Remembering the Golden Victory of May 2009
Posted on May 19th, 2013
Ranjith Soysa (Spokesperson) Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka Inc
As Sri Lanka and her people complete the 4th year of peace following the defeat of the LTTE – the world’s most brutal terrorist organization – we salute the Sri Lankan defence forces and all other organisations which collectively safeguarded the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We also remember patriotically those who gave political leadership to the victory which led to the liberation of 21 million Sri Lankans who had been held to ransom for nearly three decades by the Tamil Tiger Terrorists.
Ever since the divisive politics started by communal minded Tamil leaders under the British administration and the formation of the racist IATK (Lanka Tamil State Party) way back in 1948 followed by the adoption of the infamous Vaddukoddai resolution of violence in 1976, Sri Lanka had to put up with the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”little now more laterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ separatist agenda and then the dictates of the bombs and weapons of the LTTE.
Tens of thousands of unarmed civilians and members of the defence and internal security organisations had to pay the supreme price during the LTTE’s rule of terror.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The majority of non-LTTE Tamil political leaders were killed while thousands of Tamil youth were forcibly recruited as child soldiers and Tamil civilians held hostage as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”human shieldsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Furthermore, many Sinhalese and Muslims were chased away from their homes in the North and East of Sri Lanka by way of ethnic cleansing resorted by the LTTE.
The historic victory in May 2009 provided opportunities to the country and her people for economic development, rebuilding as well as social progress.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While the country was able to turn a new page in her history, one has to be aware of the conspiracy to bring back racist politics and attempts to divide the nation. There are overt and covert movements launched by a small number of disgruntled and non-representative Sri Lankan politicians and the Tiger diaspora supported by the INGO / NGO industry which is fuelled by funds and instructions of some of foreign embassies and intelligence agencies.
While we celebrate our golden victory, we should also resolve that we will never again allow the country to be misled into divisive politics and violence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We should guard the territorial integrity and the unitary status of Sri Lanka as we bow our heads to the Lion Flag. and to the memory of our war heroes.
May 19th, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Well said.
For those who BELIEVE in channel 4 LIES, we can’t tell you the truth because you don’t listen.
So please continue to believe in their lies. When you believe in these lies you will realize WHAT AWAITS YOU if you follow the Tamil Elam demand!! Horrible, isn’t it? So don’t ask for it again.
(Even from the stinkiest dirt, you can produce useful bio gas).
May 19th, 2013 at 3:21 pm
ARREST, PROSECUTE & IMPRISON these TRAITORS to the Nation.
The TNA shows its Tiger Spots with IMPUNITY.
Teach them the ERROR of their WAYS NOW …. before the FAILURE TO PUNISH encourages them into Full Fledged Terrorism AGAIN!
Have we NOT LEARNED these LESSONS from our RECENT PAST?
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Sri Lanka Tamils defy ban on rebel memorial
May 18, 2013
COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition Tamil party Saturday defied a military ban and staged a commemoration of their war dead as the government celebrated the fourth anniversary of defeating Tamil Tiger rebels.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said it staged the remembrance in the northern town of Vavuniya for those who died in the final battle which also killed Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his entire top leadership.
“We had a meeting to commemorate all those who died in the conflict,” TNA lawmaker Suresh Premachandran told AFP from Vavuniya, 260 kilometres (162 miles) north of Colombo.
The event came as Sri Lankan troops held a parades in the capital to mark the victory over Tamil Tiger rebels and an end to 37 years of ethnic bloodshed.
The state-run Daily News said the Vavuniya meeting was illegal and warned anyone commemorating the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would be jailed.
Witnesses said the TNA-led ceremony ended peacefully amid a heavy police presence in the area, a front-line town near the former war zone in the island’s north.
In the capital Colombo, President Mahinda Rajapakse viewed the military parade showcasing heavy weapons used against the Tigers who were known for their ferocious suicide bomb attacks.
“We will not allow a single inch of the land that you won by the sacrifice of your life to be taken away,” Rajapakse said. “There will be no room for separation.”
A naval craft taking part in the celebrations capsized and a search was on for an officer who was reported missing after the accident, a military official said, adding that the other four crew members had been rescued.
The military offensive which crushed the Tigers had triggered allegations of war crimes with rights groups saying that up to 40,000 civilians perished in the last months of fighting alone.
May 22nd, 2013 at 1:01 pm
Finally, a CONCRETE MOVE to REPEAL the 13th Amendment!
Bravo, Jathika Hela Urumaya!
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Sri Lanka Buddhist party reveals its constitutional amendment
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Sinhala Buddhist political party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Wednesday revealed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution proposed by them.
Legal adviser of JHU Udaya Gammanpila, Member of Western Provincial Council, briefed the content of the proposition today at a press conference held in Colombo.
JHU Gampaha district MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero said the party expects to bring in the proposal to the parliament as a private member’s motion.
Full Text of the Amendment:
The proposition named as An Act to amend the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka aims primarily to repeal the 13th amendment to the constitution which paved way for the power devolving Provincial Council system in the island.
Full text of the draft constitutional amendment is as follows: Whereas the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was purportedly enacted, consequent to the Indo- Sri Lanka Accord being entered into between the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India in 1987 under duress in defiance of the sovereignty of the people of Sri Lanka and,
Whereas the Supreme Court of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka did not approve the provisions of the 13th amendment Bill as being consistent with the Constitution in as much as only four judges of the Supreme Court out of nine held that the approval of the people at a referendum was not required to enact the 13th Amendment whilst five judges held that at least one or more of the provisions of the Bill was in violation of the Constitution and therefore required the approval of the people at a referendum and,
Whereas in terms of Article 80(2) of the Constitution “where the Supreme Court has determined that a Bill or any provision thereof requires the approval of the people at a referendum” such bill or such provision shall become law only upon the same being approved by the people at a referendum and the President certifies that the Bill or any Provision thereof has been so approved in the manner as set out in the said Article.
Whereas the majority of the Judges that constituted the bench of the Supreme Court had determined that the Bill or any one or more of the provisions thereof requires the approval of the people at a referendum, such Bill can become law only if complied with Article 80(2) upon being approved by the people at a referendum and therefore the purported certificate of the Speaker endorsed on the Bill purportedly under Articles 79 and 80(1) of the Constitution is invalid and unconstitutional and,
Whereas the Supreme Court has determined that any Bill or any Provision thereof requires the approval at a referendum the only cause of action available under the law is to comply with the process set out in Article 80(2) and the purported Amendment made to Clause 154G(2)(b) and 154G(3)(b) of the 13th Amendment Bill in Parliament without a further determination by the Supreme Court is unconstitutional and unlawful and,
Whereas the 13th Amendment in Article 154A(3) provides for the establishment of one administrative unit for two or more Provinces, to accommodate the unlawful undertaking given by the then President of Sri Lanka in the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord to establish one administrative unit for the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka on the erroneous and false basis that the Northern and Eastern Provinces form part of the homeland of one single ethnic and /or linguistic community as claimed by the separatist forces and,
Whereas the 13th Amendment has sought to abdicate the legislative power vested in Parliament and the Executive power vested in the President by the division of governmental power and restricted the Parliament and the President respectively exercising the legislative and executive power of the people and thereby offended the unitary character of the State, Whereas the 13th Amendment has vested inter alia police powers (including powers in relation to maintenance of public order) in Provincial Councils which was hitherto exercise by the Government of Sri Lanka, which will be a serious threat to national security concerns of the Republic in as much as, ,
(a) the 13th Amendment provides for the Chief Minister of a Province to directly control the Head of the Provincial Police Force and thereby all Police Officers of the said Force and even national police units operating in any province. (vide Item 11 of the Appendix of List 1 of the 9th Schedule) thereby effectively taking away the powers of the Inspector General of Police and the Government of Sri Lanka exercising any authority over such police force, ,
(b) the 13th Amendment entrusts the responsibility of prevention, detection, investigation of all offences (except the offences specified in the Schedule therein) and institution of prosecutions (subject to the powers of the Attorney General) to Provincial Councils and to enact any law on any such matter and further empower any Provincial Council to prevent any Police Officers of another Province entering such Province (vide the limitations contained in sub paragraph (k) of the 2nd item of List II of the 9th Schedule) and thereby jeopardizing the management of law and order and the national security of the Republic.
(c) the 13th Amendment even restricts police officers of the national police force from being in uniform compelling them to be in plain clothes even when performing the limited responsibilities allowed within a province such as when engaging in prevention, detection and investigation of a scheduled offence (vide Item 10:1 read with 12:1 of the relevant Appendix of the 9th Schedule).
Whereas the 13th Amendment, though based on the Constitutional structure of India, denies the Government of Sri Lanka to intervene in the event of a Province acting against the interests of the Republic, although the Central government of India is empowered to intervene in similar situations. (Vide Article 256 and 257 of the Constitution of India).
Whereas the power of the Government of Sri Lanka to give directions with regard to the manner of exercising executive power by a Province is restricted to a situation where the maintenance of essential supplies and services is threatened or that the security of Sri Lanka is threatened by war or external aggression or armed rebellion (vide Article 154J and 154K) no such limitation is placed under the Constitution on the Government of India and,
Whereas the 13th Amendment seeks to weaken the Government of Sri Lanka whilst strengthening the Provincial Councils and thereby destroying the unitary character of the State, territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and the sovereignty of its people and,
Whereas Sri Lanka is a Free, sovereign, independent and unitary State and it is the duty of the State to safeguard the independence, sovereignty, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and the provisions of the 13th Amendment are a threat to the independence, sovereignty, unity and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
BE it enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as follows:- 1. This Act may be cited as the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. 2. The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (hereinafter referred to as the “Constitution”) is hereby amended by the repeal of ; ,
(a) Chapter XVIIA
(b) Article 155(3A)
(c) Ninth Schedule
3. Article 170 of the Constitution is hereby amended by the substitution, in the definition of “written law” for the words “and includes statutes made by Provincial Councils, orders” of the words “and include orders”.
4. In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.