13a Decision Time and the Emperors without Clothes
Posted on July 3rd, 2013
Shenali D Waduge
Is it not strange that ALL the protagonists now coming forward to argue that the 13th amendment should continue to prevail alongside the provincial council system are ALL those who openly propagated the notion of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unwinnable warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and the federal option pushed by Western liberalists to devolve powers virtually equating to carving out a separate state no different to Sudan. We knew who those ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unwinnable warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ peddlers were and we now know that they are the same people giving voice to continuing the 13th amendment and the PC system some feebly threatening to resign! No one needs to threaten to resign – just resign the tax payer will be one or two burdens short!
It is now 25 years since the signing of the 13th amendment and the introduction of the provincial council system. The bandwagon of 13th amendment peddlers are easy to identify ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the remnants of Vijaya KumaratungaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s party now enjoying Parliamentary portfolios, the 70yrs plus plus left oldies who should be thanking their stars that they still hold a national list parliamentary seat, the stooges of the former President who disappointed the entire nation and how can we leave out the Opposition which has a knack of always taking the wrong side of the opinion of the masses. At least these 13th amendment supporters have made their stand known but there are a far more dangerous lot of silent others within Government who also held ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unwinnable warƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ theory but are cowards to come clean and take a stand. They must ALL now wonder how they would plead for re-election!
These are good lessons for the President himself for lavishing portfolios doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t necessarily bring loyalty and credibility and this is why J R was shrewd enough to obtain from all undated resignation letters. There are not many Gamini JayasuriyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s who place integrity to resign based on principles.
Nevertheless, we as a country are not interested in what a handful of opportunist MPs now beyond age of retirement think. The country endured 30 years of terrorism, the armed forces lost thousands of young men and women, while thousands more are disabled for life. Thousands of civilians also perished, property was destroyed, economy was affected and even the Tamils who fell victim to the LTTE also suffered. We are not interested in who suffered more or less. It is the future we must now think of and not the past. If we are to think of the future we must carefully pick every item that contributed and contributes to being an obstacle of building a prosperous Sri Lanka. We therefore must annihilate every obstacle that stands in the way of national security as the Defense Secretary has rightfully articulated.
13th amendment is one such obstacle. The Government came into power on the mandate that it would end the war and bring about peace. LTTE is just one obstacle to that peace, IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 13th amendment is another. Sri Lanka does not need to be entertaining any MenonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s just to please India. We are a sovereign nation and it is time we behaved as one. If the Government can take decisions when it wants to it should take a decision on the 13th amendment without any delays ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” we have had enough of discussion and debate on this matter and the Defense Secretary echoes the voice of the entire nation of people who want to live in an united Sri Lanka.
As far as the TNA politicians are concerned their political future will be decided no sooner 6th amendment to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Constitution is read to them and we are puzzled why these advocates of separatism are given a carte blanche to go promoting separatism both locally and internationally without warning them that they are violating Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Constitution.
There is absolutely no reason to continue with a legally questionable amendment such as the 13tha given that it has solved nothing for the citizens of Sri Lanka and if the Government continues to please India and an audience of Emperors who have now being exposed it would be making an ill-fated choice of going against the masses. All politicians know only the politics of numbers ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the decision is therefore very simple to take. There is no better time than NOW.
July 3rd, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Egypt’s army TOOK OVER and SUSPENDED the constitution.
Muslim Brothelhood Moronsi sacked!
IF SL govt. is not scrapping 13 amendment GR and the military should take over. Suspend the stupid con-stitution. Form a constitutional council and enact a NEW constitution. Hand back the country to same politicians.
13 amendment is the new LTTE. KILL IT.
July 3rd, 2013 at 3:16 pm
YES.
Time has come now for the real king to claim back throne occupied by Andare who is running the country. Once the Tamil jokers in Endia know that real king has come back, they will sh– the pants, that is the only ACTION Endia can take.
July 3rd, 2013 at 3:32 pm
It is time we get real. The politicians will never get rid of the 13th amendment as it harbours the criminals that subjugate the rest of the citizens on their behalf of the rulers. Police powers and land rights will be taken away because it interferes with their power. The long and short of it is the rulers are not interested in the country they are only interested in themselves. Hopefully a day will come when they will be made to account for their actions.
July 3rd, 2013 at 5:52 pm
SG, I, yet do not see the real King even on the horizon. Andare seems to be intoxicated, eating too much sugar. Gota is Sri Lankans best bet. He has the grenade in his hand, and only has to pull the referendum pin. I hope he will show his courage and wisdom with memorable action. Let us now see the end of ”talk the talk”.
July 3rd, 2013 at 6:51 pm
Endia for sure plans to kill Gota. He has to be careful. Gota has to TRAIN more like him.
SL cannot depend on a single person for its security.
There should be CONTINUATION.
July 3rd, 2013 at 7:33 pm
It is disgusting to see Raja visiting Africa with Mervyn the joker, he is not even qualified to be called Andare that he has a separate joker. I had so much respect for this man and all that is lost now.
July 3rd, 2013 at 7:36 pm
INDEED, Sri Lanka should NOT LISTEN to India on the 13th-A!
Since WHEN are VICTIMS of ABUSE required to HEED the ABUSERS after escaping their clutches?
HERE is the HYPOCRISY of Indians.:
First they initiate, train, support and fund Tamil terrorism in Sri Lanka to serve their interests,
then Threaten, Invade and Occupy Sri Lanka under the guise of “Peacekeepers” when that terrorism is in FULL SWING, preventing Sri Lanka from defending itself against their terrorist surrogates,
then they CHANGE OUR CONSTITUTION and IMPOSE the 13th Amendment upon Sri Lanka at GUNPOINT to solve their own problems presumably to ensure “ethnic harmony” in Sri Lanka that they themselves disrupted,
then they allow that terrorism to GROW beyond their ability to control it,
then they declare victory and advance to the REAR back to India leaving Sri Lanka with their terrorist baby to feed,
and now, after the Tamil Separatist Monster they impregnated Sri Lanka with had been aborted at great cost in blood and treasure, they come along demanding that Sri Lanka implement their Flawed Solution to the problem they embedded in Sri Lanka, having abandoned their own responsibility to restore the Sovereignty of Sri Lanka by disarming the LTTE!
They CREATED the”problem”.
They IMPOSED an ILLEGAL “Solution”.
They FAILED to do their part of their “solution”.
And NOW, they are demanding that Sri Lanka implements SRi Lanka’s part of their FAILED ILLEGAL “solution” that they imposed at GUNPOINT, and FAILED to HONOR themselves!
There is no other word for it, but RAPE! Under which Internationally accepted LAW is Sri Lanka compelled to deliver a RAPIST’S baby?
Is there a GREATER CRIME than the STUPIDITY of OUR LEADERS who are STILL arguing this issue and TREATING India as ANYTHING MORE than a ABUSIVE NEIGHBOR who should be kicked in the behind out of the house, down the road, and out the country?
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We should not listen to India on 13 A – Gotabaya
DailyMirror.lk
July 2, 2013
Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said today that Sri Lanka should not listen to India with regard to the implementation of the 13th Amendment as the national problem was inherently one that should be solved by Sri Lankans.
“We should not listen to India on this; this doesn’t meant that we lose the relationship we have with India. But if there is a problem it should only be solved by Sri Lankans and not India,” he said.
He said the national question should have a homegrown solution — and the debate about 13th Amendment should not affect the relations between the two countries.
“India is our friend and we need to continue the good relations. This should not be an issue to strain our relationship, and I’m of the view that India understands that. They should understand that this is inherently a Sri Lankan issue and we have to address it with a solution that we devise” he said,
Rajapaksa said the “alienation of provinces based on ethnicity” was not the solution to the ethnic issue.
“This is not the solution; and it has failed. There are Tamils living in all parts of the country and Muslims too — so what about them? How does the Provincial Council system solve their problems? I believe in the decentralisation of administration; but I don’t believe that areas should be demarcated according to ethnicity, religion, caste or creed. This country belongs to all Sri Lankans and we have to think in those terms,” he said. (Hafeel Farisz)
July 3rd, 2013 at 7:41 pm
The LACK OF RESOLVE of the GOSL in moving to REPEAL the 13th Amendment DECISIVELY, ENCOURAGES even Foreign NGOs to MEDDLE in Sri Lanka’s INTERNAL POLITICS!
WHAT CHANCE has Sri Lanka for long term SECURITY when its DEFENDERS DITHER wringing their TREMBLING hands?
Oh, How Low the Mighty Heroes of our Hela Diva have Fallen today! Give me leaders who have NOTHING TO PROTECT but their Motherland!
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Expelled German NGO in talks with TNA, TNPF, GTF
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Island.lk
July 2, 2013
A German NGO expelled from Sri Lanka, at the height of the Vanni offensive, is pushing the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) as well as the most influential Diaspora grouping – the UK headquartered Global Tamil Forum (GTF) to adopt a common strategy on the national issue.
The TNPF headed by former MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam is a breakaway faction of the TNA. The TNA split in the wake of the LTTE battlefield defeat in May 2009 leading to the formation of the TNPF, which contested Jaffna and Trincomalee electoral districts at the April 2010 parliamentary election, on its own. The TNPF is not represented in parliament.
Authoritative sources told The Island that the TNA, TNPF and the GTF had recently met in Berlin under the auspices of the Berghof Foundation to discuss an entire range of issues, particularly the proposed first Northern Provincial Council election.
The NGO is funded by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Sources said that a two-day conference took place on June 22 and 23 with the participation of Suresh Premachandran (Jaffna District MP), M. A. Sumanthiran (National List MP) and Selvam Adaikalanathan (TELO leader and Vanni District MP) representing the TNA, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and S. Kajendran from the TNPF and GTF leader Rev. Father S.J Emmanuel and its spokesperson Suren Surendiran.
The British Tamil Forum (BTF) too, is believed to have participated in the discussions.
The Berghof Foundation suspended its operations in Sri Lanka late April 2008 subsequent to government decision to rescind a work permit issued to the then Country Director Dr. Nobert Ropers. The Berghof Foundation launched its project here in July 2001 on the invitation of the then government.
The TNA’s recent announcement that it would boycott the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to recommend ways and means of settling the national problem should be examined taking into consideration the deliberations made in Berlin, sources said. Responding to a query, an official said that the TNA and the TNPF were believed to be divided over their strategy in case the government called for northern provincial council elections even under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Sources speculated that TNPF was likely to boycott the elections widely expected to be held in September.
Sources said that Berghof Foundation sponsored two meetings for the same purpose in Singapore (April 2011) and Berlin (January 2013). Sources asserted that the project was aimed at agreeing on a roadmap to achieve their objectives, which remained the same in spite of eradication of the LTTE’s conventional military power.
At the inauguration of the TNPF, the party pledged it was committed to the concept of Tamil nationalism, homeland, Tamil nationhood, Tamil sovereignty and Tamils’ Right to self-determination. The All Ceylon Tamil Congress was the main constituent of the TNPF, they said.
Former TNA MP Pathmini Sithamparanathan had been an original member of the TNPF, sources said, adding that the majority of those who threw their weight behind the new party were close to the LTTE, particularly its top leadership.
July 3rd, 2013 at 8:04 pm
Talking about Emperors Without Clothes, here comes SArath Gonseka, without a stitch to cover his NAKEDNESS.
Instead of crawling into a Black Hole to hide his head in SHAME at his INGRATITUDE & TREACHERY against his Motherland, his Colleagues and his Superiors in Government, this UNPRINCIPLED MAN DARES TO SHOW HIS FACE in the Political Arena AGAIN!
This time he goes ONE STEP FURTHER in his TREACHERY … he supports the 13th Amendment to EMPOWER those very same terrorists who attempted to blow him to bits, and against whom he fought at the HEAD of Sri Lanka’s Patriotic Army.
Does this man know NO SHAME!
He was rescued from the threshold of retirement and given the opportunity he begged for to lead the Sri Lanka Army by Gotabhaya & Mahinda Rajapaksa. He used that position to aggrandize himself, and to arrogate to himself ALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS of ALL OTHER Heroic Officers … his comrades in arms against the LTTE … who bore the brunt of that Heroic War of National Liberation.
Driven by UNBOUNDED AMBITION & GREED, he REPAID the GENEROSITY of the Rajapaksa’s, who raised him up to receive the adulation of Sri Lankan Patriots, by accusing them of a war crime.
Even today, Sri Lanka is STILL trying to Dispel that charge, and overcome its international repercussions, against its Heroic Armed Forces.
Sarath Gonseka, do us PATRIOTS OF LANKA a FAVOR and PLEASE SHUT UP & GO AWAY! We would like to FORGET ABOUT YOU, just as every American Patriot wants to erase the memory of the traitor Gen. Benedict Arnold of the Continental Army in the War of Independence.
To Sarath Gonseka, a hollow man bereft of virtue, that immortal cry “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” is without resonance, of no meaning at all!
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Changing 13th Amendment would disrupt ethnic harmony, Sri Lanka’s former Army Commander says
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 03, Colombo: Former Army Commander of Sri Lanka and Leader of the Democratic Party, Sarath Fonseka says amending the 13th Amendment to the Constitution at this juncture would disrupt the ethnic harmony in the country.
Explaining that the solution to the current issues could only be brought about by a new Constitution and not by amending the existing Constitution, Fonseka says the Northern Provincial Council election should be held without revising the 13th Amendment.
He said that he does not agree with the proposed draft constitution put forward by the main opposition United National Party (UNP), especially on the formation of an executive council.
According to Fonseka, his party would contest at the Northern Provincial Council election and would also field a powerful chief ministerial candidate at the North Western Provincial Council election.
July 3rd, 2013 at 8:12 pm
Indo-Lanka Accord is not a valid document – JHU
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 03, Colombo: An Ally of Sri Lanka’s governing party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) says that the Indo-Lanka Accord is an invalid document since India had failed to honor its pledge.
JHU General Secretary, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that the Indo-Lanka Accord and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution are both invalid.
Addressing a rally in Colombo yesterday, the Minister noted that India had failed to disarm the LTTE as agreed in the Indo-Lanka Accord.
He explained that India had pledged to disarm the LTTE in 72 hours after entering into the agreement but had failed to do.
Therefore, he notes that the Sri Lankan government should realize that the agreement is invalid.
According to Ranawaka, it is a misconception to believe that power could be won in the country by holding the Tamil vote bank in one hand and the Muslim votes in the other.
July 4th, 2013 at 12:17 am
Jayawewa! Another Eelamist terrorist BITES THE DUST! I hope he gets the MAXIMUM sentence of 25 years without PAROLE!
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Canadian Tamil Tiger extradited to US pleads guilty for abetting LTTE
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 04, Colombo: A Canadian Tamil Tiger operative extradited to the United States to face charges of supporting the banned terrorist organization, Sri Lanka’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has pleaded guilty Tuesday in Brooklyn, New York, to the charges against him.
The suspect, Suresh Sriskandarajah, 32, could face up to 25 years in prison after admitting that he provided material support including sophisticated military technology to the LTTE.
According to court filings, Sriskandarajah and several co-conspirators have assisted a principal LTTE procurement officer to research and acquire aviation equipment, submarine and warship design software, and communications equipment.
Sriskandarajah has used students as couriers to smuggle prohibited items into LTTE-controlled Wanni region in Sri Lanka. He has also helped the LTTE launder its proceeds in the United States and elsewhere.
Sriskandarajah and another suspect Piratheepan Nadarajah, 36, alleged operatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were extradited from Canada and arraigned on December 27, 2012 in the United State federal court in Brooklyn, New York.
Both men were arrested in Toronto following a joint RCMP-FBI investigation called Project O-Needle in 2006. They have been fighting extradition in Canada since then and in December last year lost the battle when the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed the orders to extradite them to the U.S. to face charges against them.
July 4th, 2013 at 5:46 am
After the resounding defeat of the Tamil tiger terrorists,now the Ealam dreamers have changed tactics in the form of blackmail.Supporting the Ealamist are the bankrupt UNP,JVP,Sobitha+Waliamuna+Karu J clan,DEW,Rajitha ,Vasu,Thissa Witharana etc who all know very well that their days in politics are numbered.So all of them are receiving money from Oslo,so at least at the end of the day they will have some money stashed somewhere to enjoy their retirement.Then we also have the defeated Tamil terrorists living abroad, most of them who are involved in drug peddling,credit card frauds etc still dreaming.Not to mention the so called HR activists and journalists in the form of Paki,Waliamuna,Sunanda,Nimalka,Sunila,Thisaranee,Laksiri, who are all $$$ Kakkas! The defeated Tamil terrorists are talking of reconciliation. well,we had reconciliation sometime back at Nandikadal. It’s all over for the Ealamists. But still they can go on dreaming.
By the way i noticed of a post appearing on the Tamil terrorist funded Colombo Telegraph,indicating that Srilanka is the 9th most dangerous country in the world.We have even beaten Afghanistan and Pakistan.May be when their terror lord Prabakaran was living,Srilanka might have been the safest country in the world. Yes,the safest country in the world for terrorists. I should correct Colombo Telegraph here.That is that Srilanka is the most dangerous place for Tamil terrorists.
Just heard that the Channel 4 Mafia boss has been arrested in Malaysia.Hope that our police will do the same to these bogus media outfits who are in the payoff of the Tamil terrorists when they arrive for the CHOGM.
July 4th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Basil is the WRONG MAN for telling India what it does not want to hear!
Should send ALL THREE …. Gota, Basil and Lalith Weeratunga … who had kept India informed during the Eelam War.
Gota will provide the necessary BACKBONE to SAY WHAT MUST BE SAID! Basil alone may backtrack!
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Sri Lankan Minister leaves for India to discuss changes to13th Amendment
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 04, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister and Senior Adviser to the President Basil Rajapaksa left for India Thursday to apprise high ranking officials of the Indian government on the Sri Lankan government’s stance on13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa is expected to inform the Indian officials of the government’s stance on police and land powers and the reasons behind that stance.
He will meet Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid and National Security Advisor Shivsankar Menan during his two day stay in India.
Cabinet Spokesman and Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at the cabinet press briefing held in Colombo today said the Sri Lankan government has informed India at diplomatic level on the proposed revisions to the 13th Amendment.
The Sri Lankan government is required to officially inform the Indian government of the intended changes to the 13th Amendment since India is also a partner of the agreement, according to Minister Rambukwella.
The 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution, which created the provincial council system in the island under the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987 as a solution to devolve power, is found to be problematic under the current political situation.
Minister Rambukwella said although land and police powers were vested with the provincial councils by the 13th Amendment these powers have not been practically used by the provincial councils for over past 25 years. The Minister added that the government is considering to dilute those powers vested in the provincial councils.
July 4th, 2013 at 4:43 pm
“Srilanka is the 9th most dangerous country in the world”
FOR TAMIL ELAMISTS and JIHADISTS.
PROUD OF SL!!!
We should be #1 MOST dangerous country for TAMIL ELAMISTS and JIHADISTS.
Tamil nationalists and Jihadists should LEAVE SL with DIGNITY (IF any left) or suffer INDIGNITY.
July 4th, 2013 at 4:46 pm
Ananda,
WRONG spellings!!!!
“Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister and Senior Adviser to the President Basil Rajapaksa left for India Thursday to apprise high ranking officials of the Indian government on the Sri Lankan government’s stance on13th Amendment to the Constitution.”
CORRECTED.
“Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister and Senior Adviser to the President Basil Rajapaksa left for India Thursday to appease high ranking officials of the Indian government on the Sri Lankan government’s stance on13th Amendment to the Constitution.
This is ANOTHER LOSER who promised 13 amendment to Endia in 2008.
His credibility is LESS IMPORTANT than SL’s national security.
He should say THINGS HAVE CHANGED and HE WAS WRONG in 2008.
You can’t bring back the dead terrorists.
July 4th, 2013 at 4:48 pm
13 amendment = new LTTE.
KILL IT FULLY!
July 5th, 2013 at 1:29 pm
Know ye all, that our cries for abrogating the 13th amendment will not be heard by the President. He is in a quandary !!!
BR brings in a message from the Indian Rope Trick Magician, ” implement the 13th in full.” BR actually went to bring in this message, to hoodwink the masses on, behalf of the President. This is drama acting. President, has absolutely no intention of scrapping the Provincial Councils~~~Pradeshiya Sabhas etc. He has a secret.
The President stands nude with his hidden secret, vis-à-vis
Ninety nine percent of the Provincial Councillors, Pradeshiya Sabba Goons, who are murderers, Rapists, Extortionists, Illicit Timber fellers, Illicit Sand Miners, Bribe Takers, you name them, ARE HIS UN-EDUCATED, HENCHAIYAS, RELATIVES, THEIR RELATIVES, AHYAS, DRIVERS, SERVANT BOYS, ETC, who have been given the jobs, as reciprocation for the dirty work they have done, and are still doing, and being given finances and luxuries which they would have never dreamt of.
His Employment Exchange has provided many luxurious, well paid jobs with Perks, to the uneducated class, and HE IS DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO PUT THEM OUT OF THEIR HEAVENLY LIVING.
So to pull all this bluff, he is going to just take away Police and Land Powers, and tickle the TNA Goons till they get hysterical with laughter, and passing loud bursts of flatus from the exit of the alimentary canal.
Masses will be compelled to be Happy, till someday, TNA with Indians, pull the carpet under the Presidents Feet, to make him like Humpty Dumpty had a great FALL. That is going to disturb a HORNETS NEST.
I hope sanity will prevail.
July 5th, 2013 at 8:11 pm
jayasiri,
I DISAGREE! The PC elections in September PRECEDES the CHOGM meeting held in November. After the PC Elections, the Tiger Nominated Agents of the TNA will be in CONTROL of the Northern PC, with the Full Blessing and Support of India, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora, and the Western Neo-Colonialist Powers. Ousting the TNA Separatists from that Position of Power will be MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, if not IMPOSSIBLE, than preventing them getting there in the first place!
The CHOGM meeting is a mere Bagetelle compared to the Loss of Sovereignty due to the empowerment of UNREPENTENT SEPARATISTS in the PC Election.
It is a STUPENDOUS FOLLY to allow the Northern PC Elections to take place under the UNMODIFIED 13-A! It is an ACT which will cause INCALCULABLE harm to Sovereign Sri Lanka.
The STANCE of India (See article below on what Basil was told in India) confirms India’s ENDURING COMMITTMENT to the EVENTUAL DISINTEGRATION of Sri Lanka.
The GOSL should RECOGNIZE that this struggle to REPEAL the 13th Amendment and RESTORE Sri Lanka’s Sovereign CROWN to her is Eelam War V !
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India emphasizes full implementation of the 13th Amendment in Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 05, Colombo: India has stressed the need for Sri Lanka to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution including the devolution of police and land powers to the provinces.
During a meeting with Sri Lanka’s Economic Development Minister and President’s senior adviser Basil Rajapaksa in New Delhi, India’s External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has emphasized that the 13th Amendment should not be diluted and Sri Lanka should go beyond the amendment to ensure meaningful devolution of powers.
Minister Rajapaksa is visiting New Delhi to inform the Indian officials of President’s decision to hold elections to Northern Provincial Council and convey the Sri Lankan government’s stance on the proposed changes to the 13th Amendment to the Indian leaders, mainly as a formality since the amendment was introduced under the Indo-Lanka agreement of 1987.
Minister Khurshid welcomed the proclamation made by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa President Friday (July 05) to hold the elections to the Northern Provincial Council.
President Rajapaksa today directed the Elections Commissioner to hold the elections to the Northern PC and according to the Elections Commissioner elections will be held in the latter half of September.
The government expects to amend the legislation giving land and police powers to provinces before the provincial council elections are held.
Khurshid has stressed the importance of all political parties in Sri Lanka being represented in the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), which has appointed to resolve the issues relating to constitutional reform, and expressed hope that all parties would join the process.
The Indian Minister has commended the government’s efforts in reconstruction, resettlement, and infrastructure development as well as the steps taken to improve the livelihoods of the people in the Northern Province including rapid strides made in the agriculture sector.
Earlier Khurshid has conveyed Indian government’s view on the 13th Amendment to his Sri Lankan counterpart Minister G.L. Peiris stressing the need to keep the amendment unchanged.
Minister Rajapaksa has also held meetings with the National Security Advisor shiv Shankar Menon and the Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai.
July 6th, 2013 at 4:21 pm
This Pusillanimous Politician, Rajitha Senaratne, is DEAD WRONG!
Moving NOT TO REPEAL the 13th Amendment and HOLDING PC ELECTIONS in September will be the FACTOR DECIDING the Government’s FATE!
It has ALWAYS BEEN the PATRIOTS of Sri Lanka who have STOOD FAST & SUPPORTED the UPFA Government through THICK & THIN; NOT the WEAK HEARTS & TREACHEROUS ALLIES who have tempoprarily attached themselves to the UPFA for PERSONAL GAIN; kissing the hand they would rather bite!
LOSE the PATRIOTS, and the UPFA Government will LOSE POWER as well.
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Move to repeal 13th Amendment would decide the government’s fate – Sri Lankan minister
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 06, Colombo: A Sri Lankan government minister says that any move to repeal the 13th Amendment to the Constitution would be a deciding factor on the government’s fate.
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the media that the government will lose power if the 13th Amendment is repealed.
Explaining that a political solution to the ethnic issue could only be found by removing any misunderstandings in the minds of the minority communities, the Minister has said that those opposed to the 13th Amendment are not nationalists, but chauvinists.
According to Dr. Senaratne, devolution of power under the 13th Amendment is the best possible solution available at the moment, since it maintains a unitary State, retaining control with the government and Parliament.
He has added that it was unlikely that amendments to the 13th Amendment would be made before the Northern Provincial Council election.
July 8th, 2013 at 2:37 am
JAYAWEWA! Perhaps the VOCIFEROUS PERSISTENT ARGUMENTS of PATRIOTS against ILLEGALITY of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, and its inbred offspring, the 13th Amendment, are FINALLY GETTING THROUGH to the Mass Media in Sri Lanka!
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We aren’t obliged to honour Indo–Lanka Accord
DailyMirror.lk
Monday, 08 July 2013
There was a news item published in both Indian and Sri Lankan media that Menon was scheduled to visit Sri Lanka sometime soon to convey India’s displeasure about Sri Lanka’s decision to unilaterally amend the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution, which gave birth to the Provincial Councils. Minister Basil Rajapaksa has meanwhile paid a visit to India to brief the Indian Government about the proposed changes to the amendment.
India directly and indirectly has warned Sri Lanka not to violate the Indo-Lanka Accord signed in 1987. Most of the provisions in the 13A are a direct result of the Indo Lanka Accord. Hence, it is pertinent to look at the so-called bilateral agreement though in my view, there is no such valid Accord between the two nations.
Duress Factor
According to the principles of Contract Law and International Law, accords signed under duress are voidable. President Jayewardene was of course under duress to sign the accord. India covertly trained and armed the separatist terrorists in Sri Lanka. This was later exposed by Western intelligence units. India openly defended the terrorists, attacked Sri Lanka in international forums and finally, invaded Sri Lankan airspace to coerce Sri Lanka to sign the Accord.
In his biography, written by K.M. De Silva and W.H.Wriggins,President Jayewardene has explained in detail the trauma he underwent. India invaded Pakistan in 1971 and created a new country called “Bangladesh”. India invaded Sikkim in 1975 and annexed it to India as its latest State and these memories must have been foremost in President Jayewardene’s mind when he chose the best out of the two options available and signed the Accord.
True results of the Accord
India’s influence with the separatist terrorists was reflected in its undertaking to disarm all terrorists within 120 hours. However, the LTTE launched its fight against the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) on October 8, 1987, thus putting an end to a very short honeymoon. Although India undertook to disarm the terrorists, it failed to fulfil its obligation with respect of the LTTE, which came to be known as one of the strongest terrorist outfits. Some people boast that 37 other terrorist groups surrendered their weapons as a result of the Accord. It is of course true but it was counter-productive from a military perspective. Before the Accord, the 38 terrorist groups were involved in fighting each other for supremacy rather than fighting the Sri Lankan forces. After the Accord, there was no intergroup rivalry to weaken each other, and this resulted in the LTTE gradually increasing its attacks on the Government forces. Moreover, the LTTE was transformed into a professional military force from an amateur hit-and-run terrorist group thanks to the Rs.50 million received from India for the rehabilitation of its cadres. In the light of the above, and as a result of the Indo-Lanka Accord, Sri Lanka had to pay a huge price in terms of human and material resources to defeat the LTTE.
Indian violations of the Accord
Let us assume for a moment there was a valid accord between the two nations. However, Sri Lanka has now been relieved of its obligations as India failed to fulfil its obligations. According to Paragraph 2.16 of the Indo–Lanka Accord, Sri Lanka’s obligations as mentioned in the Accord were conditional to India taking five steps in the event military groups refused to surrender their weapons. Since the LTTE neither ceased hostilities nor surrendered their weapons, India was duty bound to perform those five tasks.
The first was to ensure that Indian territory was not used for activities prejudicial to the unity and security of Sri Lanka. But Tamil Nadu State politicians used its territory in supporting the LTTE with the tacit approval of the Central Government of India. All successive Central Governments of India after 1996 tolerated the anti-Sri Lankan activities of Tamil Nadu politicians including the Central government as it survived on the support extended by the Tamil Nadu political parties. India never made any serious attempt to eliminate or at least curtail such activities. Hence, India has violated the first condition.
The second was that the Indian navy was obliged to co-operate with its Sri Lankan counterpart to prevent Tamil militant activities. The Indian Navy did not do so to prevent such activities after the departure of the IPKF from Sri Lanka. The LTTE freely transported weapons and other supplies from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka. Similarly, when the top terrorists were injured in the battle, they were transported to Tamil Nadu for medical treatment without any resistance from the Indian Navy. The inactivity of the Indian Navy broke the second condition.
The third was that India agreed to provide military assistance to implement the Accord as and when requested. As the clause clearly says, such assistance should be provided as requested by Sri Lanka. However, the IPKF did not conduct operations as requested by Sri Lanka. Instead, they acted as they wished. As a result, President Premadasa was reluctantly compelled to request the IPKF to withdraw from Sri Lanka. They did not honour this request. They came out with their own plan for the departure, rejecting the deadline set by President Premadasa. In this backdrop, India has not honoured the third condition either.
Repatriation of Indians
The fourth was that India agreed to expedite the repatriation of Indian citizens who were residing in Sri Lanka to India. This is in fact an obligation overdue for a long time. It was estimated that there were 975,000 people of Indian origin residing in Sri Lanka as at October 30, 1964. They were not recognised as citizens of India or of Sri Lanka and came to be know as ‘stateless’. Under the Sirima-Shastri Pact signed on October 30, 1964, India agreed to grant citizenship to 525,000 of them while Sri Lanka agreed to grant citizenship to 300,000. The balance 150,000 people were equally distributed between the two nations in another agreement signed on January 27, 1974.
Although India should grant citizenships to 600,000 as stated in the above agreements, only 506,000 applied for Indian citizenship. Sri Lanka did not want to force Indians to leave the country. Hence, Sri Lanka brought a special parliamentary Act in 1986 to grant citizenship to balance 94,000 and their descendants. However, India failed to grant citizenship to the people who applied for Indian citizenship and thus did not even honour the above agreements. India kept using the Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu as the excuse for its failure. That is why there was an obligation as per the Indo–Lanka Accord of 1987 for India to expedite the repatriation. India is yet to honour this obligation although Sri Lanka has granted citizenship to all Indians residing in Sri Lanka and had also started bringing back the refugees in Tamil Nadu.
IPKF killing Sinhalese
The fifth was that India undertkes to ensure physical security and safety of all communities living in the Northern and Eastern provinces. India grossly violated this clause when the IPKF with the support of the LTTE began killing the Sinhalese living in Trincomalee District in September 1987. The IPKF was so brutal that even the Chief Monk of China Bay Temple was shot dead by the IPKF because of his resistance to the slaughter of the Sinhalese. In the aftermath, tens of thousands of helpless Sinhalese fearing for their lives flocked to Kantale and Habarana looking for safety there.
Because India has failed to fulfill any of its obligations, it goes without saying that Sri Lanka has no obligation whatsoever to carry out its undertakings such as the introduction of the provincial councils and establishment of one council for Northern and Eastern Provinces (popularly known as the merger). Hence, Sri Lanka is free to amend the provisions in respect of provincial councils without consulting India or worrying about the Indo-Lanka Accord.
This Accord is not a landmark in Indian-Sri Lankan diplomatic relations, which have spread over several millennia but a scar continues to remain from a shameful past. It only confirms how India has deviated from “a Non Interfering Pancha Seela Policy in its relations with its neighbours,” introduced by Sri Nehru. Since the Indo–Lanka Accord reminds the world of India’s shameful past, India should attempt to do its best to avoid discussions with regard to the Accord. If India insists on the Accord, Sri Lanka will be reluctantly compelled to remind India of the reasons for Sri Lanka to have signed the Accord, which it did under duress and also how India had failed to honour any of its obligations.