MEDIA RELEASE -20-SRI LANKA SUPPORT GROUPƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canberra ACTƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  2601

THE AUSTRALIAN GREENS SENATOR LEE RHIANNONƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢S ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ROUNDTABLEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” AT CANBERRA PARLIAMENT HOUSE ON 20 SEPTEMBER 2011ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  – PART OF THEƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  SINISTER MOVE TO SPLIT SRI LANKA INTO TWO, AND CAUSE DESTRUCTION, MAYHEM AND HAVOC TO SRI LANKA ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” A NATION THAT IS COMING OUT OF ITS LONG WAR BATTERED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DOLDRUMS

Australian Greens Senator Lee RhiannonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s web page that announces the proposed Roundtable, depicts the same map of Sri Lanka that the late megalomaniac terrorist leader, Prabhakaran, used in his pursuit to carve out a separate state in Sri Lanka for the Tamils through a most brutal and bloody armed insurrection. This artificial Tamil Ealam, that gives enormous psychological joy to the Tamil Separatists and their allies worldwide, enunciates a much larger land area than previously claimed by the Tamil separatists in the 1980s and 1990s (edging over the areas of Negambo, Anuradhapura, Polannaruwa and Hambantota, up to the northern most point of Sri Lanka). In a previous Media Release we have proven how these areas of Sri Lanka (North and East of the island) are the traditional homelands of the Sinhalese Buddhist people).

Senator RhiannonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s use of the same Sri Lanka map that the late megalomaniac terrorist leader used shows that her intention to have the Roundtable is for a sinister use.

Then, on 14 September 2011 in the Senate she asked the question #1012, in regards to the visa applications by the Sri Lankan Government delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Perth in October 2011. Australian Government refused to disclose the information, and Senator Rhiannon should have known it was unlawful for the Australian Government to divulge such information. No doubt Senator Rhiannon and her cohorts may try to initiate unlawful action to detain/arrest the distinguished delegates of the Sri Lankan Government delegation to Perth, there is no provisions in the Australia Criminal Code or any other criminal legislation that will allow them to do so.

The action of Senator Rhiannon by calling the Roundtable shows that the Roundtable is nothing else but yet another action by the Australian Greens to appease parts of the Tamil Diaspora, who are hell-bent on creating a separate Tamil state carved out of Sri Lanka. Not by violent means for the time being, but other ways ie, dirty tactics.

After the end of the war, the Tamil Diaspora worldwide, including in Australia, has resorted to different tactics to achieve its dream of a separate state in Sri Lanka. In this regard they have canvassed the support of many western politicians, and some like Senator Rhiannon ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ have succumbed to them, we say, not for anything else, but for their own vested interests.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

This is most unfortunate and not healthy for Sri Lanka, a state that is coming out of its long war battered economic and social doldrums. Influential Australian politicians like Senator Lee Rhiannon, if they really want to help Sri Lankan Tamils, they must tell the Tamil Diaspora that they must give up the demand for the separate state and try to genuinely help their brethren in the North and East of Sri Lanka by engaging in economic and social harmony development activities.

We say that Senator RhiannonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Roundtable is yet another attempt to indirectly work towards the goal of creating the separate Tamil Ealam state in Sri Lanka ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” what Prabhakaran failed with the bullet, they are trying to achieve with the pen.

They falsely attempt to show that Sri Lanka is not looking after its minority – the Sri Lankan Tamils in the North and East. Their actions continuously put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government and they anticipate that by doing this one day through a Sudanese/East Timor style referendum they can split Sri Lanka into two. They are hell bent on achieving this. The threat to take the Sri Lankan leaders to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a part of this master plan. It is important that the Sri Lankan leaders understand this trap of some of the western nations, who have been duped by the Tamil Diaspora lies. Sri Lankan Government, just because it is under pressure from these western ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”do goodersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ should not do anything unwise, that will harm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka (in 1987 the then President, JR Jayawardane, under pressure from India signed the Indo- Lanka treaty, which has caused enormous problems to Sri Lanka. The introduction of the provisional government system in lieu of the strong central government in the centre has brought forth utmost destruction to the country).

The war in Sri Lanka has ended more than 2 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚½ years ago and the people in Sri Lanka (of both ethnic groups) have moved forward well. The government of Sri Lanka has done so much to improve the living standards of the Tamil people in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Enormous amount of work has been done to bring all the people of Sri Lanka together. This work is ever continuing.

Sri Lanka has spent billions of US dollars to uplift the living standards of the Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka. It is the western governments who reneged on their promise to give aid to Sri Lanka. In 2001 (through the Co-Chairs) they promised to give $4.5 billion to Sri Lanka if Sri Lanka succeeded in ending the war; that aid never materialised. If Senator Rhiannon has a genuine interest in helping Sri Lanka, she should ask why the aid never materialised.

Sri Lanka has borrowed money from friendly nations at high interest rates to implement its own ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Marshal PlanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, when the western nations have refused to help it on a massive scale, as promised. Again, if Senator Rhiannon is genuine, this is an area that she should discuss in the Roundtable ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” how to help Sri Lanka, not how to destruct Sri Lanka.

Furthermore, influential parliamentarians like Senator Rhiannon must try to help Sri Lanka to heal its wounds than worsening them. She should encourage ethnic reconciliation in Sri Lanka and not ethnic division.

Senator RhiannonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s argument that a War Crimes Tribunal must be appointed for Sri Lanka is nothing but sheer demonstration of her hatred towards Sri Lanka and to bring forth destruction to Sri Lanka. There is absolutely no justification to appoint a war crimes tribunal for Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Government conducted the war in a most civilized and disciplined manner. As alleged by Senator Rhiannon and her cohorts, the Sri Lankan Army did not fire at the no-fire zone. While hunting down the terrorists the Sri Lankan Government went on a humanitarian mission to rescue the civilians from the clutches of the terrorists (approximately 295,000 in number). Because the Sri Lankan Army did not fire at the no-fire zone, established by the Sri Lankan Government, large numbers of Sri Lankan soldiers got killed from the Tamil Tiger gun/artillery fire. Furthermore, scores of Sri Lankan Army soldiers and Tamil civilians were killed as a result of the suicide attacks at Army check points set up to accept the fleeing civilians.

Again, large numbers of innocents Tamils died due to the brutal Tamil Tiger gunfire, including shelling of the civilians by the LTTE using 150 mm guns. This is the reason for the Tamil civilian deaths in the war, not the firing/shelling at them by Sri Lankan Army, as alleged by enemies of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka must be congratulated for the distinguished manner in which it conducted the war. The rescued civilians were resettled in a most efficient and fast manner. Very few are left now in the IDP camps, this is also on their own free will.

If Senator Rhiannon and other enemies of Sri Lanka raise their accusations against Sri Lanka based on the ill famous ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Channel 4 VideoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ then such accusations have no validity. Even the infamous ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Darusman ReportƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ presented to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, has no validity because it was written mainly relying on the Channel 4 Video and Gordon WeissƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ fake allegations. In our previous Media Releases we have clearly articulated that the Channel 4 Video is a sham and a lots of its contents are clear fabrications and the sub standard videos they relied on to produce the main film are highly dubious. We identified 38 clear defects in the said Channel 4 Video, later telecast by ABC Four Corners. The Sri Lankan GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Lies Agreed UponƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Video has also addressed some of the fabrications of the Channel 4 Video. Noteworthy among the lies and deception of the Channel 4 Video are that the narrator of the said video, Gnani Kumar, and the infamous TV presenter, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”IsipriyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ were shown as innocent victims of the war. They are alleged to be ex-Tamil Warrior combatants; this valuable information was hidden from the innocent viewers (these are clear breaches of the UK/Australian media ethics, laid down for media personnel). It is alleged that the dead body of Ispirya did not resemble herself; the same body had allegedly been previously shown on Tamil websites as of PrabhakaranƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s daughter. In anyway, there is no forensic proof that the dead body shown on the video was definitely that of IspiriyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s.

By looking at the people who participate at the forthcoming Roundtable, it is evident that the purpose of the of the Roundtable is to bash Sri Lanka and try to give another leaf of life to the now dead Tamil Tiger Terrorists and those who espouse the ideology of creating an independent Tamil Nation in Sri Lanka. If that is the objection, Senator Rhiannon has a duty to disclose this to the Australian people clearly and candidly.

LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s look at some of the participants of the Roundtable:

Mr John Dowd is a well known Sri Lankan Government basher in Australia. It is reported that the Australian Tamil Congress (ATC) and particularly Dr Sam Pari (National Spokesperson for the ATC) had lobbied Mr Dowd, and he had spoken extensively for the cause of the pro-Tamil Separatist lobby for a long time. It is reported that Mr DowdƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s involvement with the Tamil Separatists cause has been longstanding. According to an article in Tamil Separatist website, TamilNet, John Dowd had even in 2001 written to the then Australian Foreign Minister and the CHOGM Office requesting the inclusion of the Sri Lankan ethnic issue on the agenda of the CHOGM Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Brisbane that year.

Gordon WeissƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” This joker of man is well known for manipulating figures. Mr Weiss now states that up to 40,000 Tamil civilians may have died in the last stages of the war, and that most of them were killed by the Sri Lankan military. When he was working for the UN, his own agency stated that only up to 7,000 people were killed (this was also a high number and the Sri Lankan Government denied this). Mr Weiss was the media person for the UN then! Ms Rhiannon must ask Mr Weiss why he waited so many months after the end of the war to correct the actual number of deaths ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” that there were up to 40,000 and not 7,000. If Mr Weiss is credible he should have let out the correct figures as he saw them then, rather than waiting to create a sensation so many months after the end of the war. Such conduct on Mr Weiss goes to his credibility that he may be a man that cannot be trusted. Currently, with the intention of selling his book, he is going round the world bashing Sri Lanka. If the Sri Lankan Government killed so many civilians during the last stages of the war, Mr Weiss must also be held responsible for keeping mum about such a huge atrocity. Why did he, being the UN spokesman in Colombo, at that time kept silent? His conscience should have stated to him to speak out, but he did not. We say this because such a massacre never took place.

Jake Lynch ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Mr Lynch has conducted several seminars and workshops against Sri Lanka. After the Sri Lankan Government and the Sri Lankan patriots living in Australia complained to the Sydney University, we believe the University prevented him from using the University resources to attack Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan patriots living in Australia initiated an FOI request against Mr Lynch and they will assess the possibility of initiating action against Mr LynchƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s (and thereby the Sydney UniversityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s) horrendous actions against Sri Lanka – a democratically elected government. Mr Lynch has only invited to speak in his seminars and workshops of those who advocate or promote a separate state in Sri Lanka. Those who oppose such racist ideology have been purposely excluded from his forums. This has brought forth much disrepute to Sydney University, an otherwise distinguished university.

Dr Sam Pari ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” She is the National Spokesperson for the Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), and well known among the Sri Lankan patriots living in Australia as a strong campaigner to create a separate state in Sri Lanka. She was instrumental in organising the false and bogus ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Genocide against TamilsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ campaign in Australia. She has spoken in a stage where a massive photo of the megalomaniac terrorist leader, Prabhakaran was displaced (Prabhakaran was directly responsible for the killing of thousands of Sri Lankan people, mostly innocent Sinhalese women and children who lived in the remote north and eastern villages of Sri Lanka). Ms Pari has spoken in front of the photo of her beloved leader, Prabhakaran. This alone tells the story about her, and with whom her real affinity lies. Also note that the Tamil Ealam map depicted on the stage has the same boarders as the map that Senator Rhiannon is displaying in her website.

The participation of the above people alone shows that the Roundtable is not done with genuine intention of helping Sri Lanka to overcome from its 30 years of civil war, but cause disruption, mayhem and havoc to Sri Lanka. We kindly ask Senator Rhiannon and the Australian Greens to stop using Sri Lanka as a political tool, for their own personal and political gain.

If they are so concerned about human rights of minorities why cannot they also accuse such huge human rights violators like the US and the UK. Both of them are collectively responsible for the loss of nearly 1 million lives in Iraq. Large scale human rights violations are taking place even currently in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

It is important to ask why Senator Rhiannon is not calling a Roundtable on such huge human rights violations.

If Senator Rhiannon and her cohorts, as already vaguely indicated by them, try to disrupt the upcoming CHOGM conference in Perth using Sri Lanka as an excuse, the average Australian would not tolerate such nonsense.

The mass scale protests that some Tamil Diaspora are trying to organise during the CHOGM conference will result in Australia spending millions of taxpayer funds for the Australian Government for extra law and order purposes (note the huge expenses incurred by the UK Government to curb the Tamil riots and demonstrations conducted in London in 2009).

It is strange that Senator Rhiannon has omitted to invite 3 other strong enemies of Sri Lanka living in Australia. They are Bruce Haig, John Whitehall and Brian Senevirathne. Without them, her party will be incomplete.

Finally about the remarks by the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Stephen Harper, that he would boycott the 2013 CHOGM meeting to be held in Sri Lanka, why is he jumping the gun at this stage when even the 2011 CHOGM had not yet been held. Mr Harper, come 2013, you may still not be in power, given how unpopular you currently are in your country. So, please do not put the cart before the horse.

President

Sri Lanka Support Group, Canberra

srilankasupportgroup@bigpond.com