S. Akurugoda.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka addressing the mass rally at the Parliament grounds called upon to appoint a Presidential Commission to probe the activities of the LTTE and its shocking caches of sophisticated arms and ammunition. During the humanitarian operation and thereafter, the Security Forces exposed the magnitude of the LTTE’s underground arsenal and said to have in the process of further investigation to gather proof of evidence to probe the link between the outfit and its local and foreign promoters.

As the Prime Minister quite correctly identified time has come for all those who are genuinely interested to see the lasting solution to achieve peace, stability, progress and the establishment of democracy in Sri Lanka without any racial and religious differences, to identify the real culprits for the death and destruction in the country and take action there on for the betterment of future generation.

Although the Sri Lanka government had taken steps to confront the terrorist outfit militarily, not enough attention had been made to counteract the effect of false propaganda machinery of the LTTE, both in and outside the country. As a result the menace of separatism is still alive both in and outside Sri Lanka.

Now that the chances of dividing Sri Lanka on ethnic lines by military means are no more, the next question, often raised by the desperate agents of the Anglo American oriented international community (who openly exhibited their indisputable relationship with the Tamil Tigers and their terrorism) is ‘human rights’, ‘equal rights’, ‘living with dignity’ etc, mere slogans adopted by the very same divisive forces to promote separatism.
The crushing defeat of the LTTE, no doubt, would have caused serious concerned to the bogus “peace’ and ‘rights’ activists and other interested parties whose survival depends upon the continuation of conflicts and terror, though they appear in public as the saviours of peace.
These NGO ‘peace nicks’, anti-war kingpins who appear under various attractive name boards such as ‘co-existence’, ‘National Peace’, Policy Alternatives, “Ethnic Studies”, Free Media’ etc and who were extremely busy supplying the necessary amenities to their pay masters of the West to save Prabakaran up to the last moment, appear to have gone underground for the time being, but will resurface very soon and will do whatever possible to maintain their stance at any cost. This time, probably, to give another attempt to pave the way for the dead Tiger Leader’s dream.

Although we have not come across a recent appeal for ‘piece’ from Jehan Perera of so-called National Peace Council, man who work very hard to white wash LTTE in each every atrocities committed by the outfit as “tit-for-tat kind of retaliation” while tarnishing the image of Sinhalese and political parties opposed to LTTE , and his bunch of so-called ‘independent (but dollar dependent) analysts’ have to start from some where to justify their existence to the funding agencies. Since the vision statement of the NPC includes the LTTE as an integral part of the solution, now the time has come to change the ‘vision’ prior to commence his next mission.
Kumar Rupasinghe, the well known key player of the infamous Anti-war Front and Foundation for Co-existence has already announced his latest starting point, ‘enhancing 13th amendment to the constitution’. Probably, this is the only way-out left for him to keep communal cry alive and later to defeat the victories achieved by our security forces. He will definitely get the necessary moral support form the old Marxists and other groups who were with him during his ant-war campaign, but in the government rank now.

Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, it seems, has already commenced his misinformation campaign to tarnish the image of our country and one such meeting is reported to be held in Melbourne at the coming week end under the topic ‘Human rights and media freedom in Sri Lanka’, the very usual topic repeated by these paid groups over and over again.

While promoting the terrorists’ global campaign that Sinhalese, particularly Sinhalese Buddhists, or the Sri Lankan Government as Tamil’s greatest enemy, these NGOs and other interested parties including their funding agencies were promoting the misconception that the war against the terrorist outfit is un-winnable. Hence completely eradicating the terrorist is not the expectation or the mission of these paid groups.

A lie repeated under each and every news item, repeatedly for decades, via international news agencies could register as a conclusive piece of evidence in support of the LTTE terrorism in the minds of the millions of its readers /listeners/viewers throughout the world, with time. Western media institutions often give wide publicity to media releases of the NGO peace bandwagons operating from Colombo and frequently quote their so-called analysis made in favour of the separatist and disastrous to the security forces and the Sri Lanka government.

NGOs exist for a variety of reasons, usually to further the political or social agendas of their members or funders. Their ‘academic’ directions, in the name of peace-making, merely worsened the crisis and prolonged an unnecessary war. These NGOs were in the driver’s seat during the Chandrika-Ranil regimes when the CFA was in full swing. Hence the contribution of these lobbyist NGOs to the loss of lives and destruction by promoting the terrorist’s global campaign for a non-existing problem should also be probed and appropriate action should be taken, at least, to counter their misinformation campaign effectively if terrorism is to be wiped-out completely from our soil.

As we remember, immediately after Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power, a conference was held in Colombo for the diplomatic service personnel, specifically to explain the dynamic role that they have to play when countering the activities of the LTTE and its front organizations responsible for spreading misinformation and raising funds. Although the Sri Lankan diplomatic services operating in some of the countries are active in this direction, the most appear to be quite sluggish. Despite the efforts of handful of patriotic Sri Lankan expatriate community living in those countries, anti- Sri Lankan propaganda machineries continued at an unprecedented level, while our diplomatic missions were apparently doing nothing.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his historic statement made in the Parliament on 19th may 2009 said that there would no longer be divisions among minorities and majorities in the country on the basis of ethnicity but there would be two kinds of people–those who loved the country and those who did not. Those who do not love the country are now a lesser group. Hence it is essential to have a complete overhaul of our diplomatic mission as a matter of national priority and to choose our High Commissioners, Ambassadors and Consulates from those who loved the country.

Ajit Randeniya

Following the failure of the lie-based “20000 civilian casualties in Sri Lanka” campaign to produce the impact they hoped for, the Murdoch-owned Times has now sunk even deeper in the foul smelling mire they created.

In an apparent attempt to ‘explain’ their lie, they posted on their website (on 30 May), two of the all-revealing (not!) photographs they boasted about – with a voice-over by the foreign editor- and an article by a woman named Catherine Phillp; the article contains an attempted explanation of the very creative accounting process they undertook to arrive at this magical figure of 20000. Unfortunately for them, these two pieces of ‘evidence’ removed any remaining doubt about this scandalous abuse of the role of the media that discredited the entire Western media oligopoly staffed with spies posing as journalists.

The explanation goes like this: the two aerial photographs, one showing the supposed Tigers’ mortar positions and some craters which are supposedly created by army bombing, and another showing rows of supposed graves of the Tiger combatants and the civilians killed by the army respectively! The basis of their ‘classification’ of graves as to whom they belonged to is not explained. Not convinced? Wait to hear the method of calculation of the number of civilian deaths.

Apparently they did have a “body count” given by religious leaders and other sources which they added up, to those either died at, or were brought to, hospitals. They made the crucial assumption that “only one-in-five deaths were being reported”, and corrected this number of reported deaths by multiplying it by five! How is that for creative Arithmetic?

The Times foreign editor lost any remaining credibility with the claim that they were able to identify the rebel and civilian graves together with the causes of death of the victims lying “six feet underground, literally” in a war zone, simply by looking at the mound of sand on the ground. One doesn’t want to dignify this ridiculous lie with further analysis!

Then the fraudulent multiplication of their own estimate of deaths (which was less than the UN estimate of 7000 when they began the exercise) by five, apparently based on the ‘convenient’ assumptions that there were unreported deaths, and they were five times the number reported! If Murdoch himself is not part of this bungled conspiracy, he needs to show these “Spies like us” the door.

These thieves expect the countries on which such tricks are played to totally miss them: the cycle of lies starts with one report, (they take turns), picked up and publicised by the other members of the oligopoly, wires in particular, discussed by the BBC with some disaffected element to give more credibility.

The ‘action’ starts when the ‘guardians of wholesome human behaviour’ such as Amnesty International (who is doing an excellent job in defending freedoms selectively) and the ‘open conspiracy’ that is parading as Human Rights Watch. They used to have access to, and influence at the UN. They still have to NGO plants within the UN system and other well-paid lobbyists like Navi Pillai, who will join the bandwagon like ducks to water, making it legal and official! Based on Western media and NGO lies, they have created an adversarial process in international affairs, putting the unfairly accused developing nations in an unnecessarily defensive position. If and when the truth comes out, the victim has already suffered the ill-effects.

The reaction of the UN humanitarian chief John Holmes provides an example of the difficulties a campaign of lies of this nature can pose, even to those who are familiar with the true situation. In response to this lie, Holmes said: 1. “The actions of both the Tamil Tigers and the army need to be investigated”; 2. “There have been serious charges against the LTTE, of course, for holding civilians as civilian shields for such a long time and thereby being indirectly responsible for their deaths”; 3. “[Also] against the government, for using heavy weapons in an area where there’s so many civilians, thereby – not deliberately – but causing many civilian deaths. I think that’s why it needs to be looked at properly”; and 4. “I think a lot of the figures which are floating around don’t have much justification behind them”. When translated, this ‘nuanced’ form of English also known as ‘Diplomatese’ means: “As a UN diplomat I am not able to tell you that you are dealing in absolute excreta”: but this response was reported under the caption “UN human rights chief calls for a war crimes trial on Sri Lanka”!

The aforementioned routine BBC interview on the issue was with Geoffrey Robertson, an Australian whose apparent effort to rounding his vowels upon arriving in Britain in the 80s is only matched by ‘our own’ Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu; R’ow’bertson’s vowels are getting rounder and rounder and its doubtful whether his mother would be able to recognise him anymore when he rings home!

He is hopeful that: “In the fullness of time, of course”, there will be witnesses, as well as priests and doctors talking about what happened. This is the reason why they are trying every possible trick in the book to gain ‘access’ to these poor people in the camps: their desperation makes them ‘putty in the hands’ of these conspirators.

This is why we should never allow them anywhere near the camps or allow them to talk to these poor people. They are ours, as the President has announced, and we will look after them.

Ganesha David

Dear Sir

You are living in Sri Lanka. Did it really look to you that our Government went about
shooting people. There may have been people caught in between but are you
so backward not to recognize the difference between sentiment and intent ?

Is it humanly possible for a Government to think they can cold-bloodedly kill people
in plain view and get away.

What is this persecution? The ending of this war is the best thing that happened to
Sri Lanka and the region per se. Why are you hell bent on destroying the good that
Is trying to come out of it.

As for the IDPs for godsake we are poor, we are limited and we are doing the best
That we can. Is it right for richer, powerful nations to come and pass judgment.
Laugh and complain about our muddy backyards with a lack of everything.

Is any Government capable of housing, feeding and clothing immaculately 300,000
People overnight?

Why would the GOSL bar access to Humanitarian aid when we are struggling to feed
All the IDPs? Is the GOSL off their rocker to stop NGOs going in. There must be a reason
and a critical reason and I am sure you people know the reason as well.

Everything stands out at you, the GOSL never deliberately killed anyone or put anyone
through suffering. You don’t have a shred of evidence to prove this except doctored
video clippings that are not conclusive. But you want to drag Sri Lanka thru the mud.
Why ? Because Sri Lanka refused to listen to the powerful nations and went about
Winning the war. Isnt it because Sri Lanka was dying, all its people perishing with the
Weight of this war. Was it too much to fight it with all we had?

Ask yourselves Sir, what would you do ? What would you have done if you had the
Opportunity to stop something that had eroded your country for 30 years, will you not
take it at all costs?

Don’t be judgmental and don’t have double standards. Now the Western double
Standards it out of the closet. The world is not foolish. There were no WMD in
Iran and there are no war criminals in Sri Lanka.

Go home Sir, if you are unable to live without infringing others sovereignty. The terrorist
at least had a cause. What cause do you have to war with us small people?
Who are you to take us to Justice ? Are all your houses clean and not contaminated?

The power is changing………watch

By Walter Jayawardhana

The Observer of London reported how about 20 soldiers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were trying to take away a 16 year old girl down with chicken pox but prevented by her parents informing them about her illness. The girl told newspaper that she was later taken away at the point of a gun and was used as a soldier by the Tamil Tigers.

Darchiga Kuken, the girl was interviewed by the newspaper at a new rehabilitation center set up for former child soldiers at Ambepussa by the government.

The report said, “Despite international concerns over the treatment of LTTE suspects, the children appeared to be well treated and were able to speak freely when the Observer visited the camp on Thursday. The most distressing sight was a young boy howling in pain on the floor of one of the huts; his friends said that he had recently arrived and still had a piece of shrapnel lodged in his skull from the recent fighting.”
Following is the full report of the Observer:

Darchiga Kuken was sheltering in a bunker in the Mullaitivu area when a group of about 20 Tamil Tiger soldiers arrived and demanded that she went with them.

“I was sick with chicken pox. My mother and father were screaming and crying, saying that I was sick and pleading with them not to take me,” she said. The men went away. And then at 5pm on 14 March they came back. They called me to come out and then they grabbed me and put me in a jeep. I started to cry. I was shouting: ‘Mother, father, help me.’ ”
The 16-year-old is now being held in what the government describes as a “rehabilitation centre”, a jungle camp built on a hillside outside the town of Ambepusse in the south of the country. Here children like her, who were forced to fight on the front line in the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka, gave the Observer compelling evidence of war crimes committed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The camp currently houses 95 children, with another 200 on their way from internment camps around the town of Vavuniya in the north of the country.

Despite international concerns over the treatment of LTTE suspects, the children appeared to be well treated and were able to speak freely when the Observer visited the camp on Thursday. The most distressing sight was a young boy howling in pain on the floor of one of the huts; his friends said that he had recently arrived and still had a piece of shrapnel lodged in his skull from the recent fighting.

The accounts of these boys and girls who surrendered to the Sri Lankan army were shocking. They say they were dragged screaming from their families and sent into action with only a few days of basic training. The older members of the LTTE warned them to keep firing and advancing, or they would be shot by their own side from behind.
Those who did try to escape said they were fired on by their own side. Children who were recaptured had their hair shaved off to mark them as deserters and boys were beaten.

Darchiga said she was shot in the stomach by the army two days after arriving on the front line, having been forced to pick up a rifle and go forward to fight. She said LTTE cadres left her bleeding for four hours before she received any medical treatment.

According to her testimony, the Tigers had warned every family that those children who could carry a weapon were expected to join up, regardless of age. Some as young as 11 and 12 had been taken, she said. “They told families that one child was enough. If they had five children, they would take four and leave just one.”

She was taken to a training camp at Mullaivaikal, where nine days of basic military training were interrupted by frequent air attacks. On the morning of 24 March, she was sent to the front.

“I was scared and thought that I would die now and would never see my parents again. They had scared us and said we shouldn’t sleep because the army would come and cut our throats.”

She spent the first day hiding in a bunker, then she was shoved forwards because the senior Tiger cadres said they were running out of fighters. “They gave me a rifle. It was very heavy. They threatened us that we had to go forward and shoot; if we came back, they would shoot us themselves.

“I went a few hundred yards and hid behind a coconut tree. I saw the army coming and I was very scared and I was lying down trying to hide, but then they shot me in the stomach.

“I started screaming because of the pain, but the cadres told me to shut up because the army would hear me. They gave me a cloth to put on the wound. There was a lot of blood. It was four hours before they took me to the hospital at Matalan.”

On 13 April she escaped and ran back to her family. The Tigers were looking for deserters, she said. “If they caught them, they shaved their hair off and sent them back to the front line.” Boys also received a beating.
She finally managed to escape with a group of civilians, but only after the Tigers had fired on them. She was separated from her family, who were sent to the internment camps at Vavuniya, and taken to a court, which ordered her to be detained at Ambepusse for a year – the standard treatment for those who confess to LTTE membership, even if they had been coerced.

Ravindram Vajeevan, 17, said he arrived at Ambepusse on 9 April after escaping from the Tigers four days earlier. He had a large scar on his left arm where he had been shot by his former comrades as he ran away.

He had been taken from his family in Mullaitivu on 29 March, as fighting raged around the shrinking no-fire zone and LTTE numbers dwindled. A large group of men arrived at the house, he said, and dragged him from the bunker where he had been sheltering.

“They hit me and my mother was crying and I was crying, but they said I had to go to fight. My neighbours tried to stop them, but they said they would shoot. Then they fired in the air,” he said.

He was taken to a camp with about 70 other young boys and taught how to make a bunker, how to handle a rifle, how to escape from an ambush and how to stage an attack. They were told that if they did not fight they would be shot from behind, he said. On the fifth day, he escaped.

“In the beginning, the LTTE were fighting for the Tamils, but in the end they were just fighting for themselves,” he said.
Thambirasa Jagadiswary, 20, and her brother Thambirasa Thisanandan, 17, were reunited at Ambepusse after the the Tigers took them from their family. Jagadiswary was taken in June 2008 and drafted into a mortar unit before being captured; her brother was dragooned in February this year. He had spent 15 days with the rebels before escaping and surrendering.

Afterwards he was taken to Vavuniya with his parents. “They told us there that those who were in the LTTE should register, so I did,” he said. “Then they told me they would separate us from our parents.”

“I was talking with my friends when they brought him in,” his sister said. “All of a sudden I saw my brother and I started crying and shouting and hugging him.” Their mother remains in the internment camp at Menik Farm.

These teenagers’ revelations come days after the UN human rights council rejected a call for an investigation into allegations of war crimes by both sides during the 26-year conflict and accepted an alternative Sri Lankan government resolution describing the conflict as a “domestic matter that doesn’t warrant outside interference”. The Sri Lankan military has also been accused of committing war crimes by firing on civilians.

Among the traumatised and unwilling child soldiers of the Tamil Tigers, there is just a desire for normality to return.
“I was one year with the LTTE and I must be one year here,” said Jagadiswary. “Now I would just like to find my mother and get on with my life.”(

Bandula Kothalawala London N7

British diplomats, licking their self-inflicted wounds from the 11th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka, must have felt a tremendous sense of relief to learn that a pack of hyenas from the British media have already pounced on their elusive quarry.

The Times, after detailed research backed by experts, ably assisted by the BBC and Channel 4, supported by human rights groups, has finally arrived at the true figure of civilian casualties in the war in Sri Lanka. Based on “satellite imagery” and “UN internal documents”, it now says that 20,000 civilians were killed by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the last few days of the offensive. The calculation itself is a stupendously complicated exercise which bears the hallmark of the technical expertise, perhaps, of an award-wining journalist of the calibre of Marie Colvin. With the idiot’s guide to the methodology that Channel 4 has kindly provided, anyone can now work it out for himself or herself. Choose a cut-off date and a number for the civilians who were trapped in the No-Fire Zone, deduct from it the number of the people supposed to have been rescued by the Sri Lankan army and add the UN unofficial casualty figures to the result. Lo and behold! You get the number of civilians killed by the Sri Lankan forces! Fortunately, for the Times, there was no shortage of estimates of the number of trapped civilians and they ranged from about 150,000 to 400,000. Let’s take 400,000 as an example and the number of those rescued as 280,000 and UN casualty figure as 7000. 400,000-280,000 +7000=127000. In this example, I have arrived at a higher figure which is, perhaps, even more correct than the Times figure!

The newspaper has a number of award-wining journalists, including Marie Colvin. She has harboured a visceral hatred against Sri Lanka ever since she was wounded in the crossfire between the Sri Lankan Army and the LTTE in 2001. It is unfortunate enough that she lost one eye. What is even more unfortunate is that she seems to have lost all her critical faculties, perhaps, due the injuries. The Press Complaints Commission upheld two complaints against her articles on Sri Lanka in 2001. Her articles were founded to be biased and inaccurate. I do remember that Marie Colvin, in her own account of the incident in 2001, claimed that she was wounded in the crossfire. By May 2009, Marie Colvin’s memory has been so clouded, perhaps by hatred and prejudice, that she now says that she was targeted by the Sri Lankan Army. As I was being smuggled out of the area at night, we were ambushed by the Sri Lankan army. I was unhurt until I shouted, “Journalist, journalist.” Then they fired an RPG at me, severely wounding me. (Times online 24 May 2009). In 2001, the award-winning Marie Colvin did not remember whether she spent 7 days or 14 days with the LTTE in the Wann, the difference being only a matter of 7 days. Marie Colvin counted exactly one thousand “amputees” on a beach in the war zone in Sri Lanka in the final few days, but failed to explain how the patients were operated on without surgeons.

Isabelle Allende, famous novelist and Salvador Allende’s niece, in one of her autobiographical novels says that Pablo Neruda once said to her that she was one of the worst journalists in the world, that she would make things up when there was no news and that she should try her hand at fiction. Isabelle Allende was a journalist before she became a novelist. Perhaps, Marie Colvin should take Neruda’s advice seriously for herself.

Jeremy Page, another Times reporter, who attempted to sneak into the country without a proper visa was deported by the Sri Lankan authorities. He has started his own “boycott Sri Lanka” campaign since then.

As for the credibility of the Times Group as a whole, suffice it to say that, according to the 2008 PCC Annual Report, there were 584 complaints against it. In fact, in this contest, the Times Group outshines its nearest rival – Daily Mail which had 92 complaints against it by 492. Moreover, in 2008, there were a total of 4,698 complaints against newspapers in the UK. 71.4% of them concerned possible breach of the code on accuracy.

BBC

I still remember vividly how, in December 1989, a newsreader on the venerable BBC, looking sombre for the occasion, announced that 60,000 people had been killed by Ceausescu’s security forces during the Romanian Revolution. It was later found that 1,107 (far too many indeed) people had died – claim disputed by some journalists and scholars. As far as I know, neither the BBC nor any other media organisation which subsequently used the BBC story, made any apology for the blatant lies they deliberately propagated! Please, note that I am not attempting to defend the Ceausescu regime, but merely pointing to media excesses.

BBC journalists would resort to any subterfuge if it suited their agenda. Their methods range from peddling in bare-faced lies, half-truths, distortion of facts to juxtaposition of library pictures as if they were very recent images. In the past few weeks, they have been doing it so often, almost as a pastime that it is hard to keep track of them. They are not any better on the radio. On 29 May 2009, at 22.00 Robin Lustig, reading the headlines of the news bulletin, reported that “according to human rights groups, 20,000 people may have been killed in the final days of the conflict”. However, in the Programme he said that this was based on a report published in the Times. Moreover, there was no representative from Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch usually referred as human rights groups among those he interviewed. The spokesperson from the Global Centre for Responsibility to Protect interviewed in the Programme had nothing to do with the claim of 20,000 deaths. Finally, the interview with John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, was not mentioned in the headlines or highlighted later, apparently, because, he, much to the credit of his organisation, presented a sensible well-balanced view of the situation.

The culture of bias, deceit and lack of intellectual honesty and rigour in the BBC seems to be deep-seated and pervasive. It does not seem to be confined to controversial themes like the war in Iraq or the conflict in Sri Lanka. Not even children’s programmes are spared. In 2007, Mark Thompson, BBC Director-General, admitted that the producer of a kids’ programme had rigged the poll which was conducted to name a kitten! He also had to apologise for faking phone-ins on a number of occasions. In one of them, Children in Need Appeal Viewers were told that a phone-in competition had been won by a ten-year-old when, in reality, there had been no winner, the name being simply made up!

Channel 4

The recent coverage of the conflict in Sri Lanka on Channel 4 has been anything but fair. Channel 4 has thrown objectivity, integrity and impartiality and the basic tenets of journalism to the wind and embarked on a vicious and calculated campaign to vilify the Government of Sri Lanka. Jon Snow has made it his business to ensure its success. On 20 April 2009, when the Sri Lankan Army succeeded in freeing nearly 90,000, he glossed it over and simply said that thousands managed to flee the conflict zone. On another occasion he asserted that the SL Government was going to kill “all the Tamils or throw them into the sea”! If I remember correctly, this happened during an interview with John Holmes who dismissed his claim.

On 22 May 2009 at 7.00, someone, inadvertently, let the cat out of the bag. Channel 4 which had persistently claimed that they were showing the footage filmed by their “undercover” reporters suddenly announced that their contact person did not wish to surrender, but committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule! It is quite possible that Channel 4 was broadcasting, at least, some scenes from “LTTE promotional videos”.

Media in Europe

The things do not look much better elsewhere. I happened to read a piece in the El País – Spanish daily – on 24 February 2008, following a bomb attack in Sri Lanka which killed Mr Jeyraj Fernandopulle. The article concerned, replete with factual errors, said, among other things, that the conflict was triggered off by religious differences, that the Minister concerned was killed because he was a Singhalese and that the LTTE had succeeded in liberating parts of their country. The Newspaper has so far refused to publish my reply sent to it by e-mail and by ordinary mail which simply asked for the correction of factual errors in the article.

It has to be stressed that there are respectable British journalists who exercise their profession honestly, impartially and objectively and with an exemplary attachment to its ethics. However, they are few and far between. They are a rare breed indeed and in danger of extinction. The vast majority of British journalists have no qualms about stooping to any depths to get a story with scant regard for the ethics of the profession.

General Fonseka may have won the war against the LTTE for President Mahinda Rajapakse. Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka may have outmaneuvered Sri Lanka’s detractors for him in the UN Human Rights Council. China and Russia may have helped him to avert a resolution against Sri Lanka in the UN Security Council. Nevertheless, he is not out of the woods yet. The British Media is after him now. He needs to sign a pact with the Devil himself to win this battle!

Bandula Kothalawala
London

By Dr.Levins T.C.Rajaratnam*

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights is not limited in scope to ensuring the observance of human rights by Governments alone.

The Declaration has a far wider purpose: the observance of human rights by all governmental and non-governmental alike. Article 3 of the Universal Declaration, which requires that everyone has the right to life; and the provisions of article 30 of the Declaration prescribes that: “Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein”.  An act of terrorism by a non-governmental entity against civilians is surely one of the most heinous violations of the human rights of its victims and, surely, a crime against humanity as well.

We know the horrific direct consequences of terrorism: the carnage; the horror; the thousands of unsuspecting innocent lives lost or maimed, the thousands of families then left bereaved; the countless personal tragedies that terrorism leaves.The horrors of  Tamil Terrorism of the LTTE and other Tamil militants or Terrorists some of whom are designed as Tamil Political Parties with the label of Eelam working hand in hand together has devastated the country and  have  cast a heavy burden on successive Governments and the Nation including all of us and on humanity as a whole. There are also the larger disruptions of national stability and order as well: of the economy and the customary ways of life.

We remember the bombing of the Central Bank, the adjacent Buildings, the Temple of the Tooth Relic and other Temples in Sri Lanka where numerous people of all communities were killed, injured and blinded , the numerous innocent civilians who were killed and each of us would have a story to tell about the injuries sustained or the deaths of our loved ones. The assassination of President Premadasa, Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Presidential Candidate Gamini Dissanayake, Cabinet Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and two of my relatives Dr.Neelan Tiruchelvam and Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar are some of the few victims cited. However, during the 30 years of Tamil Terrorism not one Tamil Terrorist Leader was killed by the Terrorists. This reveals that there was conspiracy between all the Eelam Militant Groups who conveniently registered their organizations in the same name of their militant Groups as Political Parties but recent history and present observation reveals to us they never changed their attitudes. They convinced those around them that they hated the LTTE and even had suicide cadres to display attempted assassinations. All Tamil Militants have terrorized their own people. They never changed – They earned money and still are marketing the ultimate objectives of Terrorism by slandering the Government and making derogatory remarks about the Government. We will always be affected by the memories of the damage caused by the Terrorists- we shall carry with us for as long as we live.

 The Terrorism of the eleventh of September, in the USA gave rise to a “coming-together” of the people of the great city of New York in the finest traditions of humanity. We expect the same in the IDP areas for international support to revive and resuscitate the morale of the people affected by the war. So, instead of talking about the dead let us talk of the living who are dying. Let us get together and support them. The Government is doing everything possible to help them. Let us hope that such a deep sense of the “togetherness” of all of humanity at times of great crises will continue to be pervasive.

Terrorism is, sadly, no stranger to Sri Lanka. We, in Sri Lanka know terrorism, unfortunately, only too well. We have shown that we could eradicate it but the process is not over. The Tamil Militant groups would have to be banned. The term “eelam” denotes a separate state. I was pleased to see the Hindu Newspapers of 30^th of May news item of  which states that Dayasiri Jayasekera a prominent Member of Parliament  in the Opposition and Lawyer has made a Statement that all Political Parties with the tag “eelam” should be banned.  

Lakshman Kadirgamar is remembered to have said “A criminal organization – whether involved in rebellion against a State or not – must depend for its sustenance outside the law. For its massive operations and massive weaponry, massive collections of funds are continually required. As funds available for criminal activities within a State, especially a developing State, are Inevitably small, and the monitoring of their collection and disbursement relatively simple, fund collection for such activities is carried out abroad – through international criminal networks, of course – and also, as in all criminal enterprises, through knowing or unknowing front organizations or other entities that now proliferate in many forms, in many countries – often in the guise, sadly, of charitable groups or groups ostensibly concerned with human rights, ethnic cultural or social matters….. The many disparate forces for international terrorism do not come together in one monolithic whole. They are variously interconnected in numerous ways and their international networks are extensive. They are mutually supportive and communicate through the global underworld of crime when special missions are afoot. If international terrorism is to be ever removed from our midst, we must begin with the recognition that international terrorism is a form of global criminality. We must not let ourselves be deceived by the artfully crafted cloaks of false pretensions. It is the method of terrorism as in the murder of innocent civilians and the defiance of the sanctity of life – that defines terrorism.”

We see it in a militant group in the business of shipping and engaged airline flights to Jaffna with an absolutely frightening record of criminal activities and now seeking support to contest the municipal council election in the North having a fear of losing the elections because of their criminal activities of barbarism, abductions and extortions they are conveniently contemplating on leaning towards the Ruling Party to further their criminal activities with ease.  All these perhaps can be masked within Social activities. The Ruling Party should not risk entertaining these criminals who have links with the LTTE. They have links overseas to the LTTE, a careful internet research would reveal the conspiracies.

We should therefore not be surprised that allegations of civilian casualty in the present times generates from certain corporate interests involved in international trade and terrorism.

One of the magnificent achievements of the UN, in the last half century, has been the transformation that has taken place in global opinion on the relationship that should obtain between the governing and the governed, between the government and the citizen. It was on the basis of the moral authority of the General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the determined endeavours of the Commission on Human Rights, that this transformation was achieved. The dignity of the individual has now, largely as a result of United Nations leadership in the field of human rights, been placed, as it should be, amongst the primary priorities of national and international attention.

The duly elected Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapakse, as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces took a patriotic and bold decision as he is morally and legally bound to protect his subjects from all forms of terror. Military Intervention was a necessity in the interests of the Nation. It is in this connection that President Mahinda Rajapakse has rightly liberated the Tamil people who have been in bondage in the North. The Exodus was like Moses giving freedom to the Jews from Egypt. But the stunning difference is that the Tamil people were liberated by President Rajapakse, whilst the international community has from time to time been misled by those marketing terrorism for their own corporate interests.  

 

 No country has any moral or legal right to interfere or intervene in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. President Mahinda Rajapakse has exercised his jurisdiction by protecting the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and eradicating terrorism in Sri Lanka. The process is not over, the President has to save the Nation from all the Tamil Terrorists.

 

The doctrine is most often used in a sense which requires a balance between the need to achieve a military victory and the needs of humanity. In this sense, necessity has been viewed as a limitation to unbridled barbarity. The application of the doctrine of military necessity makes use of the principle of proportionality as a mechanism for determining the positioning of a fulcrum between these competing poles. Using proportionality thus gives effect to the recognition that the choice of methods and means of conducting war or armed conflict are not unlimited.

 

The means and methods of conducting war operate to achieve a particular military objective, which consequently assists in achieving a larger political objective.

 

While necessity might determine the legitimacy of the armed attack, proportionality determines the amount of force that might be used. In a sense, necessity operates at a macro level, while international humanitarian law operates at a micro level, though both might lie on the same continuum given the difficulties in the transition. This difficulty is most apparent when the principles of necessity and proportionality have been incorporated into conventional international law, particularly international humanitarian conventions. The development of these conventions, and the application of these principles require some consideration if one is to arrive at an understanding of their application in a modern armed conflict. The distinction in the Sri Lanka situation is that it is within our territory.

 

Military necessity has been described as “a basic principle of the law of war, so basic, indeed, that without it there could be no law of war at all.” the acceptance that, while the object of warfare is to achieve the submission of the enemy, which may require the disabling of as many enemy combatants as possible, this should only be achieved in a manner that does not cause any unnecessary suffering or damage. This limitation to the means of waging war is not, however, necessarily humanitarian in nature, and much of the early restraints were based on economic, political, and military considerations. However, the need for a balance between the considerations of humanity and the military actions necessary to win a war is regarded as defining the very nature of international humanitarian law, making military necessity a central principle in this balance.

 

 

Military necessity admits of all direct destruction of life or limb of armed enemies, and of other persons whose destruction is incidentally unavoidable in the armed contests of the war; it allows of the capturing of every armed enemy, and every enemy of importance or of peculiar danger to the captor; it allows of all destruction of property, and obstruction of the ways and channels of traffic, travel, or communication, and of all withholding of sustenance or means of life from the enemy;  Men who take up arms against one another in public war do not cease on this account to be moral beings, responsible to one another and to God.

 

The ‘principle of distinction’ is fundamental to humanitarian law, but its precise content varies according to the kind of conflict. In national liberation struggles — and international armed conflicts — the distinction is between ‘civilians’ and ‘combatants.’ Combatants have no right to life under humanitarian law. Every individual is classified as either a combatant or as a kind of protected person, such as a prisoner of war (a captured combatant) or a civilian. An individual’s rights change when his classification changes. A civilian has the right not to be targeted for attack and the right to receive some protection from attack. If the civilian joins the armed forces, he exchanges the rights of a civilian for the rights of a combatant. A combatant has the right to take part in hostilities.

 

Every citizen owes his or her allegiance to the Constitution and to the Head of State- the duly elected President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

We look for diplomacy. But there is no diplomacy with some of those opposed to us. We do not consider them opponents but they oppose every conceivable move we make to develop the country. Sometimes, there is no compromise with such people, no meeting of minds – no point of understanding – so we would have a just choice -defeat it or be defeated by it. This is where there was a necessity for military intervention.We learnt that however much we strive for peace, we need a strong defence capability where a peaceful approach fails. Whatever the dangers of the action we take, the dangers of inaction are far greater.

Laws will have to be changed not to deny the basic liberties but to prevent their abuse and protect the most basic liberty of all; freedom from terror. The people are terrorized by certain vested interests in their vile pursuits for power committing crimes and targeting a reflex scenario as if the Government was responsible. All Tamil Political Parties with the name “eelam” should be banned forthwith. All Tamil Militant Groups should be disarmed and tried for their crimes against humanity.

We must work as a community to ensure that everyone not just a privileged few get the collective ability to further the individual’s interests.

We are not alone in this. All round the world governments are struggling with the same problems. We must have co-operation, determination and consensus.

We are a community of people, whose self interest and mutual interest at crucial points merge and that it is through a sense of justice that community is born and nurtured. This is the moment to bring the faiths closer together in understanding of our common values and heritage a source of unity and strength.

By the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more together than we can alone. We must reach beyond our fears and our divisions to a new time of great and common purpose. Let us trace the roots of affirmative action. Let us determine what it is and what it isn’t. Let us see where it has worked and where it hasn’t and ask ourselves what we need to do now.

Private media freedom is running amok. The news that millions of people in this country including foreign correspondents who convey news overseas receive each night is determined by a handful of men responsible only their corporate employers. The State should have control not to permit abuse of the freedom of the Press.

We must not permit a contaminated moral environment. Let us not negotiate out of fear, But let us never fear to negotiate.

There are individuals and groups who may be critical of the President for political gain, but the President has always taken affirmative action within the norms required of the President.

We cannot restore peace unless we can find some way to bring the nation close together. We must be Patriotic. We must uphold and defend the Constitution and the Head of State-the President. We owe allegiance to the President and the Constitution as Citizens of Sri Lanka. We must uphold the norms of the Constitution apprehend and prosecute those who terrorize us by their actions and threats, then economic prosperity will follow suit. Our destiny lies in our hands.

“Nothing can stand against the argument of military necessity.”  

(General Dwight Eisenhower, Order of the Day, Dec. 24, 1943)

Our victory as a Nation would be when all the Tamil Militants and their Eelam Parties and their Leaders be defeated and destroyed in the best interests of our Nation!

In conclusion, may I cite the great General George S.Patton, Jr., :Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee of Thy great goodness to restrain this immoderate weather with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for battle. Graciously harken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. AMEN.

 

(Dr. Levins T.C.Rajaratnam LL.B(SL).,LL.M(Lond).,Ph.D(Lond)., has practiced in the United Kingdom as a Solicitor of England & Wales, in Australia as Barrister and Solicitor, in US and Sri Lanka as Attorney at Law; He is the author of several publications, poems and has been a Lecturer in various Universities in Colombo and overseas. He was the Co-Ordinating Secretary to the Chief Government Whip of Parliament, the Late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle. He is the author of “Selected Essays on President Mahinda Rajapakse”(Sarvodaya Viswa Lekha Publication May 2009). Member of the World Lawyers & Poets Society, USA; Chief Editor of Sri Lanka Patriot –newsline(www.srilankapatriot.org)

The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva

Now on UNHRC archived webcast
http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/archive.asp?go=0111

After several days delay and protests from the Sri Lanka mission in Geneva, the webcast of the special session on Sri Lanka has now been uploaded to the archives of the UN Human Rights Council.

Upon inquiry, personnel of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, which provides the administrative services to the Human Rights Council informed the SL Mission in Geneva that the New York Office which uploads the live webcast to the archives had cited “a technical glitch” for the delay which lasted several days. The live webcasts of the Human Rights Council proceedings are usually uploaded in a few hours to the archives.

Watch Sri Lanka preemptively submit its own resolution in a rare perhaps unprecedented move, and have it adopted by a large majority of member states of the Human Rights Council, when the EU and some others sought to impose a so-called War Crimes Probe in the immediate aftermath of a hard fought struggle against a terrorist movement that lasted 25 years.

Watch the principle of sovereignty and enshrined in Charter of the United Nations being upheld against an attempt at the ideology of “humanitarian interventionism” being applied selectively at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Watch 40 countries speak in support of Sri Lanka. Know your real friends. Know the friends of your real enemies, terrorism and separatism.

Piyal Samarakone

We set the example for others to follow although it’s not palatable for the West. But the truth remains, as the way it should remain, the double standard and insecure West not willing to accept, simple because preface is from a tiny Buddhist nation.

Our sincere believe Pakistan will come out victorious just like us by defeating Taliban. However falling prey to west’s hidden agenda means Pakistan’s future become very bleak. The world witness events took place in Afghanistan during Mujahideens and how they back off Georgia in their hour of need. There are plenty of examples in the history how they master the art of evading and isolating, by doing so how they instilled uncertainty which eventually became breeding grounds for terrorists.

Identifying those aspects is a must to any country which may deal with terrorists, failing to do so means we will have more Iraqs more Afghanistans this is the reality.

Introducing and glorifying suicidal attacks LTTE took the world by surprised and thus confused masses how to identify a martyr from a terrorist who kill innocents.

By failing to understand the plain truth of that terrorist kills unarmed innocents civilians the West led by America turned a complete blind eye on LTTE until it came to their doorstep in a different wagon.Yet their double standard policy on terrorism remains intact for own dubious interests and world destined to suffer.
The UN and most of the NGOs working under UN shade simply carrying out what West need and pressurize countries who oppose. Nevertheless, thanks to countries like China and Russia still world has not turned into a complete unsettled quagmire.

Invading Afghanistan may be somewhat justifiable but failing miserably due to lack of
disregard for the innocent lives and improper plan. Iraq was a total blunder and continued to pay a big price. That was a Cheney-Rumsfeld fiasco which wholeheartedly blessed by Bush. It’s not surprise to see countries like Iran and even North Korea attempting to be strong force against West in term of defence as the events already unfolded in the world stage, especially during the last decade.

When England went to Falkland and took all the tough measures on the book to regain much distant territory which is more Argentina than Britton, did any of those in UN or any world body who appears to be human rights giants ask Britton to called off and go for negotiation without blood shed? The action was taken to regain Falklands within hours not days and complete the battle within hours. Any one has any accountability related to the lives and property lost. The only thing what world knows today is that a prince from Buckingham Palace who participated the battle.

The terrorism is a clear threat to the well being of the planet no matter its credentials bear good marks or bad marks. The planet is in constant peril until the West and its followers relinquished their double standard dubious policies when it comes to battle against terrorism.

The unprecedented example which Sri Lanka shown must be commendable or if not should refrain from undermining or tarnishing that great victory which led to a complete demise of a ruthless terrorist outfit which was a clear threat to the entire Southeast Asia.

Be it Taliban, Al-Qaida , Abu Sayab, or any other terrorist group who take innocent lives what ever motive, what ever agenda must be defeated militarily as they know to speak only through the barrel of the gun.

If the American led by West can withdraw their horrible double standard policy towards battle against terrorism and be more open realistic SWAT Valley would be another stepping stone towards the eradication of this menace, Mavil Aru will go down in the world history as a monumental battle.

Lalin Fernando Kalubowila, Dehiwala 10350 Sri Lanka

1. Introduction

The contract between the soldier and the state is unique. It is ‘You must do your duty even at the cost of your life. If you should die in doing your duty the state will look after your wife and children’. Despite this in 1983 when 13 soldiers were killed in Jaffna, the Defence Ministry and the Army did not know how, when and where to bury them. What followed is history. The conflict has left about 30,000 troops dead, (6000 in the last 2.5 years) double that wounded (29,000 in the last 2 years) of whom about 15,000 are disabled. Caring for those who sacrificed themselves for us  became a dominant need. It was well met by successive governments without exception. There is also a need to look after more than 150,000 veterans of the 3 services too but the priority will and must be to “care for him who has borne the battle and for his widows and orphans” and parents.

2. Caring for the wounded and the widows and orphans

The government has put into place a host of benefits for the war wounded and the survivors of the dead, well guided over the years by the Commanders of the 3 services and their welfare directorates. Countries richer and more powerful than us  have not got much better  schemes but we can strive do even better as our forces have defeated a 30 year scourge and freed our country from the thrall of terrorism..

3. KIA/MIA(Killed in Action/Missing in Action).

When a soldier dies in battle he is given a post humous promotion and his full pay and widows and orphans entitlements are paid to his NOK until the time he would have reached 55 years of age. There after his Widows & Orphan Pension  continues to be paid. The same applies to those who are reported missing in action over a year.

4. WIA(Wounded in Action).

When a soldier is wounded in battle and categorized as unfit for operational duties, he is not discharged but retained in the army, given sedentary duties, trained in other skills and entitled to his full pay and allowances until he reaches the age of 55 when he is retired. He then gets his pension only. However if due to his disabilities he decides as a fighting soldier that “the army needs fit men and he is not” he should leave the service, he is compensated with a lump sum payment of up to a maximum of Rs 100,000 according to the percentage of his disability judged by a medical board of his service and continues to receive his full pay until he becomes 55. He then receives a disability pension according to his disability. This is more than a normal pension.

5. Forces Welfare Directorates

These have done sterling work in getting the above facilities for the KIA &WIA. They basically look after the serving soldier but also help retired ones on a case by case basis mainly about pensions and medical facilities. They help to get land, housing, concessionary rates for goods, food stuff, transport and other items and provide distress loans for the needy  but for the serving soldiers only.

6. Ranviru Seva Authority (RVSA) 

The Ranaviru Seva Authority was established in 2000 with the intention of primarily helping soldiers in combat areas so that they did not need to look backwards to see how their families were doing  while going forward to deal decisively with the LTTE. RSVA has shouldered the burden of caring for the most affected very well.  The effect of their work can be seen best by the very high levels of recruitment at thre heright of the conflict even as the human cost remains a serious concern. It is of paramount importance that the citizenry do not ever forget the tremendous sacrifices made by the servicemen while building monuments. They must remember the unique contract between the soldier and the state especially now that the defeat of a fascist megalomaniac and his thugs who held the country in their thrall for decades is nigh .It is an opportune moment for a review of the prevailing means and methods to care especially for those who made the sacrifices and improve on them

7. Welfare Schemes

 To this end many schemes were launched beginning with building house for thesurvivors of KIA and the WIA. One thousand were built in about one year and the aim is to build 50,000 more for all servicemen. Family-friends schemes, skills development and education of their children was also taken in hand, There was a data base built island wide of all widows of KIA (there were 22,000 KIA by mid 2008) and families of WIA and  disabled soldiers. A needs assessment was done and problems /issues were prioritized and action taken. Problems were many including schooling, land, housing, legal, police issues, provision of electricity and water, receipt of salaries and compensation. Scholarships were granted for deserving children. District committees were organized to get at affected at  grass roots level.It was intended that the District Secretariats would also be brought in. A prosthetic plant was planned and the amenities of transit camps for soldiers going/coming from combat areas were increased and improved. Consultants were sent to counsel those affected psychologically including NOK and families.

 

8. Commemoration

27^th June was declared Rana Viru Commemoration day although the Nation has not been properly briefed how to honour it unlike the anachronistic WW commemoration day in November which has very little if anything to do with an independent SL but is given much publicity unlike in the sub continent where there is no commemoration at all. .  

A beautiful memorial park was built at  Mylapitiya near the Randenigala tank and  another  imposing memorial was built on the grounds facing the Parliament. It is however of paramount importance that the citizenry do not ever forget the tremendous sacrifices made by the servicemen while building monuments. They must remember the unique contract between the soldier and the state especially now that the defeat of a fascist megalomaniac and his thugs who held the country in their thrall for decades is a done thing. It is an opportune moment for a review of the prevailing means and methods to care especially for those who made the sacrifices and improve on them.

 

9. Organizational change

The RSVA together with  the Services Welfare Directorates, guided by the MOD  provided benefits to those who made the sacrifice. They are probably as good as  those of countries with greater experience of conflict and financially far more powerful. The value of their combined  services could be seen in the morale of the army especially when it was told  that  instead of manning defences all over the contested areas  to up sticks and  drive the LTTE out. As it kept winning every battle from Mavil Aru to Mullativu and Puthukkudiyiruppu,  recruitment levels rose after  2006.  Yet soldiers know as well as others that even as the sacrifices have been immense, civilian especially political memories remain  short. There is more to be done now as the conflict ends. A more veteran specific organization should come into force inclusive of the RSVA.

 

10. Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

 It is proposed to have a  Minister for Veteran’s Affairs at Cabinet level. The Ranaviru Authority will be under this ministry so relieving the MOD to concentrate wholly on defence. This ministry will be responsible to enact legislation to cover all aspects of the administration of veterans including taking care of their families and survivors as well as payment of disability compensation pension, house loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor, medical and burial benefits. Several of these subjects are already being taken care of both by Ranaviru Authority and the Welfare Directorates of the 3 Services.

 

11. Forces Pensions Bureau

Additionally it is recommended that there be a Bureau for veterans’ pensions under the Minister in lieu of the Pensions Dept. The latter has failed to recognize the unique and huge differences of the contract of the serviceman with that of the  state’s civil sector, creating great concern. It has remained steadfastly impervious if not also unmoved by  the sacrifices made by servicemen  in eradicating the menace that hung over SL for 30 years. It attempts to calculate military pensions using a 8.30 to 4.30 civil service template.The need to recognize the difference is now as there has never been greater human sacrifice at any moment of our history. The military’s social needs need to be looked at sympathetically and not on an adversary basis as it is now.  Budget requirements should be worked out accordingly. (Pakistan spent Pak Rs 2323 million in 1992 on benefits (welfare expenses) for ex servicemen using the funds of its famed Fanji Foundation).

 

12. Veterans’ Ministry Secretary.

The Ministry Secretary should be a Major General from the Infantry. He should also  have 2 additional   secretaries, also military officers, preferably from the other 2 services  covering administration including health  and veterans benefits. They will be responsible to ensure that the Government policy for the care of the veterans is implemented effectively. Provincial Ministries for Veterans Affairs will be introduced and will follow instructions from the Centre while allocating resources  for  schemes of their own to help the WIA and survivors of the KIA especially.

.

13. Directors at Tri Service HQs

At present there are directors of welfare at each service HQs but they are almost wholly tied up with the welfare of the over 200,000 serving men alone. There should therefore be separate directors dedicated to the administration of Veterans’ welfare  at each of the HQs of the 3 forces headed by a Brigadier equivalent to implement policies laid down by the Minister.. These Directors too should be from the combat arms.

 

14. Regimental HQs

      a. Regimental Veterans’ Affairs Officer

  Regimental HQs should report to the Director. A major level officer, possibly retired,       

  should be the Regimental Veterans Affairs officer. He will liaise with his own   

  regimental ex servicemen’s association and coordinate the requirements of the Veterans

  from a dedicated office at RHQ to  ensure the policy for caring for Veterans  is

   implemented effectively  at Regimental level. This will mean facilitating  enlistments of

   those leaving which has been most unsatisfactory up to now due to meager information

   on the benefits of joining regimental veterans associations and up dating long (nominal)

   rolls. The vast majority of veterans remain outside their regimental associations due to

   lack of liaison with the regiments and thus do not enjoy whatever benefits exist. They  

   will also liaise with  the Provincial councils concerned.

 

 

  b. District Welfare Officers (DWOs)/ managers

.     They will  function under the Regimental Veterans Affairs Officers and will be the       

      point of contact with the veterans where ever they live. They will visit the veterans   

      regularly and report back to their regiments on the status,(medical, financial,etc) of           

      the veterans and make sure that all their requirements if not met are made known to     

      the Regiment for action.  There should be at least one DWO for each district. They

      should also liaise with the local authorities to obtain benefits and concessions for  the

      veterans.

 

15. Regimental and Area Commanders

Area Commanders/Colonels of  Regiments should work closely  with the Provincial Governor, Provincial Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Chief Minister respectively. The latter will initiate the provision of additional facilities for the veterans like monthly stipends for decorated war heroes in their province, granting of lands and providing housing for the WIA and survivors of KIA including children and organizing 2^nd career jobs using feed back from the Regimental Veterans’ Affairs Officers and the DWOs.

 

16. Resettlement

Many of the soldiers do not have any land of their own outside of their parent’s property which will have to be shared amongst several siblings. It is proposed that in addition to giving houses to serving soldiers as at present , war wounded veterans and survivors also be included ion the scheme. Provincial Councils will have a prominent part to play here as they control government land in their provinces.

 

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17. Medical Facilities   

a.General. Few if any war wounded soldier or for that matter civilian bomb attack victim who makes it to surgery within 6 hours of being wounded, dies.  Our doctors and nurses are some of the most highly experienced, efficient and effective and are second to none. They have performed superlatively having been  in the business for over 30 years inclusive of the 2004  tsunami. The General Hospitals especially in Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura and Anuradhpura are adequately equipped. But there are only a few military hospitals dedicated to servicemen. Over flow is a problem. At times there are serious shortages of post surgery equipment and even beds.. These are being sorted out helped also by the generosity of the expatriate community.  The rehabilitation of the war wounded and disabled especially at Ranviru Sevena Ragama  is fantastic.

 

b. Protocol

There  should be a protocol for seriously injured leavers who should be given the highest priority in receiving any available facilities. Service medical facilities should be made available taking  the following factors into consideration so that those who deserve it most are give the maximum:

(1) Those who can afford it (like officers) should contribute to veterans’ health schemes while for war wounded soldiers it should be free.

 (2) Payment for service  related disabilities (not due to war injuries) should take into consideration the income  and assets of person and the cost of living.

 (3)  Comprehensive care and medication whatever the cost should be given free for those who have lost limbs.

  (4)  Non service related ailments should be charged. For example for over 30 day prescriptions and medication

  (5)  Dental and Nursing care should be more restricted again giving the WIA priority

 

c Medical Services

 

   (1)Rehab centres. There should be several  military rehabilitation centres and  the

   services they offer should be surveyed periodically. Time spent by individuals should

   be monitored according to the status of the WIA In order to offer occupation to as many

   people as possible ,only special cases should be granted 6 months long stays.

   (2). OPD clinics should be opened in as many towns as possible so that they are easily  

     accessed by the majority.

     Similarly mobile clinics should visit remote areas on a proper schedule

   (3). Wards/ beds in government hospitals should be kept reserved  especially for injury

    rehabilitation and mental health care.

    However members of the Volunteer Force(VF) with non service disabilities (ie not war  

    related or WIA would not  qualify for the above

   (4) In patient. There should be sufficient  inpatient bed levels in Veterans’ Hospitals  

    which should be established beginning with the capitals of the relevant provinces for

    patients needing tertiary medication.

   (5) Nursing hospitals. There should be nursing hospitals for the disabled in their old

    age in concerned  provincial capital towns..

    (6) Volunteer help. Help by voluntary agencies should be encouraged  especially to 

    provide medical equipment from defibrillators, pulse  —-blood warmers and extension

    tubes for same, cardiac monitors, socket  gel liners for artificial limbs, commodes,

    wheel chairs and any  other things in short supply

    (7). Invalid children. The scheme should also cover invalid children of war veterans.  

     (These will be only those who fought in the war)

 

18. Education

The department of Veterans’ Affairs  should run education institutions in all Provincial capitals for the children of the Veterans giving priority to NOK of KIA and WIA. Stipends should also be given for deserving WIA and KIA survivors  to attend school and university.

 

19. Homes/Land and loans

The government is building homes to be purchased by the serving soldiers. These houses should be given free to the NOK of the war dead and the war disabled

Lands are being given in the East similarly and should be extended to the WIA  and survivors of KIA.

 

20 Compensation for WIA

Generous armed forces compensations schemes should be in operation so that war wounded/disabled who opt to leave the service will be compensated so that those who remain will be only those who can fight because the army is a fit man’s business

 

21. Pensions

 

a.   Military pensions. There should be a Military Pensions bureau, separate from the  

      Pensions Department. There must be a noticeable difference between war

      wounded/affected and regular military pensions. Is there any merit for  a one rank one

       pension scheme irrespective of date on which a soldier retires

 

b.   War disability pensions schemes

      There should be an Armed forces compensation scheme for survivors and WIA   

       truncated careers.

      War pensions committees should be set up in all districts to adjudicate and administer

      the grants of disabled ex servicemen and organize care for widows and neglected

      children according to their prevailing situation and not on a one time basis.

c.   War widows pensions to be higher than service widows (normal death).

d.   Pensions for war wounded and war disabled people, injured in frontline service,

should be compensated. Medical discharges with very good compensation in addition to the pension should be given. At present the maximum is Rs 100,000 for a 100% disabled person in addition to his pay until he qualifies for pension.. (UK gives a maximum of Rs 9 million equivalent plus pension).

 

22. Burials

Burials are under control although there are problems about the availability of uniforms for the dead and the National flag to drape the coffin due to non availability or lack of notice and the distance from the nearest regimental  unit. 

 

23. Vocational rehabilitation and employment

Vocational training scheme should be re introduced so that  such training will be in last 6 months of a serviceman’s  career.

There should be reservations for veterans in government jobs and relaxation in  education and age qualifications  while  also giving allowance for years in service.

Security agencies should have 50% servicemen in their ranks and hospitals and government departments, corporations and banks should be made to insist on 50 % of all security personnel being veterans

Technical training centres should be set up to teach skills to veterans and their children

 

 

24. Life Insurance

There should be a life insurance scheme for all servicemen extending into the period of retirement up to the age of 65  by which time hopefully the obligations of parents to their children would have ended.

 

25. War widows/survivors

They should get special pensions

War orphans should be given priority for entry into schools

There should be vocational training centres not only including trade skills learning but also computers, tailoring, embroidery, knitting skills.

Unmarried daughters should be included in the above.

Sons under age of 18 should be offered leadership training projects.

Divorced  and subsequently unmarried wives should get W&OP consequent to the death of the serviceman  and not the 2nd wife

THOMAS A. MARKSThe Courtesy Kathmandu Post

History and geography have left Nepal a very imperfect state in search of a nation. As Sri Lanka has been given a second chance, Nepal has been given an opportunity to become a nation-state
When a victorious general was granted a “Triumph” in ancient Rome — a parade through the streets — the sources claim a man rode behind him in his chariot with the specific job of whispering, “All this is fleeting.” So it must seem with Prachanda and his Maoists.

Indeed, “Fierce One” seemed so spooked by ongoing events in Sri Lanka that he scored an own-goal by bringing up the subject in the recent Kathmandu rally. There will be no such end for the Maoists, he railed, lest any be tempted to think that his band of not-somerry men would go the way of the declawed Tigers.

Poor Prachanda — the photos of LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) supremo Prabhakaran’s body are widely available on the net. Thus it seems he had been reminded that “all are mortal,” which is the other phrase the man in the chariot is supposed to have been directed to say.

The lessons of antiquity aside, it is useful to draw some lessons for Nepal from the Sri Lankan case. I have spent considerable time in both and cover them in separate chapters of my recent book.

In one sense, they are very different, in another much the same. Dynamics of Sri Lankan conflict Democracies struggle in South Asia, where the holding of elections conceals a great deal that is profoundly undemocratic.

In particular, parliamentary mechanisms often lead to lack of safeguards for minority positions and marginalization of entire communities.

In Sri Lanka, such a dynamic took the post-independence form of marginalization of the Tamil minority (17%) by the very large Sinhalese majority (80%). Though both communities in reality had further divisions, especially the Tamils (notably, between Sri Lanka and Indian Tamils), it was the need to define the identity of Sri Lanka as a state that set the two nations against each other.

Significantly, both before and during the Tamil upheaval, Sri Lanka faced Maoist upheavals. Both were led by the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, JVP (People’s Liberation Front), 1971 and 1987-90, and had more of a class character (i.e., poor versus “them”).

Even such a general description does not do justice to the complexity of Sri Lankan society that saw the same effort to harness local divisions, whatever they were, by the JVP.

In particular, in a characteristic shared with Nepal’s Maoist insurgency, the first JVP bid for power was driven by upheaval within the young.

An agriculturally-based economy; limited alternative sectors unable to provide employment for a rapidly expanding population; an age-pyramid dominated by youth; an educational system teaching the wrong things (and generally in the wrong languages for the jobs available); strong caste influences that further narrowed opportunities; and a democracy which was neither transparent nor efficient; all served to make “liberation” or “revolution” an attractive prospect.

The result was death and destruction. Crushed, the JVP plotted its comeback, which was provided by Indian intervention. “Peacekeeping” to New Delhi, “invasion” to most Sri Lankans, the social explosion that shook the island led to a level of upheaval that would be familiar to Nepalese.

With the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) locked in its own battle against the Tamil insurgents in the North and East, the Sri Lankans were able to focus on the Southern, terror-driven violence and finish it. The entire JVP leadership was eliminated, and the survivors joined legal politics — where their bizarre positions today make India’s Marxists appear almost rational.

Significantly, by the time the chastised Indians departed (after a thousand-plus dead and twice that wounded), LTTE had become a full-spectrum insurgency, complete with armor and artillery. Ultimately, it would field everything from aircraft to underwater demolitions teams to suicide squads in three dimensions (land, air, and sea). Huge battles saw even entire brigade camps (1,200-men) wiped out on the government side.

A post-9/11 ceasefire left LTTE as the de facto rulers of the Tamil-dominated Northern and Eastern Provinces. Yet LTTE leader Prabhakaran was simply unable to leave well enough alone. Just as the Nepali Maoists had their assassination and bombing command in the Kathmandu Valley during the 1996-2006 war), so LTTE had its equivalent. And just as the Maoist-directed YCL is encouraged to continue its depredations, so LTTE executed a campaign of terror in government-controlled areas.

The main target was moderate Tamils, hundreds of whom (literally) were assassinated. Enabling the LTTE effort were the same external actors one finds so dominant in Nepal — even some of the same countries — any number of which have now been told, in so many ways (some directly), that they are no longer welcome in Colombo. How Did the Sri Lankans Win? Colombo’s position on foreign intervention in its affairs highlights the key element which led to successful resolution of the present stage of conflict: a mobilization of national will.

In this, one could argue that Sri Lanka engaged in a state version of the successful Nepali Maoist mass mobilization in the latter’s surge to power. Taking the analogy a step further, it could be argued that the “lost” decades for Colombo were occasioned by adopting a “Nepali government approach” — unfocused, under-resourced, and lacking mobilization and will. Early on, 1983-87, the Sri Lankan approach was completely military, even as the 1987-90 counter-JVP effort utilized all elements of national power (with, to be sure, a very “big boy rules” mentality guiding the whole).

Thereafter, a gradual but steady shift occurred in which Colombo, while understanding the root causes of the struggle, realized it would have to adopt a philosophy of total mobilization for the ultimate clash. Why had it not done this previously? States invariably seek to fight limited wars until forced by circumstances to do otherwise.

For insurgents, wars are always total. Similarly, internal wars have phases. What is an appropriate course of action at one point in time, say, 1983-87, is not necessarily the path to take in, say, 2006-2009. In 2006, faced with an LTTE which had wiped out all rival insurgent groups (there were once at least three dozen) — as well as all moderate Tamil politicians it could liquidate – - Colombo saw no recourse but renewed violence.

The increasingly shrill efforts of (overwhelmingly) European actors to push “peace” foundered on the reality that LTTE was already at war even as it (and its enablers) talked “peace.” It had used the latest “ceasefire” in exactly the manner it had done in the past, as a weapon to refit, regroup, and reposition its forces. In this, LTTE was no different than the Nepali Maoists, who used ceasefires for similar purposes.

 As I have pointed out in recent articles, the only surprising element in “Prachandagate” is how many seem to have forgotten the earlier evidence of the same behavior.

 This can not surprise: The Maoists share with LTTE a worldview that sees “struggle” as the normal condition of mankind. Violence and nonviolence are but sides of the same coin. “Heads I win, tails you lose.” To their credit, the Sri Lankan leadership saw through this strategy and turned the coin on its edge.

Indeed, the superb effort at the top, of planning and motivation, was in many respects a family affair, with President Mahinda Rajapaksa relying upon his brothers — Gotabaya, Secretary of Defense, and Basil, special advisor. The three responded with their own “coin,” skillfully constructing a multifaceted effort. The cutting edge was military, led by the increased professionalism of a very large, battle- hardened military led on the ground by General Sarath Fonseka. But it was built upon political and popular mobilization, combined with astute cultivation of foreign support beyond Sri Lanka’s normal, pro-Western allies.

For the Sri Lankans recognized that, when all was said and done, their Western supporters, whether states or INGOs, would see to their own designs and leave Colombo in the lurch. When this indeed turned out to be the case, Sri Lanka had constructed a position, built upon a network of alternative sources of arms and supplies (notably from China and Pakistan), which allowed it to finish the business.

The elimination of the LTTE counterstate was carried out systematically, despite an active, increasingly shrill campaign that sought outright invasion of the country — under the guise, to be sure, of “humanitarian intervention” a la the former Yugoslavia, with, apparently, a “Tamil Kosovo” to follow. That the same approach was used by external actors to neutralize the Nepali state in the 1996-2006 period needs no highlighting. That the result looks rather more like the Balkans and rather less like a nation-state also needs no highlighting.

 For the neo-colonialists, the very fact that Nepal experienced upheaval meant its oldorder lacked legitimacy. Hence, went their logic, it had no right to defend itself. Sri Lanka provides the same evidence of imperfection, as Sri Lankan politicians, pundits, and intellectuals are quick to point out. Still, they note further, they are Sri Lankan imperfections and will now have a Sri Lankan solution.

 Nepal remains yet a neo-colony, and there is no leadership in sight of the quality one sees in Colombo. Road Ahead Nevertheless, a great deal of effort is now being put into discussing what could go wrong in Sri Lanka. It seems something of a parlor game for the Western media, with the more liberal outlets outraged (the only word for it) that any small Asian country would have the gall to ignore the commands of the “usual suspects,” so used to issuing orders backed by threats of aid cut-offs and “war crimes trials.”

As Colombo continues to steer its own course, the threats have again begun to escalate. They are fruitless. Sri Lanka has committed to reconciliation, but it is unwilling to have the terms of its internal arrangements dictated to it. What will matter, then, is sincerity. Whether the state can deliver upon its promises to its marginalized minority will become clear soon enough.

This is the state of play in Nepal, as well, with little sincerity in evidence on the part of the prime culprits in the current mess, the Maoists. Indeed, recent Maoist pronouncements do not bode well for timely or acceptable resolution. Once again, having created a disaster, the Maoists have resorted to threats as their “solution.”

They have stated that they will allow the processes of governance and constitution-writing to go forward — but only if they are given what they have demanded all along — the right to run roughshod over the Nepal Army, as the last stumbling block in their ability to stage a slow-motion coup. That threatening violence, if one does not get his way, is but violence camouflaged does not enter into Maoist calculations (or those of their external backers).

Yet, in the shadow of Sri Lanka, with its carnage enroute to peace, the Maoists have been offered a chance to establish their bonafides. They can either commit to peaceful politics, or they can choose to continue their subrosa violence (much of which is not particularly “sub”). They had eight months to place their cards on the table and proved themselves utterly incompetent at all save 3M: menace, mugging, and murder. If the Maoists are sincere, it is time to disband the goon squads and engage in politics as per the plain definition of the word, the process whereby society decides and implements who gets what — rights, resources, privileges, and obligations. Politics pursued by “other means” is, as per Clausewitz, no longer politics but war. History and geography have left Nepal a very imperfect state in search of a nation.

As Sri Lanka has been given a second chance, so is this the case for Nepal. It has been given an opportunity to become a nation-state. In this, the Maoists have a voice, but they must respect that of others. As for the Nepalese chattering classes, on the verge of trying their hand at the ultimate balancing act, coalition politics: Carpe Diem — seize the day.

(Dr. Thomas A. Marks is a political risk consultant based in Honolulu, Hawaii, who has authored a number of benchmark works on Maoist insurgency, to include his recent Maoist People’s War in Post-Vietnam Asia.)