of States called for the implementation of the recommendations of Sri Lanka's own LLRC.
The U.S. accused Sri Lankan delegation of attempting to reframe Sri Lanka's human rights commitments in terms of the government's National Plan of Action, which does not address the broad spectrum of recommendations put forward by the LLRC report, and by lobbying other delegations to revise their UPR recommendations to exclude reference to the LLRC report after they had been orally presented.
"Major changes were made to the substance of recommendations after the interactive dialogue. This is inconsistent with the transparent, interactive character of the UPR," the U.S. said.
The U.S. expressed disappointment that the Sri Lankan government rejected nearly all recommendations regarding engagement and cooperation with UN special procedures mandate holders.
Ambassador Donahoe said the U.S. continues to note with concern the Government's actions with regard to Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, including her impeachment, which was conducted in defiance of a Supreme Court order and which continues to raise serious questions about the separation of powers in Sri Lanka and the impact of its absence on democratic institutions.
"Further, we share the concerns expressed by other States over the series of threats and attacks against legal defenders, civil society organizations, and human rights activists, including reprisals against those cooperating with the UN," the Ambassador said in her intervention at the Council.
The U.S. reiterated its call on the Sri Lankan government to "protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to ensure that all citizens are able to express their opinions without fear of retribution."
Sri Lanka UPR adopted, country praised for efforts to promote human rights
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 15, Geneva: The United Nation Human Rights Council this morning adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review on Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's Special Envoy of the President on Human Rights Minister of Plantation Industries Mahinda Samarasinghe delivered a statement to the Council on Sri Lanka's progress in the promotion of human rights.
Minister Samarasinghe said that Sri Lanka had achieved success in the humanitarian operation of rescuing the civilian population held by a ruthless group of terrorists.
He briefed the Council that the government is actively engaged in removing military involvement in civil administration, demining, and rehabilitation, and had launched national reconciliation and peace-building initiatives.
Sri Lanka had accepted 113 out of 204 recommendations received, and had also made 19 voluntary commitments. Sri Lanka was currently evaluating the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
In the discussion following the Minister's statement speakers welcomed Sri Lanka's acceptance of several recommendations and the ongoing implementation of 19 voluntary commitments.
Pakistan said these commitments are a reflection of the seriousness of the Sri Lankan government in protecting and promoting human rights of its people and the difficulties faced by Sri Lanka to protect and promote human rights after the end of the war in 2009 should be recognized.
"The progress achieved so far outweighs challenges and it should be appreciated," Pakistan representative said.
Oman said that Sri Lanka had accepted most of the recommendations made, which demonstrated its willingness to cooperate with the Council and showed its determination to comply with human rights obligations.
In a statement India appreciated Sri Lanka's acceptance of its recommendations to implement LLRC recommendations and to promote trilingual policy while expressing hope that other issues such as early progress toward reconciliation, reduction of high security zones, return of private land by the military and phasing out military from civil administration in North and investigations of allegations of right violations.
Philippines said that Sri Lanka had shown deep commitment to the advancement of human rights welcomed in particular acceptance by Sri Lanka of the recommendation pertaining to the National Action Plan and the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.
United Kingdom expressed serious concern about freedom of expression in Sri Lanka and asked why the recommendation to invite the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion to visit the country was rejected.
Some speakers expressed disappointment over Sri Lanka's rejection of a large number of recommendations, and said that they remained concerned about existing restrictions on freedom of religion and expression, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, attacks on the independence of the judiciary, and incidents of sexual violence against women and children.
Sri Lanka UPR adopted, country praised for efforts to promote human rights
......Continued 1 .....
Sri Lanka said was confident that by its next Review in 2017 it would be able to demonstrate further progress in the promotion and protection of the human rights of its people.
In his closing remarks the Minister has brought to the attention of the Council the atrocities committed by the Tamil Tigers killing thousands of people and evicting thousands of Muslims out of their homes in the North.
All the talk about killings and atrocities must be balanced and include also those committed by the Tamil Tigers, the Minister pointed out.
He said Sri Lanka needed time and space to deal with such gruesome events and with the challenges ahead and had not absolved itself from responsibility.
The Minister told the Council that Sri Lanka was committed to achieving national reconciliation and sustainable peace and asked all to be balanced and impartial.
BRAVO!
"Minister Samarasinghe stressed that it is Sri Lanka's unwavering position not to accept the proposed (US) resolution" accusing Sri Lanka of human rights abuses!
This is a case of the POT calling the KETTLE black!
If any country is violating human rights it is the US which does that worldwide with IMPUNITY.
The Emperor is NAKED on this issue!
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Sri Lanka says unanimous adoption of periodic review at UNHRC acknowledges progress in human rights
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 16, Colombo: Sri Lanka says the unanimous adoption of the country's periodic review at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Friday was a clear acknowledgement of the post-war progress the country made in human rights.
Sri Lankan President's Human Rights Envoy Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the unanimous decision taken by the members of the UNHRC session to approve the Universal Periodic Review on Sri Lanka despite many powerful countries speaking against displays that Sri Lanka has achieved a clear progress on protection of human rights.
Ahead of a crucial resolution to be moved by the United States next week, the UNHRC Friday adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review on Sri Lanka.
At the debate on UPR many countries praised Sri Lanka's efforts to improve its human rights which they said is a reflection of the seriousness of the Sri Lankan government in protecting and promoting human rights of its people.
Sri Lanka had accepted 113 out of 204 recommendations received, and had also made 19 voluntary commitments. Sri Lanka was currently evaluating the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Speaking to the state-run radio SLBC from Geneva, Minister said Samarasinghe said for the first time in the history it became possible to present lengthy and elaborate details about the cruelties of the Tamil Tiger terrorists.
In his closing remarks the Minister brought to the attention of the Council the atrocities committed by the Tamil Tigers killing thousands of people and evicting thousands of Muslims out of their homes in the North.
The Minister pointed out to the Council that all the talk about killings and atrocities must be balanced and includes also those committed by the Tamil Tigers.
The United States in a statement expressed their disappointment over Sri Lanka's rejection of the all UPR recommendations from States that called upon it to implement the LLRC recommendations.
Meanwhile, the UNHRC session has given time for the United States to present its resolution against Sri Lanka until next Tuesday (19) but the Minister expects it to be submitted by Monday evening.
Minister Samarasinghe stressed that it is Sri Lanka's unwavering position not to accept the proposed resolution.
Noting that Sri Lanka has made a long march during the last three years after eliminating terrorism from the country, the Minister emphasized that these resolutions are only a hindrance to the current humanitarian process and not going to help it in any manner.
But.... Sri Lanka will not either BEHEAD, or STONE to DEATH, this IRREVERENT ASS. The PUNISHMENT is INDEED proportional to the CRIME.
That is the Buddhist MIDDLE PATH approach to keeping insensitive riff-raff out of Sri Lanka.
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Sri Lanka bars Buddha tattoo Briton for 'disrespect'
BBC.co.uk
March 16, 2013
Sri Lanka has denied entry to a British tourist at Colombo's international airport because he showed a lack of respect for Buddhism, reports say.
An immigration official told a local newspaper that when the man was asked about a tattoo of Buddha on his arm he had spoken "very disrespectfully".
Such views would have been a "threat to his own safety" in Sri Lanka, he added.
The authorities are tough on perceived insults to Buddhism - the religion of the island's majority ethnic Sinhalese.
Last year, three French tourists were given suspended prison sentences for taking photographs that showed them pretending to kiss a statue of Buddha at a temple.
In 2010, the American R&B star Akon was refused a visa after protests over one of his music videos, which featured scantily-clad women dancing in front of a statue of Buddha.
An official at Bandaranaike International Airport told AFP news agency that the report of Friday's incident involving the British tourist was correct.
More than 100,000 British citizens visited Sri Lanka in 2012, accounting for 10% of the total number of tourists. The UK is also the country's second-largest trading partner after India.
OF COURSE, these "Fishermen" are not keen at all .... because that sensible solution would defuse the "CRISIS" they want to ENGINEER to bring India into CONFLICT with Sri Lanka!
That sensible idea would not serve their Tamil Nationalist Goal of creating a Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka at all; nor the IMPOSITION of their RACIST WILL upon Sri Lanka.
It is HIGH TIME that India investigates, prosecutes and punishes the Indian Tamil EELAMIST AGITATORS behind these ACTIVITIES inimical to BOTH India and Sri Lanka!
BE ASSURED: Sri Lanka's SOVEREIGNTY is NON-NEGOTIABLE!
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“Go for deep sea fishing to avoid conflict with Sri Lanka”
The Hindu
RAMANATHAPURAM,
March 16, 2013
Fishermen are not keen on this suggestion made by fisheries department
Tamil Nadu Principal Highways Secretary Niranjan Mardi, who is the monitoring officer for the district, has suggested that the fisheries department could encourage mechanised boat fishermen of this region to take up tuna long liner deep sea fishing to avoid conflict with the Sri Lankan navy in the long run.
Mr Mardi, who held a review meeting with District Collector K. Nanthakumar and heads of various departments at the Collectorate on Friday, made the suggestion in the backdrop of the arrest of 53 fishermen and seizure of nine of their boats by the Sri Lankan navy.
Sources in the fisheries department, however, said both mechanised and country boat fishermen have not responded favourably to the proposal of tuna long liner fishing, though the State government has offered a subsidy of Rs 5 lakh for the purpose of converting their vessels for deep sea fishing.
No fisherman has come forward to avail the subsidy and craft conversion following a Government Order in 2011, which was amended last month, sources said.
After passing the GO in 2011, the government gave administrative sanction for Rs 25 crore towards subsidy for five years and provided budgetary allocation in the budget for 2011-12.
The scheme received a lukewarm response as the fishermen needed Rs 20 lakh to convert the mechanised boats and Rs 10 lakh to convert country boat and avail the back ended subsidy, the sources said.
Moreover, fishermen of the district, who used to venture out for one-day fishing, were not mentally prepared for multi-day fishing.
“It is very difficult to change their mind set,” the sources said.
For tuna long liner fishing, the mechanised boats should be 15 to 20 metre long with a 150 HP engine.
The traditional boats should be converted to 10 to 15 metre length with 10 to 15 HP engine. Both the fishermen could use 500 to 1000 kg gill net and 200 hook lines while fishing, according to the GO.
The diesel subsidy would remain at 1,500 litres per month for mechanised boats and 300 litres for country boats.
There are 1,624 mechanised and 3,066 country boats in the district.
Deep sea fishing, however, is popular in Tuticorin district.
The subsidy was made available to 100 fishermen and 84 of them availed it and converted their vessels for deep sea fishing, sources said.
AS USUAL, Gothabhaya courageously speaks out to defend Sri Lanka's national integrity!
But SPEAKING OUT is NOT ENOUGH!
The Answer to his Rhetorical Question is OBVIOUS:
Dig DEEP ENOUGH and we will find the TNA ... that bunch of UNREPENTANT SEPARATIST TERRORISTS and TRAITORS HIDING out in the OPEN as legitimate politicians ... to be NECK DEEP in Orchestrating the "Fishermen's Crisis" with Tamil Nadu in India.
The TNA wants nothing else but to KEEP THE Tamil Separatist Pot BOILING in any and every way they can.
These ACTIVITIES of the TNA should be PROBED and added to the MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE against the TNA of TREASON in the PAST, to PROSECUTE, CONVICT and EXECUTE/IMPRISON them.
The FAILURE TO DO SO to date, is what ENCOURAGES THEM to continue their CONSPIRACY & TREACHERY on every Forum they can use against Sri Lanka and its long suffering PEOPLE.
PROSECUTE, CONVICT & PUNISH these TNA TRAITORS .... NOW!
Sri Lanka's SURVIVAL is at STAKE!
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Poaching: Gotabhaya alleges TN depriving SL fishers their livelihood
Highlights TNA’s failure to take it up with India
by Shamindra Ferdinando
Island.lk
March 15, 2013
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that a section of the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet had been propagating lies against the navy at the behest of interested parties, while poaching and causing immense damage to fishery resources in the country’s northern waters.
The Defence Secretary said that much publicised claims of recent attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen were lies timed for the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva. "They are working overtime to show us in bad light. Ongoing protests in Tamil Nadu are part of their overall strategy," the outspoken official said.
"The Tamil Nadu fishing fleet is causing a major nuisance in support of the LTTE rump," Defence Secretary Rajapaksa alleged, while recalling the use of Tamil Nadu trawlers for smuggling of weapons by the LTTE.
The chance detection and destruction of Tamil Nadu fishing trawler ‘Sri Krishna’ by the Maldivian Coast Guard in May 2007 exposed what was going on. Those making false allegations against the navy had been silent when the LTTE massacred a group of Indian fishermen off Kanyakumari within Indian territorial waters in early 2007, the Defence Secretary said.
Rajapaksa said that the LTTE couldn’t be resurrected by spreading lies. Asked whether the government would take up the issue with India, the Defence Secretary said that he recently wrote to Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha explaining the situation. The Central government couldn’t allow Tamil Nadu to play politics with Sri Lanka, the official said.
The Defence Secretary emphasized that India had the wherewithal to easily prevent the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet from poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The Indian navy and its Coast Guard could effectively block the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet from crossing the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary, he said.
Poaching: Gotabhaya alleges TN depriving SL fishers their livelihood
....Continued 1 .....
An irate Rajapaksa said: "They engage in bottom trawling in our waters causing immense damage. They purposely destroy fishing nets and equipment belonging to Sri Lankan fishermen. There appears to be a systematic attempt to cause damage to fishing gear belonging to our people. Our fishermen aren’t in a position to compete with large Tamil Nadu fishing fleet. India needs to take tangible action to address our concerns."
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) should appeal to the Indian government as well as the administration in Tamil Nadu not to deprive Tamil speaking Sri Lankan fishermen of their livelihood. The TNA could no longer turn a blind eye to what was happening in northern and eastern waters, the Defence Secretary said, adding that it could be one of major issues at the forthcoming first Northern Provincial Council election.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has repeatedly declared that the PC election would be held in September, 2013.
The Defence Secretary emphasized that Tamil Nadu fishermen couldn’t be allowed to poach in Sri Lankan waters on humanitarian grounds. Those wanting us to allow Tamil Nadu fishing fleet to poach in our waters on humanitarian grounds should realize that would be inimical to our fishermen, he said. It would be interesting to conduct a survey in the northern, eastern provinces and even north western coastal areas to find out the response of the fishing community to ongoing efforts to persuade us to share our waters with Tamil Nadu fishing fleet.
The Defence Secretary said that India couldn’t be unaware of the growing resentment among northern fishermen due to ongoing large scale poaching operation. Since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, the Indian government established a Consulate in Jaffna in accordance with its post-war project here.
For almost three decades those living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces had been deprived of an opportunity to exploit fisheries resources due to the conflict, the Defence Secretary said. Successive governments had no option but to impose a range of restrictions on the fishing community regardless of the consequences, he said. Restrictions on the local fishing community had been fully exploited by the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet. Now that the conflict was over local fishermen shouldn’t be deprived of their rights, the Defence Secretary said.
Asked whether additional measures would be taken to protect the local fishermen, the Defence Secretary said that those poaching in Sri Lankan waters would be legally dealt with. The navy this week detained nine Indian trawlers north of Talaimannar and south of Delft and took 53 persons into custody. The Defence Secretary said that such action was necessary to discourage poaching. Responding to a query, the Defence Secretary alleged that Tamil Nadu had benefited immensely by engaged in massive scale poaching in Sri Lankan waters. "Our crabs and lobsters are sold by poachers to various overseas suppliers, whereas Sri Lankan fishermen experience economic difficulties," he said.
The Allegations by Sri Lanka's enemies in Geneva merely reflect their FRUSTRATION with their FAILURE to Balkanize and Destroy Sri Lanka as a UNIFIED Sovereign nation, and their FAILURE to Evangelize and Convert Sri Lanka into a non-Buddhist country.
We KNOW how other nations defend the Faiths of their Majority Communities ....
Britain's Church of England,
France's and Spain's Catholicism,
The USA's Evangelical Protestants,
Saudi Arabia's and other nation's Sunni Islam,
Iran's and other nations Shiite Islam,
India's Hinduism (vide Shiv Sena),
but it is only Buddhist countries that must refrain from protecting and fostering their ancient eminently satisfying tolerant religious heritage.
Bah! Hypocrites Incarnate!
The demand that Sri Lanka must allow Christian and Moslem missionaries to swamp the country with their vast resources to EXPLOIT, WEAN AWAY and CONVERT poor and needy people to their own faith ... just as the Colonialists of old did in a bygone age, with the Sword in One Hand and the Bible in the Other!
I think NOT! Religious tolerance in Sri Lanka is for Sri Lankan citizens of Sri Lanka, but not for foreign missionaries from other nations to ply their trade, when their faiths have FAILED in their own countries through abuse of their own peoples. We have enough Sri Lankan priests to tend to each flock; no foreign missionaries are needed, or welcome in Sri Lanka!
For example, less than 50% of US Christians belive/practice their religion. Yet, Evangelical missionaries do not work to convince and uplift them; they prefer to buy souls on the cheap in Sri Lanka!
I say to ALL SUCH Missionaries: Stay at home and help your own people to become better Christians instead of SOUL-HUNTING on the CHEAP in developing nations! You will only undermine and destroy their stable societies and eminently satifying indigenous belief systems.
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Sri Lanka Army chief 'baffled' by allegations in Geneva
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 15, Colombo: Sri Lanka Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya says the Army is 'baffled' by the allegations made in Geneva now against its forces since at the time of the humanitarian operation in the North to eliminate the terrorists no single allegation was raised.
Sri Lanka Army chief 'baffled' by allegations in Geneva
....Continued 1.....
Addressing the troops in the Wanni region, the Army Commander questioned why any military commander conducting humanitarian operations in the region at the time did not receive a single allegation.
"The vigorous unilateral allegations against the Army, now made in Geneva, baffle all of us who decisively waged the humanitarian operations in Wanni at that stage when I was the Wanni Commander because neither myself, nor any Security Force Commander or for that matter, any Division or Brigade Commander, to say the least, in the province, received a single complaint against the Army from any of those quarters, now screaming elsewhere. How come? Why no such complaints of this nature were made at that period against the Army or any specific ground commander, is really food for thought and incredibly confusing," Jayasuriya asked.
Jayasuriya said that since the culmination of the war various interested parties make a barrage of criticism against the troops, based on a rash of unfounded allegations, malice and ulterior motives.
"All these manifestations appear every year around the same time when UN Human Rights Council gathers for their sessions in Geneva," he pointed out.
He predicted it will be the practice, next year, too because "the LTTE rump does not want to see a promising and prosperous Sri Lanka and they want to thrive on those allegations until they re-emerge."
He said since the Western countries are now returning home more and more bogus asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, the only alternative left for those economic refugees seeking asylum is to make false claims against the troops and tarnish the country's image.
According to Jayasuriya, many of those critics never want to heap praise on the Sri Lanka Army for its decisive eradication of the world's most feared terrorist outfit, the LTTE at the expense of many heroic lives.
"Why is it so? Was it because they still could not contain or uproot their own terror cycles in their home fronts or just because of their mere hypocrisy?" the Commander asked.
In his address to the troops the Army Commander underscored the importance of being alert to malicious propaganda network against the Army and maintaining the highest degree of discipline while the Army is engaged in the challenging nation-building roles and reconciliatory moves.
Here is a PERFECT EXAMPLE of RELIGIOUS & RACIAL TOLERANCE in the Tamils-Only Valhalla of Tamil Nadu!
Bloody Hypocrites!
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Lankan Buddhist priest assaulted in TN
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 16 (NIE) As anti-Sri Lankan protests raged in several parts of Tamil Nadu, a Buddhist priest from the island, currently pursuing archaeological studies in Delhi University, was roughed up by some activists of pro-Tamil outfits at the famous Big Temple here today, police said.
The priest was rescued by police, who rushed to the spot on getting information, they said adding 12 persons had been arrested in connection with the incident.
The Sri Lankan has come here as part of an 19-member delegation of students for archaeological research at the more than 1000-year old Brahadeeswarar temple, also known as Big Temple.
As the students were going around the temple, a group of activists belonging to various outfits including MDMK and Naam Tamizhar Katchi singled out the Sri Lankan, clad in saffron robes, and beat him up, police said.
They shouted slogans demanding that the priest leave Tamil Nadu. The Lankan national was escorted safely to the local Archaeological office from where the students left in a van to Tiruchirappalli enroute to Chennai.
However, when the van was nearing Tiruchirapalli, some unidentified persons pelted stones and chappals on it near Ariyamangalam.
The van suffered some damage but the occupants escaped unhurt, police said adding later they escorted the students to the airport. The Sri Lankan national left for Chennai by a flight, police added.
The incident comes amid mounting anti-Sri Lankan protests in the state in the past few weeks with pro-Tamil activists targetting Lankan pilgrims and establishments including an airline over the Lankan Tamils issue.
The US view of Democracy for Sri Lanka is that the US be permitted to set Sri Lanka Government Policies from Washington, DC.
ONE STEP out of line, and BANG ... bring a human rights charges at the UN, deny trading privileges, impose economic sanctions, fund dissent to destabilize and oust the popularly elected GOSL ... prior, of course, to issuing threats to bomb the hell out of Sri Lanka ... if needed!
Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was dismissed from Office as provided by the Laws and the Constitution of Sri Lanka, just as US President Richard Nixon was ousted from Office under the threat of Impeachment by the US Congress, and President William Clinton was Impeached by Congress and also disbarred by the American Bar Association. Should Sri Lanka criticize the Lawful Actions of the US Congress just as the USA takes upon itself to find fault with the dismissal of the late Chief Justice.
PLEASE leave the Governance of Sri Lanka to Sri Lankans acting LAWFULLY under the Democratic Laws of their country!
Sri Lanka responds to the wishes and interests of her own citizens. It will not, indeed cannot, dance to the tune of the United States.
Surely, the US .... the self proclaimed Champion of Democracy ... can appreciate that?
CAN WE END THE HYPOCRISY
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U.S. disappointed over Sri Lanka's rejection of all UPR recommendations from States
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 16, Colombo: While Sri Lanka claimed victory over the unanimous decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to adopt Sri Lanka's periodic review, the United States expressed its disappointment over the country's rejection of all UPR recommendations from States that called upon it to implement the LLRC recommendations.
Delivering a statement, the U.S. Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe said the U.S. is disappointed that Sri Lankan government rejected all UPR recommendations from States that called upon it to implement the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations and called on the government to expeditiously implement both the UPR and LLRC recommendations.
The U.S. however, welcomed the government's statement of its intention to accept recommendations to combat gender-based violence, to carry out an independent and credible investigation into the allegations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to strengthen the independence of institutions, including the Human Rights Commission, Police Commission, and Election Commission.
Donahoe noted that during the review, a number of States called for the implementation of the recommendations of Sri Lanka's own LLRC.
U.S. disappointed over Sri Lanka's rejection of all UPR recommendations from States
....Continued 1.....
The U.S. accused Sri Lankan delegation of attempting to reframe Sri Lanka's human rights commitments in terms of the government's National Plan of Action, which does not address the broad spectrum of recommendations put forward by the LLRC report, and by lobbying other delegations to revise their UPR recommendations to exclude reference to the LLRC report after they had been orally presented.
"Major changes were made to the substance of recommendations after the interactive dialogue. This is inconsistent with the transparent, interactive character of the UPR," the U.S. said.
The U.S. expressed disappointment that the Sri Lankan government rejected nearly all recommendations regarding engagement and cooperation with UN special procedures mandate holders.
Ambassador Donahoe said the U.S. continues to note with concern the Government's actions with regard to Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, including her impeachment, which was conducted in defiance of a Supreme Court order and which continues to raise serious questions about the separation of powers in Sri Lanka and the impact of its absence on democratic institutions.
"Further, we share the concerns expressed by other States over the series of threats and attacks against legal defenders, civil society organizations, and human rights activists, including reprisals against those cooperating with the UN," the Ambassador said in her intervention at the Council.
The U.S. reiterated its call on the Sri Lankan government to "protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to ensure that all citizens are able to express their opinions without fear of retribution."
China knows and understands Western Hypocrisy very well.
It was not too long ago that Western Colonialists waged war against China to enforce their "RIGHT" to Import and sell Opium to the Chinese people ("Boxer Rebellion and Opium Wars"). They also remember the military and financial support the West gave to the Chinese Nationalists of the KuoMingTang during the war against the Japanese occupiers and later in the Chinese Revolution that created the Peoples Republic of China. As in VietNam, the West supported the wealthy reactionaries who wanted to suppress the disenfranchised masses of China. The subsequent decades of demonization of China as an EVIL EMPIRE continues, and has not yet fully abated.
The Unwavering Support China gives Sri Lanka in its struggle to ward off Western Neo-Colonialism SPRINGS from China's own EXPERIENCE over the last 200 years.
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China stands behind Sri Lanka, offers support to protect sovereignty
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 17, Colombo: China will continue to support Sri Lanka's efforts to protect its sovereignty and to offer assistance for development and sustainable peace, the newly elected Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
In a telephone conversation on Saturday President Rajapaksa has congratulated the new Chinese leader on his election as President and expressed the Sri Lankan people's appreciation for China's assistance to help promote peace, stability and development in Sri Lanka, official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
During their conversation President Rajapaksa, noting that Sri Lanka and China are close friends for a long time, has assured President Xi that Sri Lanka would continue to firmly support China on issues concerning its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
President Rajapaksa has noted that during the tenure of the new President the excellent bilateral relations between China and Sri Lanka would further strengthen and reach new heights.
Appreciating Sri Lankan President's well wishes, the Chinese President has observed that for many years, bilateral ties between the two countries have maintained a healthy and stable development momentum, with fruitful cooperation in all sectors.
President Xi has also expressed his appreciation for Sri Lanka's long-term support on issues regarding China's core interests, and said China highly values the development of its relations with Sri Lanka.
"China firmly supports Sri Lanka's efforts to protect its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and would like to continue to provide assistance to Sri Lanka within China's capacity," the Chinese President has said.
The Chinese President has expressed hope that the two countries will make concerted efforts to promote their comprehensive relations of cooperation and partnership to even higher levels, Xinhua reported.
Sri Lanka should COMPLETELY DISCOURAGE ALL Indian products exported to Sri Lanka.
INCREASE ALL EXCISE DUTIES to 500%!
Don't buy agricultural products either.
There should be a SEVERE PENALTY for India and Tamil Nadu UNDERMINING the sovereignty of Sri Lanka!
Let us buy what we need from China and JapaN.
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Diplomatic face-off with Sri Lanka could further dent automobile exports
Business-Standard.com
March 27, 2013
Sri Lanka has heavily hiked import duty on cars, two and three-wheelers which is making it almost unaffordable
India’s diplomatic stand on Sri Lanka’s human rights violations seems to have cost Indian vehicle manufacturers dearly. Last year, after India voted against Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the island nation increased duties on vehicle imports. Now that India has again voted against Sri Lanka on the US-sponsored UNHRC resolution, Indian automobile makers fear there might be a similar knee-jerk reaction this time as well.
Last year, Sri Lanka had raised the import duty on cars from 120-291 per cent to 200-350 per cent, from 51-61 per cent to 100 per cent for three-wheelers, and from 61 per cent to 100 per cent for two-wheelers. There was another round of excise duty hike, too, about four-five months ago.
Companies such as Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, TVS Motor Company, Hero Motocorp, Bajaj Auto and Maruti Suzuki, for whom Sri Lanka is a key export destination, are experiencing a significant slowdown in demand following the import duty hikes, which have made their vehicles very expensive in the island nation. Tata Nano, for instance, has nearly doubled its price since its launch.
From the launch price of LKR 9.25 lakh (Rs 3.8 lakh) cost of the Nano has gone up to LKR 15.50 lakh (Rs 6.63 lakh) in Sri Lanka. Similarly, the Tata 207 used to cost LKR 14 lakh (Rs 5.98 lakh). However, after the tax increase, the price has increased to LKR 25 lakh (Rs 10.69 lakh).
A Tata Motors spokesperson said, “We cannot express a view, except to say that for Tata Motors, Sri Lanka was the first country, after India, starting in 1961. For the last 50 years, the company has had an uninterrupted association with Sri Lankan customers. In the last year, increase of excise and customs duties in Sri Lanka (in April and November 2012) has impacted exports of automobiles — passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles — out of India. In some cases, prices have doubled. Tata Motors, too, has been impacted."
An executive of Dimo Lanka, the exclusive dealer and importer of Tata Motors vehicles in Sri Lanka, concurred the views. "Imports of Tata cars are happening, but ever since the taxes were increased, sales of Tata 207 and the Tata Nano have gone down substantially. Enquiries are still very healthy but when consumers discover the price their enthusiasm goes down,” he said.
According to a Morgan Stanley report, after import duties were hiked last year, exports of Bajaj Auto to Sri Lanka dropped “from 20,000-22,000 per month in the last quarter of last financial year to around 8,000-10,000 a month by the end of first quarter of this financial year”.
Pawan Goenka, president (automotive and farm equipment service) Mahindra & Mahindra said, “Our volumes have been affected very badly because of the increase in import duty. And it has impacted a certain specific models not across the board."
Sri Lanka, with a gross domestic product (GDP) increase of 6.3 per cent in the quarter ended December, is one of the promising markets for automobile players. Indian auto labels have a lion’s share of the Sri Lankan automotive market, led by Bajaj Auto with 60 per cent share.
Last year, India had exported vehicles worth $6 billion, out of which automobiles worth $800 million were to Sri Lanka.
India will only hurt itself by this act.
Tamil Nadu Politicians HAVE ALWAYS BEEN RACIST.
Sri Lanka is assaulted today;
North Indians will be assaulted tomorrow by these RACISTS!
Let Si Lankan cricketers play in other countries and REFUSE tio play in India!
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IPL cricket: India media attacks Sri Lanka player ban
BBC.co.uk
March 27, 2013
India's media has criticised the decision of Tamil Nadu state not to host Indian Premier League (IPL) games with Sri Lankan players, amid anger over Colombo's rights record.
The Indian Premier League said teams taking part were being told of the move.
Players from around the world compete in the world's richest cricket league.
Thirteen Sri Lankans are signed up to play in the nine-team Twenty20 tournament, which begins on 3 April.
They include Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Tilakratne Dilshan and Ajantha Mendis.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha said people in Tamil Nadu had been angered by "barbaric acts" against Sri Lankan Tamils.
She said that people in Tamil Nadu were disturbed by alleged human rights violations and reported systematic killing of people of Tamil ethnicity in Sri Lanka, adding that if the Sri Lankans played in the state, it would "aggravate an already surcharged atmosphere".
"To drop the Sri Lankan players on this ground is to blatantly discriminate on the basis of nationality and ethnic identity," The Hindu newspaper said in an editorial headlined "Chauvinism at its worst".
'Jingoism'
The newspaper also criticised the IPL authorities which, it says, "did more harm than Ms Jayalalitha".
"Its decision to keep the Sri Lankan players out of the matches in Chennai after talking to the team owners will have larger, long-term repercussions for not only cricket, but also India's international relations," the newspaper said
"Sport, which brings peoples together, has now been turned into a vehicle of jingoism and ethnic affinities."
The Times of India said "Tamil Nadu's politics over the vexed Tamil issue has stumped Sri Lankan cricketers participating in the IPL".
The Indian Express said this was not the first case of "politics spilling over to the sporting arena".
The newspaper said the Tamil Nadu government had not allowed a football team from a Colombo college to train in the state capital, Chennai, last September.
And, "more recently, the 20th Asian athletics meet in Chennai ran into rough weather as the Sri Lankans were expected to among the participants".
Sri Lankan cricket star, Muttiah Muralitharan, who is a member of the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, told the newspaper that it is "sad the Tamil Nadu government doesn't want us there".
"It's always unfortunate when people in power start mixing politics with sports," he said.
The main opposition party in Tamil Nadu withdrew from India's governing coalition - also in March - over its failure to condemn alleged atrocities against Sri Lankan Tamils.
There have been protests in the state over the treatment of Sri Lanka's Tamil minority.
OK, the Tamil Nadu RACISTS have now made it formal: What we have been warning the GOSL about for YEARS is now OUT IN THE OPEN!
NOW at least Sri Lanka should go on a WAR FOOTING to defend Sri Lanka against Tamil Nadu.
EXPEL all Tamil Indian citizens from Sri Lanka,
DENY Visas to Indian Tamils,
BAN trade with Tamil Nadu businesses,
HALT work on the Mannar-Dhanuskody rail link,
DECLARE Tamils from INdia PERSONA-NON-GRATA in Sri Lanka.
INCREASE the presence of the Sri and Armed Forces in the NORTHERN and Eastern provinces.
BUILD FORTIFICATIONS all along the SHORELINE!
PREPARE to defend our Motherland.
TAKE these THREATS against Sri Lanka with the UTMOST SERIOUSNESS!
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Tamil Nadu advocates Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka
Chennai, March 27, 2013 (IANS):
The Tamil Nadu assembly Wednesday urged India to introduce a resolution in the UN Security Council seeking a referendum in Sri Lanka to carve out an independent Tamil Eelam state.
A resolution moved by the AIADMK-controlled house said Tamils living in Sri Lanka as well as Tamils of Sri Lankan origin in other countries should take part in the referendum.
The resolution also urged India to stop describing Sri Lanka as a friendly nation and sought an international probe on war crimes during the war against the Tamil Tigers that left thousands dead.
It said those responsible for the alleged war crimes should be tried by an international court.
The Indian government was also asked to impose economic sanctions on the island nation until the "oppression" on Tamils there ended.
Speaking in the house, the chief minister referred to the widespread protests by students in the state demanding action against Sri Lanka over the deaths of Tamil civilians in the war against the LTTE.
Tamil Nadu advocates Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka
.....Continued 1.....
She also spoke about the UN Human Rights Council resolution that pulled up Colombo over accusations that many innocent Tamils died in the military blitzkrieg against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Sri Lanka crushed the LTTE and wiped out its leadership in May 2009, ending one of the world's longest running conflicts.
"India should stop calling Sri Lanka a friendly nation," Jayalalithaa said.
"There should be an international probe on the war crimes during the war (against the Tamil Tigers) and people responsible for that should be tried before an international court," she said.
She described as a victory for her government the Indian Premier League's (IPL) decision not to hold any cricket match in Tamil Nadu if Sri Lankan players were involved.
On Tuesday, she told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that her government would allow IPL matches in the state only if no Sri Lankan player, umpire, official or support staff took part in the matches.
She accused DMK president M. Karunanidhi of being insincere vis-a-vis the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.
She charged the Congress-led Indian government, of which the DMK was a major partner, with helping Sri Lanka to kill Tamils.
She said Karunanidhi revived the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) only after his DMK lost power in the state in 2011.
The chief minister said New Delhi had not taken any action on the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly in 2011 urging India to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka and approach the UN to declare those responsible for the "genocide" in the island as war criminals.
Jayalalithaa said it was regrettable that the Indian government was indifferent to the Tamil issue and not respecting Tamil sentiments.
She said she had introduced the new resolution in the house to show "the entire Tamil community's feelings".
Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu are separated by a narrow strip of sea.
Earlier, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapapaksa Wednesday warned of local and internationally attempts to scuttle peace in the island nation.
Addressing a Sri Lanka Freedom Party ceremony in Colombo, Rajapaksa said it was the right of all Sri Lankans to ensure that peace was protected in the country without falling prey to rumours, reports Xinhua.
Rajapaksa's comments come within a week after a US-sponsored resolution was passed against Sri Lanka at the UN Humans Rights Council in Geneva.
Days later, the US warned that international action may be initiated on Sri Lanka if the island failed to implement the latest resolution adopted at the UN Human Rights Council.
Since defeating the Tamil Tigers, Rajapaksa's government has been under pressure, especially from Western countries, seeking an independent probe into war crimes allegations.
Sri Lanka has done more to PROTECT and ASSIST war-affected Sri Lankan Tamils than ANY OTHER COUNTRY has to done under similar conditions in the world .... including India, US, UK and the EU countries.
However, like these countries, Sri Lanka will not spare terrorists and separatists bearing arms against its people. When 30 long years of wailing for help and negotiating with murderous terrorists did not bring peace ... they were defeated militarily and eradicated by leaf, branch, trunk and root. We will not shed tears for these murderers. No nation needs to apologize for defending itself and its people against such enemies.
When Sri Lanka REFUSES to implement the 13th Constitutional Amendment IMPOSED UPON IT at the POINT OF A GUN by India, Sri Lanka is well within its rights, recognized in international law, to do that.
Sri Lanka SHOULD NOT, MUST NOT, DEVOLVE POWER to unrepentant separatists, who were the defeated LTTE's political arm during the last 30 years. NEVER!
Universal Franchise to elect one's representative to the National Parliament and Equal Rights guaranteed by Sri Lanka's Constitution to all Sri Lankan citizens irrespective of community is FREEDOM ENOUGH.
Sri Lanka MUST NOT JEOPARDIZE its HARD WON PEACE by DEVOLVING POWER to RACIST MURDEROUS SEPARATISTS.
In Sri Lanka, rights are not distributed piecemeal to citizens on the basis of their communal attributes of race, language, religion, caste, or sex. All citizens enjoy the same rights, in particular the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness any where in the country irrespective of community.
Sri Lanka MUST HOLD this FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE of its Governance, and AVOID devolving power separately to each community. That will only create a divided patchwork nation of warring bantustans.
Tamil Nadu openly calling for a Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka IS THE LAST STRAW of Indian interference in the affairs of Sri Lanka. This MUST BE IMMEDIATELY CONFRONTED!
PREPARE TO DEFEND Sri Lanka against Tamil Nadu and ALL OTHER ENEMIES of Sri Lanka!
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Stance on Sri Lanka a blunder
Kanal Sibal
IndiaToday.in
March 26, 2013
Our conduct at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at Geneva on the US sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka on human rights violations of the Tamilian population has raised questions about the coherence, maturity and objectivity of our policy towards our neighbour. Our Sri Lanka policy has to be based on wider considerations than politicking within the UPA government and exaggerated posturing for electoral reasons by the DMK on the ethnic issue.
The anguish in Tamil Nadu about the Rajapakse government's failure to make tangible political progress on the ethnic issue should be recognised. The Sri Lankan government has not been able to shed the mood of triumphalism after the decisive military victory over the LTTE; it has gone back on its promises on devolution; an honest probe into alleged large scale human rights violations during the last days of military operations remains pending; the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission have not been implemented.
However, to allow this anguish to govern our policy towards Sri Lanka, to the exclusion of other factors, would be a serious mistake, especially when demagoguery is resorted to by sections of political opinion in Tamil Nadu and the Tamilian diaspora abroad. There is loose talk of genocide despite the cessation of military operations four years ago. Why is that between 2009 and now this genocide of Tamilians was not discovered? Why castigate the deplorable political failure of the Rajapakse government as genocide?
Stance on Sri Lanka a blunder
.....Continued 1 .................
Foreign policy
No doubt foreign policy cannot be altogether divorced from domestic opinion and regional sentiments therefore cannot be ignored in foreign policy making. Foreign policy, however, operates in a context quite different from domestic politics, the stakes are different, the involvement and interests of third parties is a complicating factor, and national security and geo-political factors come into play. Besides, the weightage to give to regional sentiments as distinguished from national sentiment has salience in decision-making.
If our foreign policy towards Sri Lanka should be based on the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu today, then sentiments in West Bengal should dictate our foreign policy towards Bangladesh tomorrow, and those in UP and Bihar should determine what we do with Nepal day after. It would be a mistake to begin treating our relations with our neighbours as extensions of the pulls and pressures of our domestic politics. Our neighbours are independent, sovereign countries, which requires that we control our domestic lobbies and prevent them from distorting our policies in our periphery. Moreover, when the states are today resisting strongly encroachment on their powers in a federal system, they should also respect the prerogative of the Centre to make foreign policy.
Unlike ours, US stakes in Sri Lanka are limited. They do not need to calculate the consequences of the initiative they take to censure Sri Lanka at the UNHRC with as much care as we have to. They promote the human rights dimension of their foreign policy as part of the larger objective to universalise their values, to retain the high moral ground in international affairs and avert attention from the human costs of their military operations abroad. They do not take into account the stress they put on our policy towards Sri Lanka by moving resolutions in the UNHRC against it, forcing us to adopt a position that we would like to leave undefined so as to retain sufficient space to deal with the complex situation there.
Apart from this gap in managing our strategic relationship with the US in our neighbourhood, it is galling that we have to support the targeting of Sri Lanka by bodies like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International which gave us a miserable time in the 1990's over allegations of human rights violations by our forces in J&K, boosting the Pakistani campaign against us on this issue.
Past
Even the US State Department was complicit in this. We opposed the objectivity and credibility of these human rights organisations when we were targeted; now we endorse their findings to put Sri Lanka on the mat.
Our policy of not supporting country specific human rights resolutions at Geneva was sound, as these resolutions are used by the West to erode the international legitimacy of regimes considered adversarial. We have been criticised for not taking a clear cut position on human rights issues as behoves a democracy and a rising power called upon to assume greater responsibility for upholding the international order. Apart from a disinclination to play by double standards, we have favoured dialogue over denunciation in dealing with human rights abuses in countries. We abandoned this policy last year in voting against Sri Lanka and did so again this year.
Stance on Sri Lanka a blunder
.....Continued 2.....
Resolution
This time too we began by softening the US resolution where it was too intrusive and undercut Sri Lankan sovereignty too blatantly. However, because of extreme DMK pressure on the government our diplomatic strategy fell into an embarrassing disarray. In a last ditch effort to placate the DMK we sought a toughening of the US resolution after our previous efforts to soften it. Worse, the US rebuffed India because it did not want the balance of the resolution disturbed for fear of losing numbers in support. We put ourselves in a situation where the US appeared moderate and we unprincipled and opportunistic.
We do not have to condone Sri Lanka's failure on reconciliation and accountability issues. But we should deal bilaterally with Sri Lanka, and forcefully at that to contain the mounting backlash in Tamil Nadu. As a regional power we should not outsource such responsibility to others, as this erodes our position and exposes our irresolution, adding to our neighbourly woes. If we don't use our power we will be seen as powerless.
- The writer is a former Foreign Secretary.
MISPLACED or NOT, India's Actions, egged on by Tamil Nadu, are DESTRUCTIVE to Sri Lanka.
IT is HIGH TIME that Sri Lanka acted against CONTINUED Indian Interference in Sri Lanka's Internal Matters by:
1. Immediately expelling all Tamil citizens of India
2. Banning Trade with, and Travel to and from, Tamil Nadu
3. CLOSING and DISMANTLING the Rail link between India and Sri Lanka
4. Down Grading Economic, Diplomatic and Military ties with India including closing down ALL Indian diplomatic offices in Sri Lanka except the Indian embassy in Colombo. India should be PREVENED from DOMINATING SRi Lanka in these areas.
5. LIMITING and DISCOURAGING Indian Economic Investments in Sri Lanka
6. TYERMINATING access and Involvement in Reconstruction in the Northern Province. Altough these constitute WAR REPARATIONS for Indian Crimes committed in Sri Lanka, they perpetuate Indian presence in Sri Lanka ... a presence that should be ended NOW!
CONTRARY to what this writer recommends to serve India's interests, Sri Lanka should:
1. REVERSE the troop withdrawal and FURTHER FORTIFY, INCREASE and PERMANENTLY station MORE Armed Forces in the North to DEFEND against the THREATS posed by Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan Tamil Separatists.
2. REJECT and REPEAL the 13th Amendment to the Constitution requiring Sri Lanka to DEVOLVE power to TAMIL SEPARATISTS now being supported vociferously by a Foreign Power based in Tamil Nadu. The 13th Amendment was ILLEGALLY IMPOSED on Sri Lanka by India under the threat of PERMANENT military occupation, that will in time result in the loss of this territory. Just as the MUNICH AGREEMENT that FORCED Czechslovakia to CEDE control of the Sudetenland Province to Nazi Germany was ILLEGAL, the 13th Amendment FORCED upon Sri Lanka by India under MILITARY THREATS, is ILLEGAL. It is ILLEGAL under International Law ... and should be REPEALED by sovereign Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka should not EMPOWER overt/covert Separatists for ANY REASON by undermining the authority of its Central Government.
Let India grant AUTONOMY to Jammu & Kashmir Separatists if it wants to, but Sri Lanka SHOULD NOT devolve power to Tamil Separatists.
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A show of misplaced solidarity sours ties with Colombo
G Parthasarathy
DNAIndia.com
March 28, 2013
On March 15, India backed a US-sponsored resolution in the UN Human RightsCouncil (UNHRC) which expressed concern at “continuing reports of human rights violations, extra-judicial killings, torture and violations of the rights of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly” in Sri Lanka.
The resolution also called on the Sri Lankan government to expeditiously carry out “an independent and credible investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” with regard to deaths in 2010, during the last days of the bloody 30-year-long ethnic conflict. At the same time, the resolution welcomed work done to resettle the majority of internally displaced persons (Tamils from the North) and called for steps to promote national reconciliation.
A show of misplaced solidarity sours ties with Colombo
.....Continued 1......
The very next day, Sri Lanka’s information minister Keheliya Rambukwella announced that his government would be taking over 84 oil storage tanks out of the 99 tanks in the strategically located Trincomalee Port, leaving the remaining 15 tanks there to be utilised by the Indian Oil Corporation. The message to India was clear. While Sri Lanka may have initially agreed in 1987 with India to jointly manage all 99 tanks, it was now asserting its right to manage all those oil tanks the IOC was not utilising.
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The Sri Lankan decision in 1987 to jointly manage the Trincomalee facilities was in response to Indian concerns about the use of Trincomalee by navies of powers not friendly to India. The takeover of the 84 tanks is a message to India that these facilities would now be run by Sri Lanka and, if necessary, be made available to use by China’s navy, thereby expanding China’s maritime power across the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka knows that India was almost totally isolated in Asia, when backing the US-sponsored resolution on allegations of human-rights violations. South Korea, a US ally, was the only Asian country to back the resolution. Even Japan, a long time US ally abstained from voting. Japan appeared determined not to do anything which would facilitate a greater Chinese naval presence in the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean. All other Asian countries were obviously not going to back Western efforts to condemn and isolate a fellow Asian democracy.
Pakistan voted against the UN Resolution and China’s new President Xi Jinping is set to welcome President Rajapakse in Beijing. It is clear that in any major international forum like the ASEAN Regional Forum, BRICS, SAARC, or the Commonwealth, there is no possibility of India obtaining a consensus, or even significant support for resolutions which seek to “condemn” Sri Lanka for “war crimes” or “genocide,” as Mr Karunanidhi demands. India will only isolate itself, if it embarks on any such effort. Moreover, as India does not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it is not in any position to seek any role for the ICC on alleged “war crimes” in Sri Lanka.
Carried away be the overblown propaganda of Sri Lankan Tamil expatriates from countries like the US, Canada and UK and determined to leave no stone unturned to incite and use sentiments in Tamil Nadu for political advantage in forthcoming general elections, the main political players in the State are advocating a course of action, of seeking to get Sri Lanka isolated and condemned internationally.
This is an effort avowedly to secure the establishment of a Tamil “Eeelam” (Homeland) in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. It ignores the reality that roughly one third of Sri Lanka’s Tamil population of 3 million are descendants of Indian workers who sought employment there during colonial rule. They live in the central and southern regions and have elected leaders who have a constructive working relationship with the Sinhala majority. They have no interest in harming themselves by demands for “Eelam”. Moreover, the Tamils are in a minority in the Eastern Province and the Muslims and Sinhalas there would never agree to their being a part of a separate “Eelam,” with a Tamil majority.
A show of misplaced solidarity sours ties with Colombo
.....Continued 2......
In a surcharged political atmosphere, amid overblown rhetoric, there are now calls for an economic boycott of Sri Lanka and for an Indian withdrawal from power and infrastructure projects there. Those in Tamil Nadu advocating this forget that there will be Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and ASEAN bidders ready to joyously replace us.
Further, the infrastructure projects being built by India in Sri Lanka are primarily designed to help transportation of goods and services to and from the Tamil-dominated Northern Province. Moreover, if Sri Lankans start doubting our intentions because of shrill calls for “Eelam” from Tamil Nadu, they will only further strengthen their already well equipped and battle-hardened armed forces with Chinese equipment, to counter external meddling.
It is obvious that efforts arising from political rivalries in Tamil Nadu, to internationally condemn, isolate, ostracise and subdue Sri Lanka, are doomed to fail. Worse still, such actions will only hamper and set back efforts to provide relief and rehabilitation to Sri Lankan Tamils. It is time that the realisation dawned on political parties whipping up emotions and passions on the events of 2010 that it will yield no results.
The UNHRC resolution calls on the Sri Lankan government to effectively implement the “constructive recommendations” made by the “Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission” (LLRC) that it had set up. The commission found that there had been excesses by both the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE, which deliberately and callously hid behind “civilian shields” during the last days of the conflict. The UNHRC called for credible investigations and action against those held responsible.
While pushing for implementation of the recommendations of the LLRC, New Delhi should not get distracted by domestic political compulsions. It should focus its efforts on speeding up rehabilitation and reconstruction of homes of displaced Tamils and persuading the Tamil National Alliance in Sri Lanka to join the proposed dialogue for implementing the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution.
Sri Lanka, in turn, will be well advised to hold elections in the North as promised in September 2013 and facilitate the establishment of an empowered provincial government there. Sri Lanka would also heal the bitter memories of the ethnic conflict by gradually withdrawing troops in the North and directing its army not to interfere or intervene in the day to day lives of the people. Most importantly, the Sri Lankan Government should show good faith in abiding by its assurances on implementing the provisions of the 13thAmendment of its Constitution on devolution of powers, which was enacted pursuant to the India-Sri Lanka Agreement of July 1987.
The writer is a former diplomat
India's NO today, could be YES tomorrow.
The Government of Sri Lanka should take defensive measures NOW to move Sri Lanka out of India'[s DEADLY Economic, Diplomatic and Military EMBRACE.
Make India a MINOR PLAYER in Sri Lanka ... NOW ... before it is TOO LATE!
A series of steps taken NOW will send the MESSAGE to India that Sri Lanka also considers India's acts NOT ONLY UNFRIENDLY but INIMICAL as well.
Give India FAIR WARNING of the CONSEQUENCES.... NOW, not with WORDS but with a SERIES OF CONCRETE ACTIONS.
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Indian government rejects Tamil Nadu resolution on Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 29, New Delhi: The Indian government today rejected the resolution passed by Tamil Nadu assembly that called for slapping sanctions against Sri Lanka and holding a referendum to create a separate Tamil Eelam in the country.
The External Affairs Minister of India Salman Khurshid flatly rejected the Tamil Nadu government resolution that had asked the Central government to stop treating Sri Lanka as a friendly nation and slap economic sanctions while demanding a referendum for a separate Tamil Eelam.
In an interview to CNN-IBN Minister Khurshid said the Indian government considers the very strong feelings in Tamil Nadu and those are not entirely "out of sync with" what many people in the world think but the government believes that its negotiations, the dialogue with Sri Lanka and the effort it has made with Sri Lanka are equally important.
When asked if the Centre was rejecting the three crucial aspects of the resolution - declaring the country unfriendly, slapping economic sanctions and holding a referendum- adopted by Tamil Nadu Assembly on March 27, the Minister said a firm no to each demand.
"There is no question of accepting that and that is not the only state that has a stake in this. What about the other states? There are many other assemblies. The rest of India is not supporting this," the Minister said in the interview.
"If all of India was supporting it, it would be another matter. But if one state supports something we are sensitive to their concerns, but we don't have to necessarily accept everything they say," he stressed.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution urging the Centre to slap economic embargo on Colombo till the "suppression" of Tamils was stopped and those responsible for "genocide and war crimes" faced an international probe.
Sri Lanka becomes first country in South Asia to roll out 4G mobile network
Economic Times
March 29, 2013
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka auctioned a block of airwaves to become the first country in South Asia to roll out a full nationwide mobile fourth-generation (4G) network, a top official said Friday.
Anusha Palpita, the Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, said he allocated the airwaves to Sri Lanka's largest cellular operator Dialog Axiata for $26.25 million on Thursday.
He said Dialog, the Sri Lanka unit of Malaysia's Axiata, will roll out a 4G mobile network that will allow users to download content from the Internet at speeds four to five times faster than the currently available 3G.
"We will be South Asia's first with a (country-wide) mobile 4G/LTE (Long Term Evolution) internatnetwork," Palpita said.
Right now, Sri Lanka already has fixed-line telephone 4G in key cities, but the new mobile 4G network will allow users to access high-speed Internet with their hand-held devices across the country.
The 4G network is expected to be rolled out "shortly", said Palpita, noting the infrastructure is already in place.
He added that the money raised from the spectrum sale Thursday was the highest ever earned from an auction of airwaves.
Sri Lanka became the first country in South Asia to introduce mobile phones in 1989 and the first to roll out a 3G network in 2004.
But Palpita said that a vast majority of mobile phones in the country were still older 2G handsets.
The five mobile phone operators in Sri Lanka are being encouraged to switch over to newer technology for its increasing mobile phone connections, which now outnumber its population of 20 million, he said.
This is a part of Sri Lanka's "LTTE/Eelam Holocaust Musuem" designed to EXPOSE to the entire world the ATROCITIES committed by the MURDEROUS LTTE in search of a RACIST Tamils-Only State in Mother Lanka.
When we visit these places, we MOURN our Honoured Dead, and FIRMLY RESOLVE that NEVER AGAIN will such a calamity be allowed to happen in Sri Lanka.
Prejudiced people who want to spin these events as "UGLY" and "TRIUMPHALIST" can go to HELL!
They were BLIND & DEAF to our Nation's PAIN, that they helped INFLICT, anyway.
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Ugly show of triumph? Lanka promotes LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran's den as tourist hotspot
IndiaToday.com
March 29, 2013
The small dirt trail just wide enough for a motor car twists into the jungles of Sri Lanka's Mullaitivu district. It leads to a 60 acre complex ringed by five rows of barbed wire, minefields, cages that held guard dogs and 25 small bunkers each with four bodyguards.
LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran.
LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran.
At the centre of the formidable 'Puli Kottai' or Tiger Fortress, sits a small nondescript single-storeyed structure. This façade masks the entrance to a four-story building buried more than 40 feet under the ground complete with three foot thick concrete walls and blast-proof steel doors. This is where Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran once lived, guarded by more than 200 bodyguards. This is from where he plotted waged war against the Sri Lankan state , recruited child soldiers and wiped out possibly every Tamil leader of consequence, using his army of suicide bombers.
Manned by army
Today, however, his bunker complex at Puthukkudiyiruppu, now manned by the army, is the star attraction in a very unique terror tourist circuit in northern Sri Lanka: bunkers, mini submarines, gunboats and human torpedoes of the defeated Tigers.
All these exhibits are located in a small 5 sq km box on the country's northeastern coast, just a few kilometres away from where the final shots in the war were fired.
The tourists are mostly Sinhalese from down south who have never been to this part of the country before. Thousands of monks, schoolchildren and home makers, who come by the busload, now regard the exhibits with a mixture of fear and awe.
"We're happy for our army," says Inoka Dilrukshi, 35, a care giver who works in Israel. "We're happy it's all over now," she smiles. She is accompanied by an extended family of nearly 20 wide-eyed men, women and children.
LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran
LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran's underground house layout.
A few metres away, hundreds of schoolchildren listen in rapt attention as a skinny Sri Lankan soldier in battle fatigues deftly flicks a thin stick over a large layout of the area. "…We won a great victory against terrorists," he says in Sinhala.
The Lankan army's victory is drummed home clearly in all the trophy exhibits dotting Mullaitivu. Victory turns into triumphalism at the war museum in Puthukkudiyiruppu, the spot less than 2 km away from the Nanthikadal lagoon where Prabhakaran was gunned down on May 19.
This is the site of a gigantic victory monument unveiled by President Rajapaksa in December 2009. This Soviet-style bronze image of a fierce Sri Lankan soldier in full battle gear shoots out from the centre of a shallow lake.
US justifies it's war against terrorism whilst bringing resolutions against SL. Recent speech by Obama should be an eye opener for those in USA who seek a resolution against SL
http://tprism.blogspot.com/2013/05/war-on-terrorism-dissecting-president.html
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