Asoka Weerasinghe. Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario Canada

November 18, 2009

Professor Chelva Kananganayakam
University of Toronto
Toronto

 Dear Professor Chelva Kananganayakam:

Re: MUNK CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Panel Discussion on Illusionary Justice: Threats to the Rule of Law and Human Rights in Sri Lanka on November 16, 2009.

I am not certain why I am writing to you, perhaps may be because you are affiliated with the University of Toronto.  If you feel that this topic does not concern you at all, then forgive me, but I had to let my bile spill on someone at U of T.

I ached to know that such a panel discussion was allowed to take place in the heart of Toronto, the Canadian-Eelam county on the heels of reports from local and international intelligence which says “the severely affected international network of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam following the defeat of the outfit militarily in Sri Lanka is slowly gathering ground using the Canadian soil as the base.”  This panel discussion most definitely was part of that phenomenon, and the sponsors, the Centre for South Asian Studies and Asian Institute are guilty of aiding abetting it, and to let Tamil-Eelamists get a foothold in Canada as their base.

“The panel discussion will include Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Executive Director of Centre for Policy Alternatives, an independent and non-partisan public policy institute focusing on issues of democratic governance human rights and peace,” the announcement said.

This good Doctor is the guy who charged the Sri Lankan Government for committing ‘ethnic cleansing’, when on June 7, 2007, they picked up 301 Tamils as security threats in Colombo, from a Tamil population of 390,000 and sent to their homes in buses in the North and East of the island. They were living in half-way houses from where most of them spliced together bombs to blast the mainly majority Sinhalese community in the Colombo capital region.  And he attributes himself to be non-partisan and I am shocked, as according to him, it’s OK for Tamils to kill the Sinhalese.  Ouch!

This is the good Doctor who didn’t care a tuppence when 400 Sinhalese lecturers and undergraduates were stoned out of the Jaffna University Campus on 17 August 1977, and had to be brought down south in buses escorted by the army and police while they were lying prostrate on the floor away from the hail of rocks and stones thrown by separatist Tamils.  Believe me, this good Doctor Paikiasothy wasn’t a two year-old in diapers in August 1977 then, drooling with a soother in his mouth.  He was a big boy, big enough to make his voice heard around the world complaining that his Tamil people were violating the rights of the Sinhalese.  And he has the gall to attribute himself to be ‘non-partisan”.  Phew! What a ton of dosai!

This is the good Doctor who couldn’t care two masala-vadais, when the separatist Tamil Tigers kicked out 100,000 Muslims in 24 hours from their homes in the North and the East of the island in October 1990, where they had lived for generations, and we didn’t hear his non-partisan voice complaining to the world that his Tamil people are taking away the rights of the Muslim people.  Nor did we hear the voice of the ‘squeaky-clean’ wanna-be Amnesty International either.

I understand that the main sponsor of this panel discussion was the University’s Centre for South Asian Studies.  Let me warn the faculty of this Centre not to encourage such partisan discussions hence forth as there will be more Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu clones, who are anti-Sri Lankan Government coming to you all asking for your respected academic stage from where they could throw stones at the Sri Lankan government.

Unless this Centre has an opposing panel discussion on ‘Illusionary Justice: Threats to the Rule of Law and Human Rights in Sri Lanka, the other side of the coin’, I would charge the faculty, although harsh, of being a bunch of intellectual frauds who are part of the conspiracy to continue to sabotage the once ever good friendship between Canada and Sri Lanka which has now turned frosty because of the Tamil-Eelam issue.

Just watch out for the other Paikiasothy clones that will come out of the wood-work now that you all have provided a stage to this good Doctor and tarnish the reputation of the Centre for Asian Studies by letting him throw stones at Sri Lanka.  They are all intellectual Human Rights frauds, trying to pick a dollar here and a dollar there from the million dollar  Human Rights pie saying that they too are genuine Human Rights activists.  What rubbish! 

I will appreciate it  very much if you would be kind enough to share my concerns with the appropriate Faculty Council Members of U of T.

Asoka Weerasinghe.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

“Return must be both voluntary and informed”

(Colombo/New York, 18 November 2009): United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes concluded the second day of his three-day mission to Sri Lanka today with visits to Vavuniya in the north and Mannar in the northwest.

In the morning, the ERC met General Kamal Guneratne, the Competent Authority (CA), and Mrs. Charles, Government Agent for Vavuniya, in charge of Menik Farm camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) near Vavuniya. They reiterated the commitment of the Government to ensure the return of all IDPs in the camp by the end of January 2010. Currently, some 150,000 IDPs remain in camps, including 135,000 in Menik Farm, approximately half the population at its peak.

In a visit to the camp, the ERC noted that, besides the considerable progress in decongesting the camp, the shelters for IDPs were in acceptable condition despite the rains, thanks to efforts at reinforcement, and that there had been no major disease outbreaks, despite the onset of the monsoon. The ERC visited a clinic, a rehabilitation centre for handicapped people, including those with conflict-related injuries, a school, a supplementary feeding centre for malnourished children run by UNICEF, and a vocational training programme for women. Displaced people with whom the ERC spoke confirmed their desire to return home, but wanted more information about the return process, including the time of their own return and details of the support they would have on arrival.

In Mannar, Mr. Holmes met displaced people in the process of returning, who were being provided relief supplies, and schoolchildren who had just restarted classes in their local school after a two-year absence. All expressed their relief at being allowed to return home, but concern about their future, particularly how quickly they would be able to resume farming and fishing.

On returning to Colombo, Mr. Holmes met Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other Government representatives. Mr. Holmes welcomed Mr. Bogollagama’s assurance that the Government was committed to ensuring full freedom of movement for IDPs. The ERC also welcomed the recent progress in allowing IDPs to return home while expressing concerns about the process, including the need for greater consultation with the IDPs themselves and assurances that demining had been fully completed and basic services provided in the areas of return.

Tomorrow, Mr. Holmes is scheduled to meet Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe, Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa, head of Uthuru Wasanthaya—the 180-day resettlement and reconstruction program in the North–Basil Rajapaksa, and President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

By Walter Jayawardhana

President Mahinda Rajapaksa celebrated his 64th birthday by distributing gifts to 64 twins at a Buddhist temple in Narahenpita Colombo.

pictures by Nalin Hewapathirana

Clad in a cream coloured national costume the President came to the temple ceremony where the twins have been brought.

Among the twins brought to meet the Presidents were also triplets. The President fed them with cakes.

Not only the 64th birthday of the President but also the fourth anniversary of his becoming the President fell on November 18 2009.

At the temple ceremony where health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva wished the President many happy returns of the day and a successful political career an ENT clinic was also held.Nurses Union head Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda also participated in the ceremony.

Earlier Tamil politicians who represent up country and Northern Provinces greeted the President by visiting the Temple Trees.

pictures by Nalin Hewapathirana

The two Tamil politicians are Minister Vadivel Suresh and TNA parliamentarian Sivanandan Krishnan who greeted the President on his birthday

By Janaka Alahapperuma

President Mahinda Rajapaksa celebrates his 64th birthday today (18th November) and the fourth anniversary in assuming office as Executive President the same day.

 Many religious programmes are planned to celebrate and invoke blessings on the Head of State Island wide. Venerable Maha Sanga including Uduwe Dhammaloka thero chanted Seth Pirith at President’s House in the early hours of this morning to bless the President on his birthday.

 ‘Everybody should respect the President for leading the country towards historical victory over three decades long war against terrorism’ says the felicitation message issued by Anunayaka Thera of Malwatta chapter Ven.Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thera and all night Pirith Chanting ceremony will be held in Temple Trees tonight.

 Representing other religious groups, Kurukkal of the Maha Badrakali Hindu Kovil, Rajagiriya Samy Kaly Kanagrathnathiravi said the President is the only leader who united all ethnic communities in the country as one nation. Blessing of the people goes to the President to continue his valuable service to the country said the Catholic priest Rev. Father Sarath Hettiarahchi. Chief incumbent of Colombo main Mosque Moulawi M.S.M.Kathleen pointed out that all Muslim community in the country will respect for the President who initiated Sri Lankan solidarity.

 President also participated the special celebration organised by the ENT Clinic at Colombo General Hospital and distributed gifts to 64 twins to commemorate his 64th birthday this morning.

Born in 1945, President Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament in 1970 in the United Freedom Front Government led by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranayake. He was then the youngest member to enter the Sri Lanka Parliament. He was held several important cabinet ministries including the Labour Minister in the Peoples Alliance Government of 1994 and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister from 1997. He served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from April 6, 2004 and was sworn in as the 6th Executive President for a six-year term on Nov 19, 2005.

Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia

 It was reported in the 22nd Nov. issue of the Catholic Leader – Brisbane, that Dr. Brian Seneviratne (Catholic married to a Tamil) and Fr. Pan Jordan (Tamil), presently in Brisbane, beleive that the Pope must visit welfare camps in Sri Lanka to see for himself the mistreatment of the 280,000 IDP’S. In fact, the current number is about half of this. Both had referred to the appalling conditions in the welfare camps.

 They have made this observation in response to Pope Benedict’s recent call to free displaced civilians from internment camps. However, it was also reported that the Pope had noted with ’satisfaction’ the efforts of the Sri Lankan government. Despite this Brian and Fr. Jordan had said, “…The only thing that will work is for the pope to visit Sri Lanka and to insist in going and seeing his flock of sheep in the camps…”

 The two devoted Catholics have also added that ‘thousands’ of Catholics and more than a dozen Catholic clergy had been slaughtered. Therefore, because of this persecution they have said that Tamils are fleeing by boat loads as refugees. This had been supported by Ragu Ragavan, Chairman, Australasian Federation, which is funded by the LTTE Front. However, it has now become obvious that bogus asylum seekers are involved in a racket where ‘human smuggling’ for greener pastures is a big business.

 The bogus asylum seekers are supported with funds by the LTTE Front, Human Rights organisations, various religious institutions and so on. Further, they are also encouraged due to the relaxation of border controls in Australia.

 In contrast to what Dr. Brian S. and Fr. Jordan has said, Mr. N. Sri Kantha, Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian who led a six member (Dr. T. William, R.N.Imam, P.Ariyanthiran, S.Adaikalananthan, S.Kishor and Vino Noharathalingam) Parliamentary delegation to the welfare centres this week said, “…There is solid ground for satisfaction at the progress in resettling the IDP’s…”

 They have added that the basic amenities are there and the IDP’s did not complain. The people are in an ‘upbeat mood’ and getting Rs. 25,000 cash relief each, to upgrade their houses. With regard to the officials at the camp’s, he had said that they were down to earth, cooperative and understanding.

 Further, the Resettlement and Disaster Relief Service Minister Rishard Bathiudeen referring to the welfare centres today (18th Nov,) said that the government spend over Rs. 10 million a day to supply food and drinks to the IDP’s. This is in addition to spending about Rs.500,000 daily for other amenities.

 It is common knowledge that Dr. Brian Seneviratne had been an ardent supporter of the LTTE in the past. So Brian and Fr. Jordan are nothing but propagandists to the now defunct LTTE.

By Walter Jayawardhana

The remainder of the original group of 78 Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers , after a three week stand off agreed to leave an Australian customs ship moored of near the Indonesian island of Bintane on Wednesday, Australian newspapers reported.

 The 78 asylum seekers were picked up by the Australian ship Oceanic Viking in International waters while they were on their way to Australia.

 When they were to be taken to Bintane, the Tamils refused to disembark demanding that they be sent only to Australia.

 Last week part of the asylum seekers agreed to go to Bintane when they were promised the speedy processing of their refugee claims by the United Nations refugee agency , the UNHCR.

 Indonesian officials have promised to send the last batch of 56 to Bintane island processing center and detain them only for one month.

 An official was quoted as saying, “They would be detained for one month after their claims are processed by the UNHCR before they could be sent to a third country willing [to take them in], possibly Australia,”

By Walter Jayawardhana

The mandatory security clearance for civilians to travel overland from Northern Province to other areas will be no longer needed government sources said.

The biggest beneficiary of the lifting of the former security measure will be citizens travelling on the A9 highway.

The confidence of the government that such security measures are no longer necessary has led to this decision.

Media Release -Public Communications Division Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka

This is further to my initial Statement made on 04 Nov. 2009  on the question raised by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake , Member of Parliament and raised again by Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe, Leader of the Opposition on 06 Nov. 2009 seeking a statement by me on our continental shelf submission under the Law of the Sea Convention of 1982.  In this connection, I did undertake to make a formal Statement on 17 Nov. 2009. 

 Hence, Hon Speaker, I now make my Statement on the Continental Shelf Submission of Sri Lanka

 Introduction

 The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 requires States Parties to submit geological and scientific data and other material pertaining to the establishment of the Outer Limits of the Legal Continental Shelf beyond 200 nautical miles to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.  (CLCS)

 A separate Statement of Understanding (SoU) which is contained in Annex II to the Final Act of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea recognized a special method of delimitation for the States in the Southern Part of the Bay of Bengal, taking into account the unique geological and geomorphological features of the seabed in the area.

 Sri Lanka signed the Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS Convention) on the 10^th of December 1982, and ratified the same on 19 July 1994. In terms of   paragraph 8 of Article 76 of the Convention and Article 4 of Annex II of the Convention and the Technical and Scientific Guidelines of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, the coastal States are required to submit their scientific and technical data to establish their legal continental shelf to the CLCS by 13^th May 2009. 

 Although the initial timeline has been subsequently relaxed indefinitely by the 18^th Meeting of the States Parties to the LOS Convention, in June 2008, the Inter- Ministerial Committee co-chaired by the Secretaries of the Ministries  of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries & Aquatic Resources respectively, instructed the Committee to take all necessary steps to present a full submission, as per the timeline previously envisaged, i.e. 13^th May 2009, in view of the need to avoid the anticipated surge of submissions.  Therefore the Foreign Ministry was conscious of the possible overload of the  work of the CLCS  and made every effort to make a timely submission.

 Accordingly, the Inter Ministerial Committee consisting of Senior Officials of all line Ministries/Agencies, along  with international Experts from UK, New Zealand, the Netherlands, USA, Norway and the Russian Federation presented a full submission to the CLCS on 8^th May 2009, well in advance of the 13^th May, 2009 timeline.

 The work before the Inter-Ministerial Committee was to frame Sri Lanka’s submission in keeping with the hard won Statement of Understanding that recognized the need for a special method of delimitation for the States in the Southern Bay of Bengal. May I remind Hon. Members of the following:

 (a) Delimitation of the legal Continental Shelf of the coastal States is done according to Article 76 of the Convention, which contains the general method of delimitation based on what is known as the “Irish formula”.  This method which is based on the continental shelves off the Atlantic Coast is made applicable to all coastal States across the board. Given the special characteristics of Sri Lanka’s legal Continental Shelf in the Bay of Bengal (ie. a narrow shelf, a wide rise), Sri Lanka sought an exception from Article 76 and a special method of delimitation.

 (b)  The special method contained in the SoU was formulated taking into account, the inequity that would result to Sri Lanka in the event of the application of the “Irish formula”. More than half of the Bay of Bengal Fan would have been excluded by the “Irish Formula.” 

 I wish to quote in this regard the relevant section of Annex II of the Final Act of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea which reads as follows:

 “ The Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, considering the special characteristics of a State’s continental margin where;

 (1) The average distance at which the 200 metre isobaths occurs is not more than 20 nautical miles;

(2) The greater proportion of the sedimentary rock of the continental margin lies beneath the rise; and

 “Taking into account the inequity that would result to that State from the application to its Continental Margin of Article 76 of the Convention, in that the mathematical average of the thickness of sedimentary rock along a line established at a maximum distance permissible in accordance with the provisions of para 4 (a) (i) and (ii) of that Article as representing the entire outer edge of the continental margin would not be less than 3.5 km and that more than half of the margin would be excluded thereby.”

 Recognizes that such State may, notwithstanding the provisions of article 76, establish the outer edge of its continental margin by straight lines not exceeding 60 nautical miles in length connecting fixed points, defined by latitude and longitude, at each of which the thickness of sedimentary rock is not less than 1 kilometre.”

  End of quotation

 (c )Thus in the preparation of submission, Sri Lanka team has to carefully analyse and process data to ensure the satisfaction of all the criteria in the SoU.

 Hon. Members will therefore appreciate that every effort has been made by the technical and legal Experts to ensure that the Sri Lanka submission met all the criteria required to come within the scope of application of the SoU.

 As to our bilateral negotiations with India in this regard, let me add that two countries have closely collaborated in securing the special method of delimitation for the States in the Southern Part of Bay of Bengal which is now reflected in the SoU.  Since the work commenced on Sri Lanka’s submission, five rounds of consultations have been held with India with a view to coordinating our positions in making our respective submissions to the CLCS.  India’s support would be a vital factor in invoking the applicability of the SoU, when Sri Lanka’s submission is taken up by the Commission.

 The available data show an area of overlap that would fall outside the Exclusive Economic Zones of both countries and in the Bay of Bengal sedimentary fan, in a region well to the west of Andaman and Nicobar islands of India.

 At the last round of consultations held with India in January 2009, the following understandings were reached.

• To employ the Statement of Understanding in a manner in which both India and Sri Lanka would derive the maximum benefit.

• To exchange cartographic maps indicating the approximate areas of claim of each party.

• To agree that both sides would file their own respective submissions before the CLCS without prejudice to any future bilateral agreement on the continental margin, which will take into account all relevant issues.

 Sri Lanka and India have a track record of cooperation on this issue from the time of the Law of the Sea Conference.  It was as a result of this close cooperation that we were able to secure a special method of delimitation in the Southern part of Bay of Bengal. We will continue this close bilateral cooperation to address all issues pertaining to the application of the SoU as well as issues of bilateral boundary delimitation in relation to any areas of overlap stemming from our respective claims for extended legal continental shelves.

 Question of scheduling of submissions

 According to the Report of the Sri Lanka delegation to the 19^th Meeting of the States Parties to the LOS Convention held in New York in June 2009, Sri Lanka’s Submission is likely to be taken for consideration by CLCS around 2025.

 A delay of that magnitude is certain to have a negative impact on the aims and aspirations of all developing countries, which form the majority of those affected.  Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken the initiative together with like-minded States to express serious concern at the prospect of delays of more than a decade before they receive the recommendations of the CLCS, taking into account the major investment of financial and other resources already made by them in the effort to meet the terminal date of 13^th May 2009.

 Sri Lanka together with similarly affected States Parties have expressed dissatisfaction at the long delay in the scheduling of hearings of the CLCS at the 19^th States Parties meeting. The Sri Lanka delegation at this Meeting insisted that such a time scale is not acceptable and that other arrangements should be made to minimize serious implications that would have on the developing countries. If the above problem is to be averted, extra funding must be made available to defray the expenses of the members of the Commission. 

 Accordingly, the President of the 19^th States Parties Meeting decided to appoint an open ended informal Working Group under the coordination of the Vice-President. Sri Lanka is actively participating at the Working Group Meeting which is currently taking place in the backdrop of the 64^th General Assembly Session of the United Nations, with a view to having the proceedings expedited.  Sri Lanka is continuing its efforts and in order to consulting like-minded developing States with a view to finding ways and means to expedite the process.

 To summarize, let me therefore say that:

 (1)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs harnessed all resources local and foreign to ensure a timely submission notwithstanding the complex nature of the submission under the Statement of Understanding.   All efforts have been taken to assure that the submission is legally and technically sound.  The timelines envisaged were duly met and the submission was made on 08^th May 2009 well in advance of the original timeline of 13^th May 2009.

 (2)The delay in scheduling is entirely due to external factors, in that neither the UNCLOS nor the CLCS anticipated a large number of States to make their submissions at the same time, resulting in a surge of submissions. It must be noted that scheduling process by the Commission has nothing to do with the merits or the demerits of a submission.

 (3) This issue is now being addressed by the UN in New York.  A strong delegation has been sent out to support the PRUN and the staff of the Sri Lanka Mission in New York to actively canvass likeminded developing States and to reach an understanding on ways and means of expediting the process. 

Media Release Public Communications Division Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka, I warmly welcome you all this afternoon for an interactive session on the role the Sri Lanka Diaspora can play in the post conflict developmental efforts. I am confident that our interactions will be fruitful in view of the overwhelming response we have received to the invitation extended by His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa, for this important event.

I know each one of you has excelled in your chosen professions and having perused your profiles, we are indeed pleased to have you in our midst today.

The purpose of our meeting today is multifaceted and stems from the invitation extended to the Diaspora by His Excellency the President in his address to the nation in the immediate aftermath of the LTTE’s defeat. I wish to recall the words of His Excellency the President on that historic occasion, when he said, and I quote: “…I call on our engineers, doctors, accountants and other professionals living in various countries abroad, to return to your motherland and contribute to its development”.

The exemplary leadership by His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa resulted in the defeat of the LTTE and the eradication of terrorism from Sri Lanka. In the aftermath of this achievement, His Excellency President Rajapaksa is now focused on steering the nation on the right course to achieve development and economic advancement. As envisaged in the Mahinda Chinthanaya, your share and valuable contribution towards this endeavor, is anticipated. Your contribution can be in different segments including financial and technical support for infrastructure developmental projects, and relief assistance for the IPDs, curbing the LTTE’s international network including their propaganda activities, using your influence in your host countries.

You may be aware of the fact that pro-LTTE international lobbies have been able to manipulate and promote statements favouring them on a number of occasions in many countries by lobbying political leaders and decision makers. This may be due to pro-LTTE lobbies misrepresenting the facts of the realities prevailing in Sri Lanka to these leaders and decision makers. Owing to the growing vote base of the Tamil expatriate community in many countries aboard, some of these political leaders may even be swayed or compelled to make such statements due to their local political compulsions in order to strengthen their vote base. In this context, I wish to acknowledge the effective role played by many of our expatriate Sri Lankans who have worked tirelessly along with our Missions aboard, to project the realities prevailing in Sri Lanka. At the same time, I would also like to call on those patriotic Sri Lankans aboard to continue their proactive engagement with their host countries and to take whatever measures possible and permissible to counter any attempts and propaganda by pro-LTTE elements. You may also wish to use the vote base of Sri Lankan expatriates who are not sympathetic to the decimated LTTE and make efforts to reach-out to political leaders and decision makers by projecting the actual position prevailing in Sri Lanka. In that regard, you may wish to draw attention to the words of H.E. President in which he stated, and I quote: “…We have removed the word minorities from our vocabulary three years ago. No longer are the Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Malays and any others minorities. There are only two peoples in this country. One is the people that love this country. The other comprises the small groups that have no love for the land of their birth. Those who do not love the country are now a lesser group”.

On this occasion, I wish to remind those present today that there was never a fight against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. The conflict that ravaged our country was between an elected Sri Lankan Government and that of an internationally known terrorist organization, the LTTE.  During the final phase of the conflict, the Government launched a humanitarian operation to liberate the Tamil civilians from the cruel clutches of the LTTE which used them as human shields. While the large scale relocation of approximately 288,000 that resulted from our humanitarian operations, culminating with the defeat of the LTTE on 18^th May 2009, it created an unprecedented challenge to the Government of Sri Lanka. The Government was able to ensure that each and every person who was accommodated at the welfare villages with the support of the local well-wishers and the international community, were provided with food, shelter and medical care. We even made arrangements to enable students to continue their education and even sit for the GCE O/Level and A/Level examinations, including ex-child combatants as well.

These measures were appreciated by many foreign dignitaries. In this context, I wish to recall Mr. T. R. Baalu, the leader of the delegation of Members of the Indian Parliament from the constituencies in the State of Tamil Nadu last month when he said that the Government of Sri Lanka was doing an “admirable job”, following the delegation’s visit to the welfare villages.

In the welfare villages, the Government also had in place basic facilities such as banks, shops and vocational training centers to ensure that the people, who were only temporarily accommodated at these welfare villages, were able to lead normal lives until their resettlement, which is now underway. His Excellency, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and I, on a number of occasions and during our interactions with our colleagues from the international community, have repeatedly reiterated the commitment of our Government for the speedy resettlement and I am pleased to say that this process had led to 127,042 as of 12^th November 2009 leaving the welfare villages for resettlement.

At this juncture, I also wish to share some details on the resettlement process.

While our concern was to ensure the speedy resettlement the IDPs, their safety was also of paramount importance to the Government of Sri Lanka in view of the fact that there are an estimated number of 1.5 million landmines and unexploded ordnance which contaminate an area of 402 square kilometers in Northern Sri Lanka. While the Sri Lanka Army was responsible for 70% of the total area cleared so far, 7 INGOs and several NGOs are assisting in this process. The demining is carried out under strict conditions to ensure that these areas will be completely out of danger for civilians after resettlement. Between January – August 2009,  a total area of 82.08 square kilometers in Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mannar, Trincomalee and Vavuniya districts were surveyed and cleared by the Sri Lanka Army and de-mining agencies, and handed over to the Government of Sri Lanka. The de-mining of nine Grama Niladhari Divisions in Kilinochchi is expected to be completed soon for resettlement. Demining of areas in the Mullaitivu district has also commenced. For this purpose, the Government recently imported the latest de-mining machinery-five Docking and five MV 4-to the value of Rs. 520 million from Slovakia and Croatia respectively and five more machines have also arrived to speed up the process. The new machines are expected to clear 5000 square metres of land per day, and it is faster than the manual system used by the INGOs/NGOs, where only 50 square metres can be cleared.

These are positive developments which have taken place during a reasonably brief period and you may wish to highlight these measures taken by the Government in your host countries. You can also point out to the continuing existence of LTTE’s financial networks in some parts of the world, illegal activities such as gun running, humans smuggling and distribution of narcotics with a view of curb these activities and bring to book those involved. Explaining the democratic process that is currently underway in Sri Lanka, you can draw attention to the emergence of a new Tamil leadership in Sri Lanka and the fact that a former child solider is now the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province. You can also refer to the changing stance of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which was, until recently, sympathetic to the LTTE.

In the areas of resettlement and reconciliation, we look forward to your financial assistance and expertise in various specialized fields and your support and expertise on infrastructure and community building projects.

You would also have to be vigilant on attempts by pro-LTTE lobbies planning to breathe new life into the defeated LTTE. There may be attempts to politicize and radicalize the youth from the Tamil Diaspora and your actions to prevent such attempts should be more proactive rather than reactive. I have also advised our Missions abroad to work with members of the Diaspora on such matters and our Heads of Missions and other officials will make themselves available to discuss and assist in these efforts.  

In this connection, I wish to recall my recent meetings with the Foreign Minister of Australia, Hon. Stephen Smith and Hon. Maite Nkoana Mashabane, South Africa’s Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Both have assured the Sri Lankan Government that they will not permit LTTE activities in their respective countries. The South African Minister for International Relations and Cooperation has further assured our Government that there is no room on South African soil for a Transnational Government which some sections of the LTTE have been attempting to propagate. There are also a large number of world leaders whom His Excellency the President and I have interacted with, who have, I am pleased to state, given similar assurances to our Government which is in keeping with our continuing efforts to ensure that the LTTE’s global network is also curbed.

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our Missions abroad are working on a diverse and extensive campaign to thwart attempts by the remnants of the LTTE and elements supportive of the pro-LTTE groups from resurfacing, your continuing support would go a long way in our endeavours to curb such activities. It is also important to keep the international community and the Tamil Diaspora informed of the current realities in Sri Lanka and the sincere efforts of our Government, under the visionary and far sighted leadership of His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to ensure that all Sri Lankans, irrespective of religion, race and creed, enjoys the benefits of the post conflict developmental phase. 

While thanking you all for your presence here this afternoon, I also wish to acknowledge the financial contributions and moral support extended to encourage the tri forces by contributing to programme such as “Api Wenuwen Api” and “Ranaviru Upahara”.

We look forward to your continuing cooperation and support in the months to come.

Thank you.

Ranjit Wickremeratne

We all wish you from the bottom of our hearts very happy birthday to you on this great day.

 May Lord Buddha give you strength, wealth and good health to overcome all the evils facing you today.

 May you live long taking our country forward with happiness Love and Peace

 May God Bless you on your 64th birthday.

 Your Excellency as you rejoice this day with your loving family and the rest of our victorious population make a wish to have a peaceful country under your leadership with all to live in Peace irrespective of colour, Faith, or religion. One nation under one flag with Sinhalese,Muslims Tamils,Burghers,Malays and any other minorities to live as one family in jewel of a country called SRI LANKA.

 As you won the greatest fight of all battles against the most ruthless terror organization in the world you should win all the other evil battles the same way if you want to make our homeland peaceful and prosperous.

The other battles will be corruption, underworld,Aids, people smuggling, Narcotics, counterfiet etc.

We all look for your leadership to take out all these menace from the soil of our nation. We know only you can do this for us because all the others have failed in the past. Dont shiver,Dont bargain, keep your head up and take the correct decisions with the help of all mighty and we are there with you till you clean up the place and bring our country to the top among the nations.

 We wholeheartedly approve the way you are leading us dont let any power in the world to cross your path and to destroy our freedom. We have fought many battles in the past 2500 years with so many evil forces and come up victorious and it will be the same now and for ever. My homeland and yours will be peaceful,prosperous free SRI LANKA in the future under your leadership and should not allow any evil force to take our freedom again at any cost. Dont be afraid of elections. Your destiny lies ahead for many more years to come with the blessings of our peoples. All the forces ralling round the opposition has been wright off by the people four years ago and all those traitors will be vaporized to thin air after the coming elections with nowhere to go except to go and hide outside the country with their white masters like the former president

of our motherland. They can sign thousand of MOU’s with thousand of different parties if available in the country but your party alone will be the victorious party in the coming general or presidential elections without a doubt. Your way of moving forward and taking our country to the highest level in the world stage is commendable and courageous. May God show the path for a bright future to our beloved country.

 Your excellency keep your promises without let us down as we have lots of faith and trust on you SIR.

We all hope and pray and at the same time we can see from our own eyes how our paradise isle of SRI LANKA standing tall from the graveyard of terrorism to become a peaceful,beautiful country with good governece and a brigh future. When you take the power for the second time in the future you should not look back until you clean up our motherland from Corruption,Underworld,Aids,Narcotics etc. If you dont remove these bad elements from our society we wont be able to trust any leader or have a bright future for our future generation. So with all the blessings of our peoples and the blessing of Lord Buddha walk straight without looking back. We all SRI LANKANS need your valuable leadership to lead us to a peaceful world with a bright future same as your birthday today.

 LONG LIVE OUR PRESIDENT.

 LONG LIVE OUR MOTHERLAND

 LONG LIVE OUR CITIZENS.

 May Lord Buddha protects our President and all his peoples and save our country from traitors and evils.

 Ranjit Wickremeratne